President Donald Trump warned that he will withhold campaign endorsements from any Republican lawmaker who votes against a White House–backed rescissions package slated for Senate consideration next week. The ultimatum intensifies pressure on GOP senators ahead of the vote and underscores Trump’s influence over the party’s 2026 primary landscape. The $9.4 billion measure, crafted by the Department of Government Efficiency, would rescind $1.1 billion already appropriated for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting—which funds NPR and PBS—and claw back $8.3 billion from foreign aid accounts, including the PEPFAR HIV/AIDS program. The legislation aims to codify spending reductions the administration began implementing by executive action earlier this year. The House narrowly approved the bill last month, 214–212, after four Republicans joined all Democrats in opposition. In the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53–47 edge, moderates such as Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska have signaled concerns about the depth of the CPB and foreign-aid reductions and are weighing potential amendments. Congress faces a July 18 deadline: if the Senate fails to pass an identical version of the measure—or if subsequent House action stalls—the targeted funds will remain in place. Trump’s endorsement threat raises the political stakes for GOP senators torn between party leadership, constituent interests in rural public media, and the president’s loyalty test.
🚨 NEW: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis celebrates defunding NPR and PBS in Florida as President Trump pushes Senate Republicans to do the same nationally. https://t.co/i7yqxnvSqI
Gov. DeSantis says PBS and NPR have been defunded in the state of Florida https://t.co/kKd2vayN0I
President Trump is threatening to withhold his endorsement from any Republican senators who oppose the White House’s $9.4 billion package of DOGE cuts https://t.co/69IyTLsiM8 via @WSJ