The Capitol Hill Club was the center of the political universe Thursday as former President Trump returned to Washington for the first time since his conviction.
The scene was a familiar one, with swarms of media and armies of competing protesters and supporters demonstrating outside.
Trump gave brief remarks after spending the afternoon meeting privately with Republican lawmakers.
Trump took aim at President Biden, who was holding a joint press conference with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the G7 Summit in France.
“We’re a declining nation. We have a nation being laughed at all over the world and a leader being laughed at all over the world.”
Trump’s whirlwind trip to Capitol Hill was part GOP “pep rally” and part strategy session to determine the Republican agenda if Trump should take back the White House.
A day earlier, Republican leaders in the House and Senate met to map out their agenda for the first 100 days if Republicans take back the White House and Senate and hold on to the House.
The agenda so far:
- Extending the Trump-era tax cuts.
- Increasing defense spending.
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Cutting mandatory spending elsewhere, but preserving Social Security and Medicare.
- Justice Department reforms and other regulatory reforms.
Trump’s behind-the-scenes musings:
But first, Republicans must win in November.
Trump is the favorite to win the White House, but the race is very close and will be decided in a handful of swing states.
The House is a toss-up. Republicans are favored to win the Senate but some polls show Democratic candidates are running better than Biden, raising the possibility of ticket-splitting.
Case in point: A new Florida Atlantic University/Mainstreet poll found Trump leading Biden by 6 points in Florida. But Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) only leads Democrat Debbie Mucarsel-Powell by 2 points — a 15-point swing toward Democrats in the Senate race since April.
And there are questions about whether Republicans can unite if they are given full control of the government.
Several Republican senators and House members who voted to impeach Trump were on hand for the private meetings, including Sens. Mitt Romney (Utah), Bill Cassidy (La.) and Rep. Dan Newhouse (Wash.). Romney says he will not vote for Trump, but he attended the meeting after his flight for an event in Florida was canceled.
Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), both of whom voted to impeach Trump, did not attend the meeting.
Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said he shook Trump’s hand “a few times” and that they “had a really positive meeting.” McConnell voted to acquit Trump at the impeachment trial, but he still blames the former president for the Jan. 6 riots. This was their first meeting since 2020.
Trump jokingly said that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) should be nicer to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). It was a light moment but steeped in truth.
Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), the head of the House Freedom Caucus, left the meeting without comment. Trump has endorsed Good’s primary challenger.
Trump insisted the party is united.
“I’m with them 1,000 percent. They’re with me 1,000 percent. We agree just about on everything and if there isn’t, we work it out. I’ve had a really great relationship with just about everybody here…and if it wasn’t fantastic, it gets worked out. We have one thing in mind and that’s making our country great.”
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