Simon says vote on cutting Medicaid funds and the Grand Old Party (GOP) votes on it despite several polls showing public opposition to Medicaid cuts. Simon says vote on funding over $170 billion to the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the GOP votes on it despite the unsanitary, unsafe conditions of detention centers and the racist targeting of Latino people by masked agents. The GOP is a game of “Simon Demands” not “Simon Says” because of how leaders follow President Trump’s orders out of fear of political repercussions.
A perfect example of how the GOP plays into this game is in the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), which passed because of the constant pressure and influence from Trump.
In early February, Trump held a meeting with GOP leaders and members about the key compositions of the budget resolution. One of the key components was tying a minimum of $1.5 trillion in spending cuts to $4 trillion in tax cuts — spending cuts would increase if tax cuts increased. The mechanism was intentionally included by the House Freedom Caucus to make it easier for the bill to pass in the Senate. The caucus is primarily composed of GOP members who tend to be more far-right on the political spectrum, who tend to be “less compromise-oriented politics in Congress,” and who tend to be stricter in regards to immigration, government spending and LGBTQ+ rights. In other words, the Freedom Caucus exists to ensure that more conservative policies pass and that the GOP shifts or remains more ideologically right leaning.
However, the initial resolution did not pass easily as there was opposition from GOP House member Thomas Massie (R-KY), Warren Davidson (R-OH) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN). GOP House leaders attempted to change their minds but it was only until Trump had a private phone call with Spartz — twice — that the Indiana congresswoman switched her vote to an “aye.”
The content of the phone call is unclear, as the first conversation resulted in Spartz crying during their conversation. The only hint of what made the congresswoman change her mind was the vague comment Trump made about his “personal commitment to save healthcare.” Whatever the content of these private conversations, Trump’s strong influence in turning Spartz’s nay to an aye is clear.
Spartz was not the only Republican congressperson to be influenced by Trump. After the bill passed in the Senate, GOP House members were upset because of how the bill had completely changed from the House passage. In an attempt to get support, Trump held a meeting with the opposing members, and as Rep. Dusty Johnoson claimed, “Those meetings are having a big impact, members are moving to yes.” House Majority Steve Scalise even added how Trump has been their “best closer” or rather, the person in charge of convincing any opposition within the party. Just as in the case with Spartz, Trump continuously acts as the Simon who gets what he demands for.
The political threats that Trump poses are evident when you look at the tantrums and fits he throws on his deranged media platforms. During the stressful indecisions in the House, Trump decided to threaten the GOP holdouts on his Truth Social platform by commenting how “MAGA is not happy, and it’s costing you votes” and how “For Republicans, this should be an easy yes vote. Ridiculous!” Trump was upset because the GOP was not blindly following his commands on the passage of a 800-page bill, once again showing the strong influence he holds in the GOP and the political repercussions awaiting congressmembers if they oppose him.
However, there were GOP members who did oppose the bill but not without retaliation. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky has a long history of opposing Trump’s decisions. Massie opposed the bill because he believed that it would increase the budget deficit, worsen inflation and increase interest rates. In response, Trump commented how “MAGA doesn’t want [Massie]” and how Trump would support an “American Patriot running against him in the Republican Primary.” The political threat Trump posed to Massie shows the extent of Trump’s actions when members of the GOP oppose him and the fear he instills in his party with political threats such as these.
Though this may show how the GOP doesn’t necessarily succumb to Trump, it does not disregard the level of influence Trump’s threats have on GOP members. Take the example of Liz Cheney, who lost her position in the House after supporting the second impeachment of Trump. Cheney lost the Wyoming Republican primary election against Harriet Hageman, a candidate Trump backed.
It becomes clear that with all of Trump’s previous political threats, current attacks on political officials and tantrums on social media, that he had a major role in passing the OBBA and continues to have a strong influence in the GOP.
If our own representatives succumb to the president’s pressure instead of representing their constituent’s needs, it sparks questions about the current system we uphold and whether our interests are really being represented.
Alex Alejo is an Opinion Intern for the summer 2025 quarter. He can be reached at aalejosa@uci.edu.
Edited by Rebecca Do and Annabelle Aguirre