Republicans enter the upside down: Unity with Trump

When Donald Trump left Washington at the end of his presidency, Capitol Hill was reeling from the violent Jan. 6 attack and many Republicans were fine with seeing him go.

But when he returned on Thursday, he was greeted with adulation from rank-and-file members and a fist-bump from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, one of their first interactions since December 2020 and after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, when the Senate Republican leader condemned the former president.

Trump’s grand return to the Hill was a bolt of much-needed energy for the congressional GOP, particularly weary Republicans on the House side who’ve been dogged by infighting and are now at real risk of losing their majority in November. And it served as a highly choreographed unity moment, complete with a press conference with GOP senators, joking with members and even a birthday cake for Trump, who celebrates his 78th birthday on Friday.

“There was certainly a sense of unity, the most unified I felt our caucus has been in a long time,” said Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.). “I think we passed that magic moment when we are all ready to move forward.”

His visit to the House Republicans favorite private club, and subsequent meeting with senators, was meant to rev up the 2024 campaign and offer a glimpse into his second term plans.

Yet amid the cheering and clapping, there were some hints of challenges to come. Trump introduced some policy plans, including on Social Security and Medicare, border security, reducing inflation and foreign policy that will “reestablish peace through strength and a strong America,” according to a senior Trump campaign adviser who was granted anonymity to discuss the proposals. And he made free-flowing comments on abortion, which promises to be one of the toughest issues facing Republicans going into November.

But up on the Hill, the former president’s potential second term plans were delivered with typical Trumpian flair and lack of specifics: In a meeting with House Republicans, he gushed that he “loves tariffs,” according to a person in the room. GOP lawmakers described his remarks as policy-light — not even mentioning plans for more 2025 tax cuts — though he urged members to talk about abortion as a state issue.

“It was about winning,” said Rep. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.).

For House Republicans, Trump’s “pep rally,” as one member described it, came at a badly-needed time. Inside the room, the former president devoted a chunk of his address with his friendliest D.C. audience — shouting out many members by their first names — to try to boost Speaker Mike Johnson and his beleaguered majority.

In a rambling speech that veered from Taylor Swift to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s daughter, Trump seemed careful to avoid his most explosive positions: There were no demands that the House help fight back against his criminal convictions. There was no call to impeach President Joe Biden.

On the failed effort to oust Johnson earlier this year, Trump ribbed his ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), asking the MAGA firebrand: “Are you being nice to him?” to laughter and cheers.

He even seemingly offered an olive branch to the Republicans who had previously voted to impeach him — including one sitting in the room, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.).

“He spent probably half of that time talking about how he’s going to help us, which is amazing,” said Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), who has survived his own difficult election fights. “President Trump understands the necessity for unity.”

Trump, appearing at the National Republican Senatorial Committee flanked by more than half the Senate GOP conference, pointed to “tremendous unity in the Republican Party.”

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) said that among the things Trump shared was a story about a waitress from Las Vegas who encouraged him to end taxes on tips, a new policy point for Trump, and he reiterated his support for abortion policy being decided by the states.

“There was a birthday cake brought in, and there were candles, and President Trump said, ‘I’m going to make a wish, I’m not going to tell you what it is, but it has to do with everyone in this room,' which was really kind,” said Lummis.

Trump’s confidence about his position in November — even trumpeting his popularity in a blue state like Virginia — was a welcome mindset shift for many House Republicans who are fretting over the prospect of big losses this fall. The former president even committed to doing 100 tele-town halls for members facing the toughest reelection odds.

“He pledged support for every Republican running for reelection,” Greene told reporters.

There’s one major exception to that promise: Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.), who’s locked in a primary fight against a Trump-endorsed challenger this month.

And he was perhaps more confident about the Senate GOP taking the majority, pledging to campaign against two of the Democrats’ most endangered incumbents, Sens. Sherrod Brown in Ohio and Jon Tester in Montana.

Since leaving the White House, Trump has maintained close ties with Capitol Hill. He frequently speaks with allies in the House and Senate and has wielded power over their agenda. This spring, Trump played a big role in tanking a bipartisan immigration bill. And he’s been a critical lifeline to Johnson, helping the speaker survive multiple tough votes, including his own political survival.

Sandwiched between Trump’s meetings with Republicans in the House and Senate was a meeting with the Business Roundtable, a lobbying organization whose membership includes the country’s most powerful CEOs.

Trump was met by protesters on the Hill while the Biden campaign and the DNC launched a new ad, part of a seven-figure advertising buy in battleground states, that focused on the chaos and violence on Jan. 6, 2021.

“Today, the instigator of an insurrection is returning to the scene of the crime,” said Pelosi, who is Biden-Harris 2024 chair of the National Advisory Board. “With his pledges to be a dictator on day one and seek revenge against his political opponents, Donald Trump comes to Capitol Hill today with the same mission of dismantling our democracy. But make no mistake — Trump has already cemented his legacy of shame in our hallowed halls.”

Burgess Everett, Ursula Perano, Katherine Tully-McManus, Olivia Beavers and Jordain Carney contributed to this report.