Some major Republican donors have made it clear to party leaders and White House officials that they are unhappy with what they see as uncertainty and mixed messages. They have been informally floating suggestions for potential Mulvaney replacements, according to a White House official and two GOP lawmakers who spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly describe private discussions.

“There are big donors who want an establishment guy in there now,” the White House official said, but added that this dynamic “happens every time there are problems, and there is no reason to believe the president is even listening.”…

Many Republicans, however, have told officials in the White House and allies in Trump’s orbit that they cannot mount effective arguments in defense of the president, whose brash approach often leaves them in the dark. On Monday, Trump sought to defend himself from emoluments clause charges by making baseless accusations against his predecessors, accusing Obama and Washington of using their office to conduct private business deals.

“In this situation, when only the president and his personal attorney seem to have all the facts, it’s hard to have a coordinated defense,” said Michael Steel, a former top aide to House GOP leaders. “Without sharing the same ammunition and the same facts, you’re not going to be able be effective, even if you gather people on laptops in a room.”