President Donald Trump met with Senate Republicans at the White House on Tuesday to discuss trade, including Sen. Jeff Flake — who was seated next to the president.
Although the meeting was closed to the press, Trump appeared to change his mind by allowing the White House pool into the Roosevelt room as he discussed the upcoming tax cut bill and trade.
With Flake seated at his left side, Trump again endorsed Roy Moore for Senate in Alabama.
“I think he’s going to do very well,” the president said, in response to questions about Moore. “We don’t want to have a liberal democrat in Alabama. Believe me.”
Flake denounced Moore in a message on Twitter on Monday, agreeing with Mitt Romney that if Roy Moore won his campaign it would be a big loss for the Republican party and the entire country.
But Trump said that Moore’s victory was important for the Republican party.
“We want strong borders, we want stopping crime, we want to have the things that we represent, and we certainly don’t want to have a liberal Democrat that’s controlled by Nancy Pelosi and controlled by Chuck Schumer,” Trump said.
Trump praised the Senate for passing a tax bill, urging them to finish the House and Senate conference process quickly.
“We’re all on the same page. There’s a great spirit in the Republican Party like I’ve never seen before — like a lot of people have said they’ve never seen before,” he said. They’ve never seen anything like this, the unity.”
Other senators expected to attend the meeting on trade included Senators Lamar Alexander, Joni Ernst, Deb Fischer, Cory Gardner, and Lindsey Graham.
Trump repeated his rhetoric on trade, urging new trade deals that would be better for the United States.
“Let’s make great trade deals, instead of the horrible trade deals that we got stuck with,” Trump said.
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