A year into his current term, President Donald J. Trump has been one of the most impactful presidents in U.S. history, with his actions over the past year sparking intense discourse within the Republican Party, dividing the party into distinct sects. According to a study by the Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF) Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Americans are becoming more concerned about the state of democracy in the U.S., due to the actions of Trump.
Dissatisfaction with Trump is nationwide; however, recently, more conservative people are becoming displeased with Trump’s actions as president. Many conflicts during the first year of his term have caused internal political divisions inside the Republican Party (GOP).
During Trump’s first year in office, he has made many controversial decisions that have caused arguments and tension inside the GOP. Republican politicians have argued different stances on foreign policy regarding Israel and Ukraine aid, and more recently, the actions taken regarding the alleged drug boats near Venezuela. An extremely disputed topic in the GOP is the release of the Jeffrey Epstein Files, in which Trump is mentioned multiple times. Members of the party have pushed for the release of the files, and only recently has Trump supported the uncovering of the files himself. In November, Rep. Majorie Taylor Green (MGT) announced her resignation. This was heavily due to contentions with the president regarding her support of the Epstein Files release and differing stances on the Affordable Care Act.
Over the course of this year, lines in the GOP have divided into three main groups: Trump-First Republicans, Party-First Republicans, and Constitution-First Republicans.
Trump-First Republicans greatly support Trump and believe that he should be able to take executive actions without checks from the other two branches of government. About 29 percent of the GOP is made up of this group, who believe Trump should be able to bypass Congress to accomplish policy goals or even support the idea that Trump should be able to run for a third term. Both of these beliefs are clearly defined as illegal under the Constitution.
The second group of the GOP, about 34 percent of the party, is the Constitution-first Republicans, who believe in Trump’s actions as long as they follow the clear legislature of the Constitution. This group believes in checks and balances, the limitations of the executive branch, and that the Constitution should not be altered so that Trump can run for a third term. A most recent example is Trump’s actions regarding the capture of the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife. Some believe that Trump’s decision wasn’t entirely legal, as there was no congressional approval prior. As of Jan. 8, 2026, the Senate is voting on limiting presidential war powers; however, members of the GOP show little interest in limiting the power of the president to regain the power of Congress, as stated in Article I of the Constitution.
The third and final group that makes up about 36 percent of the GOP, the Party-first Republicans, who aren’t as involved in the political issues, and are less informed of the limitations that are set on the president in the Constitution.
Trump’s presidency has caused turmoil throughout different parts of the government and his own party. From Trump’s decisions regarding the handling of foreign affairs and the release of the Epstein Files, individuals in the Republican Party are starting to get upset. Political rifts are growing and dividing the GOP, causing outliers and different party members to speak out and oppose Trump’s policies, splitting his own party into three.
