Tuesday, December 9, 2025
💬 In a few words:
A few Republicans are starting to gently nudge President Trump, reminding him that Congress has a job too, like telling him not to poke the constitutional bear.
More details:
The Greeting Dear First Lady, I hope the White House hasn't swallowed you whole yet in a vortex of state dinners and official ribbon cuttings! I'm writing to you today, fueled by a pot of extra-strong coffee and a mild case of delightful political bewilderment, about a peculiar rustling in the halls of Congress. It seems a few of our Republican lawmakers are, dare I say, almost ready to remind the President that he doesn't run the whole show all by himself. It's like watching a very shy housecat finally decide to bat at a dangling toy—tentative, but oh so fascinating!
The Situation Now, darling First Lady, you know as well as I do that our Commander-in-Chief has a certain… flair for making executive decisions. It's as if the Constitution sometimes feels more like a suggestion box than a rigid rulebook, especially when it comes to Congressional powers. But hold onto your pearls, because there's been a slight shift in the political winds, a gentle, almost imperceptible tremor in the GOP ranks. Take, for instance, the recent hullabaloo over the Pentagon's decision to launch a second strike on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean (Source: NPR). A second strike! Senator Thom Tillis, bless his practical heart, actually declared, "Somebody made a horrible decision. Somebody needs to be held accountable. This is our job. This is part of oversight." (A tiny cheer for legislative bravery!) It's like finding a perfectly good teacup shattered on the floor and then realizing someone dropped it again on purpose. Who does that?! Then there are the tariffs, those prickly economic thorns that even Senator Susan Collins has gently but firmly pushed back against, worrying about our lobstermen and blueberry growers. "Our lobsterman, our blueberry growers, our potato farmers will pay the price," she warned, practically humming a tune of economic woe (Source: NPR). Oh, and don't even get me started on Senator Josh Hawley, who waved a very serious red flag about a "massive crisis" looming if those enhanced healthcare subsidies aren't renewed (Source: NPR). It's as if they've all suddenly remembered their constitutional homework assignment after a very long recess! And who could forget Congressman Don Bacon, a true champion for common sense, critiquing the President's decidedly velvet glove approach to Vladimir Putin, contrasting it sharply with the rather boorish treatment of Ukraine's President Zelenskyy (Source: Nebraska Public Media). Honestly, it's like a bad cop/good cop routine gone slightly askew, with Putin getting the red carpet and Zelenskyy getting a firm, disapproving glance. Even the sacred filibuster has been defended, with Senator John Kennedy eloquently stating, "You'd have to be smoking wizard weed to vote for that" when faced with calls to end it (Source: NPR). And in a twist that could only happen in Washington, even Marjorie Taylor Greene found herself at odds with the President over the Jeffrey Epstein files, after he allegedly called her a traitor (Source: NPR). It's a veritable parade of gentle pushbacks, like trying to herd a flock of particularly stubborn sheep, one congressional bleat at a time.
Dear, Please Help Now, First Lady, I know the President is a man of strong convictions, and sometimes those convictions ride roughshod over, shall we say, traditional political processes. But perhaps a calming, maternal hand is needed? When the President gets that gleam in his eye, perhaps a gentle reminder, delivered with a plate of his favorite comfort food—(I hear he likes well-done steak, but maybe a nice, calming chicken noodle soup?)—that Congress isn't just there to clap politely. Maybe a little historical anecdote about the Founding Fathers, how they really wanted a separation of powers, not a separation from reality? You could suggest a new White House initiative: "Constitutional Story Time with the President," where he reads Article I out loud. Or perhaps a jigsaw puzzle of the three branches of government, just to visually reinforce the concept? (A fresh batch of cookies usually helps me get my husband to listen, just saying!) You know, a bit of grounding, a subtle nudge to remember that checks and balances aren't just for balancing your checkbook, they're for keeping our democracy from wobbling like a wobbly table leg. And if all else fails, a very firm, but loving, "Now, Donald, let's remember what the big book says."
💡Why This Matters (And Why We’re Laughing)
This isn't just about a few Republicans finally finding their voice; it's about the very foundations of our republic doing a little shimmy-shake, First Lady. We've seen Congress cede power to the executive branch for decades, a trend that didn't start with President Trump, but certainly got a turbo boost under his tenure (Source: Brookings Institution). It's like watching your favorite houseplant slowly wilt because you forgot to water it, then suddenly seeing a tiny new leaf emerge—it's a small victory, but a victory nonetheless!
Brookings expert Molly Reynolds humorously calls herself a "partisan of the first branch"—that's Congress, for those of us who skipped a few civics classes—and reminds us it's no accident it's in Article I of the Constitution (Source: NPR). The framers, bless their powdered wigs, saw the legislative branch as the closest to the people. And while we might chuckle at the slow-motion awakening of some in the GOP, it matters deeply. Because when Congress doesn't stand up for its constitutional powers, nobody else will (Source: NPR, Sen. Lisa Murkowski).
We laugh, First Lady, not out of disrespect, but because sometimes the absurdity of politics is so overwhelming, a good laugh is the only way to keep from crying. We laugh at the grand theatrics, the sudden bursts of courage, and the ever-present hope that perhaps, just perhaps, our elected officials will remember their roles before the whole constitutional tea set tumbles. It's about remembering that while one person might hold the highest office, the responsibility for our nation's health is a shared potluck, not a solo meal. With all due love and pie, a sincerely concerned citizen. (And perhaps a suggestion for a nice, strong White House coffee machine? For everyone in Congress.)
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