UPDATE (Aug. 3, 2026, 7:30 a.m. ET): This piece has been updated to reflect Todd Blanche’s Sunday night order rescinding the Trump administration’s contentious plan for a $1.8 billion fund.

There has been a lot of chatter about the newly coined “You Only Live Once” (YOLO) caucus. These YOLO Republicans are finishing the final months of their six-year terms, with Sen. Thom Tillis choosing retirement over another brutal primary battle and Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and John Cornyn of Texas losing their primaries to Trump-backed upstart challengers. It has been a tough summer for lawmakers who dared question the president’s whims.

President Donald Trump’s “revenge tour” had a secondary consequence: Republican senators with grievances, and a lot less to lose. But pettiness is one thing — leverage is quite another. And due to the GOP’s incredibly thin majority in the Senate, these three now have a big opportunity to do more than just spit in Trump’s eye. It’s still unclear exactly if they are taking full advantage.

In June, Cassidy wasted an easy opportunity when he announced his support for controversial Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nominee Dr. Erica Schwartz. Cassidy claims he backed her nomination in part after she assured him the CDC would revise language on its website related to autism and vaccines. But why didn’t he fight for more? At the very least, he could have secured a commitment to increased funding for vaccine education, given that measles cases in the U.S. have hit a 35-year high.

The YOLO caucus has since been at the center of a different nomination drama over acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. Several days of contentious, start-and-stop negotiations culminated in Trump doubling down on his call for an anti-weaponization fund, which Cornyn and Tillis say they oppose.

With no deal heading into the weekend, a harsh reality remained. No matter what Cornyn and Tillis decided, it was likely Americans would either end up with a confirmed attorney general willing to do whatever Trump wants, or an acting attorney general willing to do whatever Trump wants. And even if Blanche wasn’t confirmed, he could continue in his acting role indefinitely, a loophole in the congressional confirmation process.

Then, late on Sunday night, Blanche said he would formally rescind plans for the $1.8 billion fund. This deal — assuming everyone has agreed to it — seems to have cleared the way for Blanche’s nomination to advance out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. But what did Cornyn and Tillis get in return?

It is easy to see why so many Democrats hoped both men would permanently sink the Blanche nomination. But again, that would not have really accomplished anything here. Trump would likely have left Blanche in his temporary role or nominated someone else just as bad, if not worse.

And both men continue to be in a tough position, condemned by colleagues on either side of the aisle as either traitors to their own party or weaklings willing to speak up only when their careers are no longer on the line.

Tillis and Cornyn don’t have much time left on the clock to help their states. But they aren’t total lame ducks yet. There is no reason why they shouldn’t be fighting to deliver something meaningful. This kind of dealmaking is done in the House of Representatives all the time. It may feel unsavory — gross even. But it can be effective. Look at what Sen. Lisa Murkowski was able to negotiate for Alaska: $50 billion in rural healthcare funding in return for a 2025 budget vote.

In the case of Blanche, for example, these men could have teamed up for a legislative priority like increased FEMA funding, something both North Carolina and Texas have a tremendous need for right now — or they could have gone it alone and pushed for any one of their many respective statewide needs. The point is, why not show your constituents what government can actually do, if you know how the game is played?

Government is not meant to be used as a tool for vengeance; it is meant to serve the best interests of the people. Tillis and Cornyn had a chance to do that — even if it meant holding their noses and helping Republicans install Trump’s former personal lawyer in the attorney general’s office.

In the days ahead, we may find out if the YOLO caucus is truly living up to it’s name. This form of politics isn’t pretty. But if you’re only going to live once, you should at least try to make it count.

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