John Heilemann: Pressure is building on Republicans, and soon they'll need Trump to intervene

Nuclear Policy & International Relations - The US potentially considering resuming nuclear testing, a practice not conducted since 1992, possibly as a diplomatic response to Russia [1][2][3] - Concerns raised about the timing of potential nuclear tests coinciding with a meeting between President Xi of China, and the environmental impact due to radioactivity [3][4] - No clear military rationale exists for resuming nuclear tests, raising questions about the motivation behind the announcement [4] Government Shutdown & Political Strategy - The US federal government has been shut down for nearly a month [5] - The President has been largely absent from the shutdown negotiations, potentially miscalculating the Democrats' resolve [6] - Republicans are facing increasing pressure due to the shutdown, and may seek the President's intervention to resolve the situation [6][13] - Millions of Americans will soon experience real-world pain due to the shutdown, adding urgency to the situation [14] Presidential Actions & Policy - The President seemingly de-escalated tensions in the meeting with President Xi, focusing on areas of agreement and setting aside contentious issues [4] - The President previously floated ideas like raising taxes on the rich and eliminating the carried interest loophole, but backed down when faced with Republican opposition [9] - The President has shown a remarkable passivity regarding the political and policy consequences of both the "big beautiful bill" and the government shutdown [10]