Former President Donald Trump returned to Capitol Hill on Thursday, June 13th, meeting with Republican members of the House and Senate for the first time since the January 6th, 2021, events.
Despite facing federal charges for attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results and being convicted in a recent campaign finance trial, the former Republican president confidently arrived at the Capitol as a presidential candidate.
According to the Associated Press, Republican members held a private breakfast meeting for Trump at the Republican campaign headquarters across from the Capitol building, where they sang “Happy Birthday” in celebration. They also presented him with a baseball and bat, a souvenir from the annual Congressional Baseball Game.
During a brief speech at the Senate Republican headquarters, Trump stated, “The Republican Party is united and resolute.”
Trump engaged in about an hour of discussions with Republican members of both the House and Senate, speaking freely and addressing questions from the lawmakers, covering topics like Russia, immigration, and tax cuts – all priorities for his prospective second term.
A Republican legislator who attended the private breakfast meeting anonymously revealed that Trump commended House Speaker Mike Johnson’s work during the morning session.
Johnson remarked that Trump brought extraordinary energy, excitement, and enthusiasm to the meeting, indicating a significant increase in campaign fundraising for Trump’s team post-conviction, stating, “We feel great.”
When asked about whether Trump respects the peaceful transition of presidential power and promises not to incite another January 6th-like event, Johnson reiterated that Trump respects such principles, emphasizing their discussions on the matter.
In November of last year, Johnson released over 40,000 hours of video footage from the January 6th Capitol events to reveal the truth to the public. Trump praised Johnson’s courage in releasing the footage, commending him for shedding light on what truly occurred on January 6th.
On Thursday afternoon, Trump met Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell for the first time in years.
McConnell had previously held Trump responsible for the “shameful” events of January 6th, calling it an “insurrection,” but he currently supports the popular presidential candidate within the party. The Republican National Convention scheduled for July will formally determine the party’s presidential nominee.
McConnell mentioned that Trump received a standing ovation from senators, describing their meeting as “very positive.” He added, “We had an opportunity to chat and shake hands a few times.”
Setting the foundation for executive and legislative actions, many potential priorities of the new administration are being formulated by conservative individuals, including the “2025 Presidential Transition Project,” despite Trump’s clear agenda.
Many former opponents of Trump have already left, and the remaining Republicans seem increasingly enthusiastic about the possibility of Trump regaining power and securing a majority in Congress.
Republican members in the House are actively following Trump’s lead, criticizing the justice system’s unfairness, and more Senate Republicans are joining their ranks. Following Trump’s guilty verdict in the campaign finance case in New York, Republican campaign organizations in both the House and Senate, alongside Trump, have set record-high fundraising amounts.
While President Biden attended the G7 Summit in Italy on Thursday, his campaign team released a new advertisement blaming Trump for igniting the “fire” of January 6th and threatening democracy.
Democratic Congressmember Pete Aguilar, chairman of the core Democratic caucus in the House from California, was quoted by the Associated Press, saying, “This is just another example of House Republicans capitulating to Donald Trump.”
Formerly supportive of Trump’s impeachment in 2021, Republican Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana expressed potential attendance at Trump’s meeting on Thursday, looking forward to working together for a potential presidency.
When former House Speaker Paul Ryan reiterated on Fox News this week that he would not vote for Trump and hoped for alternative Republican presidential candidates, he faced immediate rejection from Trump allies.
Texas Republican House member Troy Nehls voiced, “We should kick you out of the party.”