Trump wins over GOP dissenters at Mar-a-Lago, accompanied by Musk
"Unity was a huge part" of the gathering, part of a series of House GOP meetings the president-elect has planned for this weekend.
TroibNews 
Donald Trump is working to overcome obstacles to his extensive legislative agenda this weekend, hosting activities at his Florida resort that began with a lavish dinner on Friday night featuring some of Speaker Mike Johnson’s most prominent critics.
According to three Republicans familiar with the meeting, members of the House Freedom Caucus found the atmosphere at Mar-a-Lago to be lively and positive. Elon Musk, a billionaire ally of Trump, also attended and took photos with several lawmakers.
“Unity was a huge part of the meeting,” one Republican noted. They added that the gathering served as “an open forum for member’s ideas on cuts and reconciliation,” a reference to the impending effort by Trump and Johnson to create “one big, beautiful bill” that addresses key issues such as border security, energy production, tax cuts, and significant spending offsets to prevent an increase in the deficit.
Notable attendees included Rep. Chip Roy, a prominent GOP dissenter who has recently had a public disagreement with Trump, who suggested finding a more loyal Republican to run against him in his next primary.
Photos shared on social media show other participants like Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, and Rep. Ralph Norman, who had previously threatened to obstruct Johnson’s speakership but ultimately changed his vote after pressure from Trump.
For Trump and Johnson, achieving unity among the divided House GOP conference is crucial, as a single Republican member can hold the power to impede the entire legislative initiative.
“It was much more about a lot of members from the House Freedom Caucus who don’t get a chance to engage with President Trump — they got the opportunity last night,” stated Rep. Byron Donalds, a group member and close Trump ally.
“I think that kind of team building, camaraderie is really important because we have a heavy lift in front of us,” he added during an interview at the Republican Party of Florida’s quarterly meeting in Orlando. “It was really much more a fun, enjoyable dinner than a deep policy session.”
In addition to general spending discussions, Donalds mentioned that the group also addressed defense matters and issues related to China. The looming debt ceiling was briefly touched upon, although it “didn’t come up much.” Some Freedom Caucus members expressed a preference for a two-track reconciliation strategy, emphasizing the urgency of addressing border security.
One Trump proposal that received a lukewarm response at the dinner was the idea of making Canada the 51st state.
“I said, ‘Mr. President, the Canadians, they are going to elect two Democrat senators; we don’t want that. Territory status isn’t too bad,’” Donalds recounted to attendees in Orlando.
On Saturday, Trump plans to meet with several other significant House GOP factions, including lawmakers from New York, New Jersey, and California, who are advocating for an expansion of the state and local tax deduction, known as SALT.
House committee chairs will join Trump for dinner on Saturday, and he is set to host another group of House Republicans, including leaders of the business-focused Main Street Caucus, for dinner on Sunday.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
According to three Republicans familiar with the meeting, members of the House Freedom Caucus found the atmosphere at Mar-a-Lago to be lively and positive. Elon Musk, a billionaire ally of Trump, also attended and took photos with several lawmakers.
“Unity was a huge part of the meeting,” one Republican noted. They added that the gathering served as “an open forum for member’s ideas on cuts and reconciliation,” a reference to the impending effort by Trump and Johnson to create “one big, beautiful bill” that addresses key issues such as border security, energy production, tax cuts, and significant spending offsets to prevent an increase in the deficit.
Notable attendees included Rep. Chip Roy, a prominent GOP dissenter who has recently had a public disagreement with Trump, who suggested finding a more loyal Republican to run against him in his next primary.
Photos shared on social media show other participants like Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris, Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan, and Rep. Ralph Norman, who had previously threatened to obstruct Johnson’s speakership but ultimately changed his vote after pressure from Trump.
For Trump and Johnson, achieving unity among the divided House GOP conference is crucial, as a single Republican member can hold the power to impede the entire legislative initiative.
“It was much more about a lot of members from the House Freedom Caucus who don’t get a chance to engage with President Trump — they got the opportunity last night,” stated Rep. Byron Donalds, a group member and close Trump ally.
“I think that kind of team building, camaraderie is really important because we have a heavy lift in front of us,” he added during an interview at the Republican Party of Florida’s quarterly meeting in Orlando. “It was really much more a fun, enjoyable dinner than a deep policy session.”
In addition to general spending discussions, Donalds mentioned that the group also addressed defense matters and issues related to China. The looming debt ceiling was briefly touched upon, although it “didn’t come up much.” Some Freedom Caucus members expressed a preference for a two-track reconciliation strategy, emphasizing the urgency of addressing border security.
One Trump proposal that received a lukewarm response at the dinner was the idea of making Canada the 51st state.
“I said, ‘Mr. President, the Canadians, they are going to elect two Democrat senators; we don’t want that. Territory status isn’t too bad,’” Donalds recounted to attendees in Orlando.
On Saturday, Trump plans to meet with several other significant House GOP factions, including lawmakers from New York, New Jersey, and California, who are advocating for an expansion of the state and local tax deduction, known as SALT.
House committee chairs will join Trump for dinner on Saturday, and he is set to host another group of House Republicans, including leaders of the business-focused Main Street Caucus, for dinner on Sunday.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
