Double challenge: Trump's credibility is at stake

Double challenge: Trump's credibility is at stake

CNN - This week, Donald Trump faces two challenges - one at home and one abroad. These will test his self-created mythology as a master negotiator and his ability to effect real and lasting change.

Challenges in Congress

The president is putting considerable pressure on the fragile Republican majority in Congress to overcome internal differences and pass the "big, beautiful law." to say goodbye, which contains his key domestic policy priorities. Previously failed efforts to bring peace to Ukraine reach during a Telephone call on Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin a new turning point, although Putin rejected Trump's initiative despite the administration's lenient treatment.

A crucial law to change government policy

Trump's budget proposal is his best chance to transform the country - at least in conventional and constitutional ways. Legislative changes are more permanent than his quick executive orders. The president plans to cut taxes, finance his mass deportation plans and add billions of dollars to the defense budget to increase.

However, drastic results occur Medicaid cuts and food aid demanded by fiscally conservative lawmakers, alienating moderate Republicans. The horror of this confrontation could therefore highlight the fault lines of the Trump coalition and require more forceful intervention from the president later in the week.

Recognize Putin's true intentions

The world may soon learn the extent of Trump's sincerity regarding his Ukraine initiative. It's a critical phase for you Peace plan in Ukraine before, which promised a lot but has so far delivered little.

Even Trump has considered whether Putin wants to stall him in an attempt at peace that has so far consisted mainly of putting pressure on Ukraine, the war's victim, while rewarding the aggressor. After Putin a proposed summit in Turkey Having rejected Trump's all-but-ordered deal, the US president declared that there would be no progress until he personally sat down with the Russian leader.

Trump's credibility under scrutiny

The planned phone call on Monday will therefore represent a serious test of Trump's credibility and sincerity in the Ukraine negotiations, as well as his willingness to exert even the slightest pressure on Russia. Signs of frustration in the White House are becoming increasingly clear.

Vice President JD Vance, who sharply criticized Zelensky in the Oval Office in February, met the Ukrainian leader in Rome over the weekend, just days after he warned that Russia “too much to ask”. Trump's belief that only he can influence Putin - a trait he shares with several predecessors - could be tested if Moscow doesn't move.

The internal conflicts of the Republicans

Trump's big, beautiful law is intended to enshrine tangible changes in the direction of government policy. It includes at least $1.5 trillion in spending cuts to fund the tax cuts of his first term and to expand promises he made during the campaign, including exempting tipped income and overtime pay and increasing standard deductions. The bill would kick-start a shipbuilding program amid an escalating rivalry with China and provide a down payment for a space-based " Golden Dome “missile defense system.

The challenges facing the Speaker of the House

The impact of the legislation strains House Speaker Mike Johnson's narrow majority and led to emotional arguments in the committee after months of tough negotiations. Johnson managed to find a compromise to appease hardliners and pushed the bill through the House Budget Committee after a tense weekend. But the bill must clear other key hurdles this week before it can take a vote in the full House.

The internal dynamics of Washington Republicans may be complex, but they pale in comparison to the challenge Trump faces with Putin — who, unlike Republicans, has no real incentive to make the president look good. It remains to be seen whether Trump can live up to the expectations he has set for himself.