RNC Chair says there may be ramifications if Republicans don't support Trump's agenda: 'I would not be surprised'

Republican National Committee (RNC) chair Michael Whatley said during an interview there may be ramifications for Republican lawmakers if they do not support President Trump’s legislative agenda. 

“Well, I certainly think that the American people certainly expect that Congress is going to work with the president to hammer out this agenda,” Whatley said during his Thursday appearance on NewsNation’s show “The Hill.”  

“And so would there be ramifications if there are folks that aren’t going to engage? I would not be surprised if that’s the case,” he told host Blake Burman. “But right now, what we fully expect is we are going to have a unified Republican caucus that is going to move  forward with President Trump’s agenda.” 

House Republicans were with Trump and Vice President Vance on Thursday in a marathon meeting that focused on how to pass the commander-in-chief’s legislative agenda. The long meeting came after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) had to fold the initial push to markup budget resolution after pushback from some GOP lawmakers over spending cuts. Senate Republicans then said they would make their own move to enact the agenda. 

Johnson told reporters on Thursday that the House is close to a deal, the meeting yielded some “very positive developments” and they could potentially move on it as early as next week. 

“We got out the whiteboards and we worked out the framework, what we believe will be the path forward,” Johnson said. “I think we’ll be able to make some announcements probably by tomorrow, and we’re excited about that.”

Some of the items Trump wants addressed by Congress extension of the 2017 tax cuts, immigration and border funding. 

“The idea would be to get the Budget Committee working, potentially as early as early next week, maybe Tuesday, for a markup for the budget resolution, and then we’ll unlock this process and get it moving,” Johnson said. 

Whatley, who Trump asked in December last year to remain as the RNC chair, told Burman that the “details are going to be worked out by Congress, by the Senate. And those conversations are taking place right now. But understand, the American people have a sense of urgency.” 

“President Trump has a sense of urgency,” he said. “And it is going to be very critical for everybody to meet that urgency and move forward for the American people.” 

NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group which also owns The Hill.