That’s the number floating around GOP circles in Washington right now — the number of Republican members of Congress who are reportedly considering throwing in the towel before New Year’s. Not at the end of their terms. Not after the midterms. In the coming weeks.
If even a fraction of that number walks, Donald Trump and “MAGA Mike” Johnson’s razor-thin House majority could evaporate overnight. And that opens the door to something Trump fears more than any investigation:
Speaker Hakeem Jeffries.
According to a scoop from Puck, multiple GOP lawmakers and aides say an exodus is coming. Many of the members eyeing retirement hold “safe” Republican seats on paper — but even they see the writing on the wall:
- Trump’s approval is plummeting across polls
- Republicans underperformed in off-year elections in Virginia, New Jersey, Georgia, and beyond
- Even in a recent “safe” special election, a MAGA candidate only won by single digits
These Republicans didn’t come to Congress to be human shields for Trump’s legal problems and conspiracy rants. They now describe their job, bluntly, as “just defending whatever Donald Trump is doing.” And they’re sick of being made to look stupid on national television while their constituents can’t afford groceries or a doctor’s visit.
The Affordability Crisis Trump Calls a “Scam”
On the ground, the economic reality is brutal:
- Layoffs are up 54% year-over-year
- Over 1.1 million layoffs already, and the final tally could approach 2 million
- Tens of millions rely on Affordable Care Act subsidies that are about to vanish in weeks unless Congress acts
Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick didn’t sugarcoat it:
“Affordability is the issue… If you’re living paycheck to paycheck and can’t make ends meet, nothing else matters.”
He openly rejected Trump’s line that affordability is a “Democratic scam,” saying he hears the pain from constituents every day. That’s not a Democratic talking point. That’s a Republican from a swing district saying, “No, this is real.”
And he’s not alone.
“You Could Get a Monkey to Do This Job”
Even MAGA-aligned Republicans are starting to admit what’s really going on.
One House Republican said the quiet part out loud: the House isn’t in the driver’s seat on anything. Members gave up careers, moved their families, and came to Washington thinking they’d write laws — only to discover their real function is to rubber-stamp whatever Donald Trump wants.
“Nobody wants to be a rubber stamp… You could get a monkey to do this job.”
Meanwhile, Rep. Glenn Grothman admitted that if a bill to extend ACA subsidies ever reached the House floor — which Mike Johnson is doing everything possible to prevent — it would likely pass with a mix of Democrats and a handful of Republicans. In other words: the votes are there to protect people’s health care. The only obstacle is Trump’s leadership.
And the clock is ticking:
- It’s early December
- Exchange plans reset January 1
- Without action, tens of millions will see their coverage vanish or become unaffordable
That’s not theory. That’s calendar math.
A $900 Billion NDAA — And What MAGA Took Out
At the same time they block help for everyday people, House Republicans just rolled out a 3,086-page National Defense Authorization Act with roughly $900 billion in military spending.
But look at what they removed:
- IVF coverage for service members who want to start a family — stripped out because MAGA extremists claim IVF violates “God’s will” and call it murder
- Collective-bargaining protections for Defense Department employees — another shot at unions from a movement that has hated organized labor for decades
- The bipartisan Road to Housing Act, which would have meaningfully expanded housing supply and affordability
And remember: hardliners also demanded a ban on a central bank digital currency (CBDC) be included. Mike Johnson promised them back in July he’d add it. He didn’t. They got played again.
So the NDAA keeps ballooning. Housing relief? No. IVF for troops? No. Worker protections? No.
But the Pentagon? Full. Speed. Ahead.
MAGA Cannibalism: Marjorie Taylor Greene Exposes the Inner Rot
As if the policy failures weren’t enough, the movement’s internal rot is now being described by one of its loudest stars.
Marjorie Taylor Greene has started blabbing about what really happens behind closed doors in Trump-world:
- She says “all of the MAGAs” secretly hate Trump, mock him privately, then put the hat back on and go grovel in public
- She accuses Trump’s team of trying to protect powerful men in the Epstein files and says she’s gotten death threats because she pushed for transparency
- She’s openly describing Trump’s caucus as Putin bootlickers, noting how closely Trump’s messaging tracks Russia’s own national strategy
When Marjorie Taylor Greene is the one saying the movement is fake, terrified, and corrupt from within… you know something is seriously breaking.
Even Trump’s Own Officials Can’t Sell the Lie Anymore
Treasury officials and pro-Trump senators went on TV trying to push the line that everything is fine and Biden “left a wreck.” The numbers don’t back them up, and voters know it:
- CBS polling shows 60% of Americans think Trump makes prices and inflation sound better than they really are
- His approval on the economy is sinking into the 30s, even as his administration insists people are just misinformed
Then there’s immigration and refugees. A new YouGov poll shows:
- 53% of Americans support the U.S. accepting refugees
- Only 19% support accepting no refugees
- A microscopic 3% support Trump’s fringe idea of only taking in white South Africans
Trump’s base policy agenda simply doesn’t match where the country actually is.
The Bottom Line: They’re Tired, Cornered, and Looking for the Exit
Between:
- An affordability crisis Trump calls fake
- ACA subsidies on the verge of expiring
- A bloated $900B defense bill that cuts help for troops and workers
- Foreign-influenced media consolidation circling overhead
- And a base that secretly mocks its own leader while publicly kneeling
It’s no surprise that up to 20 House Republicans are reportedly eyeing the exits.
They know what’s coming in 2026. They know defending Trump’s chaos, corruption, and economic gaslighting is a losing proposition. And some of them would rather quietly retire than go down with the ship.
The question isn’t whether the cracks are forming.
The question is how fast the dam breaks.
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