Former President Donald Trump met with House Republicans at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, DC, on Thursday – the first leg of an event-packed day.
A media circus surrounded the block in anticipation of Trump’s arrival for the closed-door, high-energy meeting with House Republicans.
Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump waves as he departs the Capitol Hill Club, Thursday, June 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
A handful of protesters were to present as well.
Inside the meeting, which Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) described to the Hill as “a pep rally,” spirits were reportedly high. Trump lauded Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) for her primary win on Tuesday, while he also joked about tensions between Rep. Marjoire Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), sources told the outlet.
A source noted that Trump complimented Greene, too.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., arrives as former President Donald Trump returns to Washington for meetings with Republican lawmakers to unite on his political agenda, just a few steps off the Capitol campus, Thursday, June 13, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The meeting followed Wednesday’s Congressional Baseball Game, in which Republicans trounced Democrats 31-11. Team manager Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX) gifted Trump, who celebrates his 78th birthday on Friday, a ball and bat from the contest, the Hill reported. Members also sang Happy Birthday to the 45th president.
Trump also spoke about some more serious policy topics, including pushing for exceptions for abortion and protecting women’s sports.
In a GOP Leadership press conference after the meeting, House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik stated Trump “was warmly welcomed by” the GOP members, adding, “We are 100 percent unified behind his candidacy.”
Stefanik said House Republicans “are ready to get to work on behalf of the American people to secure the border, unleash American energy independence, bring back peace through strength, stand up for election integrity, and defeat this illegal weaponization of the justice system.”
“It was a unifying event, and I am grateful to the president for answering questions from our colleagues today,” she added.
Trump is also set to visit the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) on Thursday as well for a meeting with Republican senators.
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