A small but growing group of Republican lawmakers is defying President Donald Trump on major legislation, signaling that his once-iron grip on the party’s congressional wing is loosening just months before the 2026 midterm elections. The dissent, focused on the Iran war and immigration spending, has earned the breakaway members the nickname “the YOLO caucus” — a reference to the phrase “you only live once” — because many are either retiring or have lost their primaries and no longer fear electoral reprisal.
The most recent addition is Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. Days after losing his Republican primary to a Trump-endorsed challenger, Cassidy on Tuesday voted with Democrats to advance a bill that would rein in U.S. military operations in Iran, reversing his earlier position. The vote marked a sharp break for a senator who had voted to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial in 2021, a decision that Cassidy said he did not regret even as it cost him his seat. “I have no regrets,” Cassidy told reporters this week, according to the Associated Press. “I did what I thought was right for the country.”
Cassidy’s defection is part of a pattern of Republican senators breaking with the White House on the Iran war. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who faces a competitive primary next year, also voted for the war-powers legislation and has publicly criticized the administration’s plan for a partial U.S. withdrawal from Iran by June. Tillis said the plan was inconsistent with Trump’s stated goal of decisively defeating Iranian-backed forces. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska had previously voted with Democrats on a similar measure, as had Sen. Susan Collins of Maine.
The dissent is not limited to the Senate. In the House, Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky have backed war-powers resolutions that the White House opposes. Massie, a libertarian-leaning Republican, has long been a critic of presidential war powers and has voted against Trump on foreign policy before. Bacon, who represents a swing district, has faced pressure from constituents uneasy with the ongoing conflict.
The GOP infighting is also complicating a $1 billion White House security funding request that includes a proposed ballroom at the executive mansion. Republican senators including John Hoeven of North Dakota and John Cornyn of Texas have questioned the expense, which has become a flashpoint between lawmakers eager to protect the president and fiscal conservatives wary of the cost. The White House has argued the ballroom is necessary for official events, but critics note that Trump has used the prospect of a grand venue to host political and personal gatherings.
The growing dissent comes as Trump’s party holds only a narrow majority in the House and a 51-49 margin in the Senate. With Democrats united in opposition to the president’s agenda on these issues, any Republican defection on a key vote can be decisive. Senate Majority Leader John Thune has worked to keep the caucus unified, but the defections have forced him to make concessions or delay votes.
The White House has downplayed the significance of the dissent, pointing to Trump’s continued dominance in Republican primary elections as evidence that his hold on the party remains strong. But the pattern of GOP lawmakers willing to break with the president on high-profile votes suggests a quiet but real erosion of his legislative power, particularly among members who no longer need his endorsement to survive politically.
The dynamic mirrors earlier moments in Trump’s presidency, when retiring senators like Bob Corker and Jeff Flake openly criticized him, but it is now unfolding in a Congress where Republican majorities are thin enough that even a handful of defections can sink priority legislation. With the midterms approaching, the “YOLO caucus” may grow larger — and louder.