President Donald Trump has once again reminded Washington who actually runs the executive branch — and it isn’t a handful of grandstanding Senate Republicans playing procedural games.
After Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch (R-ID) refused to schedule a confirmation hearing for Trump’s nominee for ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, former Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina, the president simply went around him. Cleanly. Efficiently. And, one suspects, with a grin.
Rather than continue indulging Senate obstructionists, Trump appointed Walker to a newly created religious liberty position with virtually the same responsibilities — and, critically, one that does not require Senate confirmation. Problem solved.
As previously reported, Risch claimed Walker “did not have the votes” and lacked White House support. Both claims were demonstrably false. Trump publicly reaffirmed his backing for Walker within 24 hours and personally called him to double down. The votes were there. The support was there. The only thing missing was good faith from Senate leadership.
Subsequent reporting made it clear what was really happening: quiet resistance from North Carolina Sens. Ted Budd and Thom Tillis. Neither senator was willing to openly oppose Walker — that might look bad back home — but behind the scenes, they helped stall the process. Risch dutifully played blocker, and the committee never moved.
Trump waited. The Senate didn’t budge. So Trump did what effective executives do: he adapted and executed.
Walker announced Thursday that he had been appointed to the new role and would immediately begin work protecting religious liberty worldwide — the same mission, the same portfolio, minus the Senate’s permission slip. Trump gets his guy, Walker gets to work, and the American people get results instead of endless hearings and insider games.
The move is also notable for its timing. It comes on the heels of several GOP senators joining Democrats on a War Powers resolution over Venezuela — another example of congressional Republicans tripping over themselves to limit Trump while voters are begging them to get out of the way.
This is classic Trump: when the system is weaponized to stall his agenda, he doesn’t whine, he doesn’t beg, and he certainly doesn’t wait. He reroutes.
Once again, the lesson for Capitol Hill is simple: obstruction doesn’t weaken Trump — it just makes him more creative.
