CNN
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Former President Donald Trump is back in Washington for the first time since becoming the presumptive Republican nominee and being convicted, holding two key private meetings with key allies in Congress, his running mate and several of his former outspoken opponents, all of whom are expected to back him this fall.
A hard-fought primary and general election cycle disrupted by President Trump's ongoing legal troubles has given Republicans little opportunity to get aligned on policies and proposals that will define an election year.
“He's going to be leading the team,” Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, an ardent Trump supporter, told CNN. “I think it's going to be a pep talk for the former president and the president-elect.”
Ahead of the meeting, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said it would be “great” if “everyone could sing from the same sheet of music.” Cornyn had previously criticized Trump and said he wanted the Republican Party to move in a different direction, but ultimately endorsed the former president in January.
Trump is expected to meet with House Republicans at the Capitol Hill Club in the morning and then with Senate Republicans at the nearby Republican Senatorial Committee Building to outline his campaign priorities and policies, focusing on the economy, inflation, tax cuts and immigration, according to senior campaign advisers. He will also reiterate his pledge not to cut benefits for seniors, including Social Security and Medicare.
“We want to make sure that we're all on the same page when it comes to policy, including the economy and inflation,” one senior Trump adviser told CNN. “That's the No. 1 factor in all the polls, that's what people are most worried about.”
Trump, accompanied by campaign managers Suzie Wiles and Chris LaCivita, is also expected to discuss details of his second policy agenda, including how he would enlist lawmakers to immediately implement his policy goals if re-elected. House Republicans, meanwhile, are eager for information that will help jump-start their legislative efforts in Congress next year.
“We want to join that program and get to work right away,” Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., told CNN. “Most presidents, when they're elected, they expect to serve an eight-year term. This president knows he's in office for four years.”
Advisers said the meeting would also be an opportunity for lawmakers to ask questions and discuss pressing issues ahead of the November elections, and Trump is expected to give lawmakers a chance to speak after his remarks.
House Majority Whip Steve Scalise told CNN he has already spoken directly with President Trump about using a special budget tool — known as reconciliation — to get around the 60-vote threshold in the Senate to move forward with tax cuts, border wall funding and other priorities if Republicans take full control of Washington.
While some of Trump's policy plans for a second term have been revealed by the former president himself at rallies and interviews, including mass deportations of illegal immigrants and leaving reproductive rights up to the states, other elements have been only vaguely proposed or proposed behind closed doors and leaked by the media.
Trump will be perceived differently among House and Senate Republicans.
Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 3 Senate Republican, invited the full GOP conference to attend Thursday's event.
But some senators who are skeptical of Trump have not committed to attending. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, one of the few Republican senators who has not endorsed Trump's 2024 presidential bid, said she won't attend because of a scheduling conflict. Sen. Todd Young of Indiana declined to say whether he plans to attend, adding that he hasn't spoken about Trump this week.
While President Trump will not be inside the U.S. Capitol, his appearance at the Capitol will mark his first meeting with key members of the Republican Party, including Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
McConnell, who has had a frosty relationship with former President Trump since the Capitol storming, told CNN he would attend the meeting. The two have not spoken since the Electoral College certified Joe Biden's victory in December 2020, though McConnell endorsed Trump earlier this year.
Some of Trump's biggest supporters and vice presidential nominees, including Senators Tim Scott, Marco Rubio and J.D. Vance, are also expected to attend, likely helping to ease tensions.
Many in attendance said they expected a more urgent focus, including Trump laying out a concrete strategy for defeating President-elect Joe Biden.
“Honestly, to me it seems a little naive to say we're going to be talking a lot about the administration's agenda on Thursday. It's like measuring the curtains,” said Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina. “This is about winning in November, and I suspect we may touch on the agenda next year, but it's a multivariate equation, the most important of which is how well we can get the filibuster back in Congress.”
Some see it as an opportunity to rebuild the party after months of internal tension over the future of House Speaker Mike Johnson, support for the Ukraine war and divisions over the best strategy for border security.
In the traditionally Trump-friendly House, lawmakers said they expected to see a fervent supporter of Trump, including some in flashy attire.
“I think he just wants to get everybody on the same page,” said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, a key Trump ally. “There's been a little bit of tension in the Senate, so I'm just trying to make sure that doesn't escalate and that our focus is on Joe Biden and this administration, not each other.”
Republican Rep. Troy Nehls said Trump has several ties to choose from but complained that gold Trump-branded sneakers have returned to Texas.
“He will know that I support him 110 percent and I'm going to fight tooth and nail to make him our next president,” Nehls said.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, who organized the House conference as Republican Conference Chair, will also chair the event. Stefanik is part of a short list of vice presidential candidates who will receive vetting materials from the Trump campaign. Rep. Byron Donald is also on that list and is scheduled to attend on Thursday.
Trump's visit comes as House Republican leaders face increasing pressure from the right to go after the Justice Department and defend Trump following the hush-money convictions in New York.
One legislative proposal Republican leaders are now actively pursuing is a bill that would allow current and former presidents to transfer state-level lawsuits to federal court. The bill passed committee last September, but Republican leaders only began formally debating the bill this week, on the eve of Trump's visit to the Capitol and two weeks after his conviction.
Republicans in the House and Senate agreed that Trump is unlikely to act on message.
Asked whether they thought Trump would talk about his policy plans or election strategy without airing his grievances, one Republican lawmaker told CNN: “We know the answer: It's not in his DNA.”
“What should we expect? We have no idea what Trump is going to say. It's completely unpredictable,” said Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa.
