Republicans Love Trump. Just Not All His Policy Ideas

When Donald J. Trump huddled with Republican senators at a closed-door meeting in the Capitol days before his inauguration, Senator Rick Scott of Florida rose and gushed to him about the exhilarating opportunity the party had to “right-size” the federal government by slashing it mercilessly, a long-held conservative goal.

Mr. Trump brusquely agreed but quickly steered the conversation in a different direction, according to two people who attended the meeting. What he was really excited to discuss was tariffs, and he launched into a lengthy discourse about his plans, pulling out a paper from his jacket pocket and laying out calculations of potential revenue the nation could bring in from taxing imports.

The exchange underscored the chasm between Mr. Trump and many members of his party who are setting to work to push his agenda through a closely divided Congress. Even as Republicans have coalesced around broad fiscal policies like cutting spending and extending the tax cuts Mr. Trump enacted in 2017, many do not share his enthusiasm for several ideas he has proposed, including implementing broad tariffs and lowering the corporate tax rate.

Those disagreements are at the heart of Republican leaders’ efforts to piece together legislation carrying the bulk of Mr. Trump’s domestic policy agenda — a massive bill cutting taxes, slashing spending and slowing immigration that they plan to fast-track over the objections of Democrats. It will be a central topic of discussion this week as House Republicans convene in Miami for a retreat entitled “Delivering the America First Agenda.”

Mr. Trump is expected to address them Monday evening to kick off the gathering.

The president — who is famously vindictive and can count on a contingent of MAGA allies ready to hector and threaten any Republican who stands in his way — is likely to demand unbending loyalty from his party when it comes to domestic policy.

At a meeting with lawmakers this month at Fort McNair in Washington, Stephen Miller, Mr. Trump’s deputy chief of staff, described the major legislation taking shape in existential terms. His message, according to a person who attended the private session, was: You may not think the bill is perfect, but this is the be-all and end-all — and you will be with us.