PRESIDENT TRUMP has run into conflict this week with members of his own party, as some Republicans worry about government overreach.

Trump has received GOP blowback on issues including corporate governance, immigration, free speech and crime, with some small-government conservatives expressing unease with the president’s recent displays of power.

Here are five areas Trump has faced GOP pushback in recent days:

FREE SPEECH

On Monday, Trump signed an executive order directing the attorney general to prosecute cases in which individuals desecrate the U.S. flag.

Shortly after, a man was arrested for setting fire to an American flag in a federal park outside the White House.

Conservatives, who accused former President Biden’s administration of stifling political speech, pointed to remarks from former conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who disliked flag burning but defended the right to do it.

“If I were king, I would not allow people to go about burning the American flag,” Scalia said in 2012. “However, we have a First Amendment, which says that the right of free speech shall not be abridged. And it is addressed, in particular, to speech critical of the government. I mean, that was the main kind of speech that tyrants would seek to suppress. Burning the flag is a form of expression. Speech doesn’t just mean written words or oral words... And burning a flag is a symbol that expresses an idea.”

Vice President Vance on Tuesday defended the executive order, posting on X: “A few things: 1) Antonin Scalia was a great Supreme Court Justice and a genuinely kind and decent person. 2) The President's EO is consistent with Texas v. Johnson. 3) Texas v. Johnson was wrong and William Rehnquist was right.”

CRIME

The crackdown on flag burning also goes to Trump’s push for law and order, underscored by his deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., earlier this month.

The president has threatened to send troops to additional cities run by Democrats.

While many in the GOP support the push to crack down on crime, not all Republicans are on board with Trump’s unilateral deployment of National Guard troops against the wishes of state and local leaders.

"I do not think that we should be sending National Guard into other cities unless the governor, unless the governor [asks],” Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.) said at a Monday town hall.

Trump on Monday appeared to back off his immediate threat of sending troops into additional American cities.

“In a certain way you really want to be asked to go,” Trump said. “I hate to barge in on a city and then be treated horribly by corrupt politicians and bad politicians.”

“I don’t like going to a town, city, place, a state, and then be criticized by some corrupt or incompetent governor where crime is rampant,” he added.

COMPANY STAKES

Trump’s announcement that the federal government would take a 10 percent stake in the chipmaker Intel — a move supported by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — drew the ire of conservatives, who believe the government should stay out of corporate boardrooms.

“I don’t care if it’s a dollar or a billion-dollar stake,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) told journalist Major Garrett.

“That starts feeling like a semi state-owned enterprise à la CCCP,” Tillis added, referring to the acronym for the USSR.

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) posted on X: “Big news ≠ Good news. State-sponsored capitalism? America will not outperform China by being more like China.”

Trump’s move was not confined to Intel. The government also reached a separate deal with Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices, which will have them pay the U.S. government 15 percent of their revenue from AI-chip sales to China.

The Hill’s Alexander Bolton writes: “Conservative Republican critics of the Intel deal warn it’s another step toward 'socialism' that undermines the free market and sets a precedent Democrats could exploit when they return to power.”

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick denied allegations of socialism, telling Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that it’s “fair and smart” to give American taxpayers “equity” in Intel in return for billions of dollars in government investment.

Lutnick said the government is also “thinking about” taking stakes in other industries, including in some defense contractors.

“There’s a monstrous discussion about defense,”........

© The Hill