Presidential team shakeups after midterm losses are generally intended to correct failures, respond to voters and improve the prospects for governing. Donald Trump instead chose a path that points toward even greater confrontation.

On Friday afternoon, Trump elevated Stephen Miller to serve as his latest White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles. The decision came as Republicans were reeling from a sweeping defeat in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

Rather than signaling cooperation with the Democratic led Congress, Miller’s promotion suggested that Trump plans to become more aggressive and more resistant. It was hardly the kind of personnel change designed to reassure critics or invite collaboration.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is likely to become the next House speaker, delivered a blistering Democratic response. He left no ambiguity about how his party viewed Miller’s elevation.

“Stephen Miller is a dangerous xenophobe and reckless extremist who has American blood on his hands. His presence in government should be eradicated like a malignant tumor. Fire him today.”

The Democratic outrage was expected, but the Republican reaction proved especially revealing. Several members of Trump’s own party responded with alarm, disbelief or unusually direct criticism of the president’s decision.

When Fox News asked one House Republican about the promotion, the lawmaker responded only with a facepalm emoji. It was a compact but unmistakable review of Trump’s latest staffing choice.

A GOP member gave Politico an even more explicit answer when asked about the move. “Please tell me you’re lying to me right now, just to get a reaction.”

Those responses were amusing on the surface, but they reflected serious concern inside the Republican Party. Some GOP lawmakers appeared to recognize that elevating Miller after an electoral defeat sends precisely the wrong message.

Republican Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana was willing to voice that concern during a national television appearance. Stutzman called Trump’s decision to replace Wiles with Miller a “bad mistake.”

The Washington Post described Stutzman’s comments as a rare rebuke of Trump from a member of his own party. The criticism arrived as Republicans confronted the consequences of their sweeping midterm losses.

Miller, who served as White House deputy chief of staff, orchestrated the administration’s immigration crackdown, strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and other controversial policies. Stutzman argued that promoting him sends the wrong signal.

“He’s not liked out here in the Midwest by people,” Stutzman said of Miller. “They don’t like his tone. They believe he didn’t offer a better solution on immigration.”

Stutzman was not the only Republican prepared to challenge Trump publicly. A couple of days earlier, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina appeared on CNN and offered an even harsher assessment.

Tillis, who is retiring, called Miller’s promotion a “colossal mistake.” He also said the president “needs to rethink” the decision, adding another public Republican warning about Trump’s response to the midterm defeat.

There is little indication that Trump will reverse course, but these criticisms expose the depth of Republican anxiety surrounding Miller’s elevation. They also suggest that a weakened president is no longer frightening every GOP lawmaker into silence.

Trump chose greater confrontation after voters delivered a sweeping rejection, and some Republicans are now saying so publicly. The facepalm, the disbelief and the warnings from Stutzman and Tillis all point to the same conclusion: Even members of Trump’s party see serious danger in this promotion.

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