The meeting near the Capitol was Trump’s first sit-down with the full House Republican conference, and he is also meeting with party members in the Senate.
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NBC reports that Arizona Senator Jeff Flake had a tense exchange with Trump for his fiery comments regarding Senator John McCain’s war record.
A dejected Kirk said later that it was his understanding Trump had called him a “loser” and that he did not believe that the candidate could win IL in the fall.
Trump told Flake he’d lose his re-election bid – even though Flake doesn’t face the voters again until 2018.
“I don’t think he’s gonna be very favorable in northeastern Wisconsin”, said Langan.
“I think it’s something that should be repeated every month or so so we can have the opportunity to visit with each other”, Boozman said.
“What I thought was especially helpful today was our members just got access and got to ask their questions and talk about their issues”, said Ryan.
Democrats pointed to Toomey’s attendance at the meeting as a signal of support, and Pennsylvania Democratic Party spokesman Preston Maddock said any efforts to show otherwise are “a scam”.
The best-case scenario for the Trump campaign is that, indeed, either Trump or a member of his skeletal staff passed on an internet meme without researching where it came from or how it might be received – and Trump being Trump, he’s not willing to admit a mistake. “In the roughly hourlong meeting, Trump stressed that we have to run as a team because turning this country around requires all of us working together”.
Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, one of Trump’s loudest critics among Senate Republicans, said he had a “gracious exchange” with the presumptive GOP nominee but that nothing had changed in how he felt.
Flake was referencing Trump’s comments last summer about the military service of Sen.
Republican leaders had hoped Trump would project polish and party unity.
“Donald Trump has inspired many normal, hard-working Americans across the country to engage in the political process for the first time”, said Chris Beeker, an Alabama Trump delegate.
Rep. Adam Kinzinger of IL, an outspoken Trump critic, said there was a lack of energy in the room.
A number of Republican lawmakers said they saw a more presidential side of Donald Trump following the presumed GOP presidential nominee’s meetings with both chambers of Congress Thursday.
Then, the source said, Trump went on to tell senators there is polling out there showing him winning in IL and Oregon.
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott said the senators did not talk about Trump’s tone, which has unnerved many Republicans.
[Trump Rallies House Republicans, Soothes Nerves] NRSC Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., who estimated there were about 40 senators at the meeting, said theydid not discuss the possibility of Trump campaigning for incumbent senators.
“I’m going to make you proud”, Representative Bill Flores quoted Trump as saying. “It was just an exchange between two grown men”.
Trump is also expected to continue hammering likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton on her use of a private email account and server while at the State Department, as well as touch on issues including trade and the economy, according to an aide who spoke on the condition of anonymity, not authorized to share details of Trump’s remarks ahead of his speech.
At The Week, I explained why we need to pay very close attention to Donald Trump’s affection for dictators and their methods of brutality. For months, Trump offered Cruz a daily dose of insults, most notably the moniker “Lyin’ Ted”, as Cruz fired back with equal vigor.
When Senate Republicans reconvened inside the Capitol for their regular Thursday luncheon, most tried to portray the Trump meeting as productive. “And I wake up and I look at the media and they say I love Saddam Hussein”.
Ryan himself said it was “great meeting with our presumptive nominee”. I think his response was, ‘I want to protect Article I, Article II, Article XII, ‘ going down the list.
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To be sure, there are plenty of Republicans who are nervous that Trump could still manage to drag down the 30 House GOP incumbents Democrats need to restore the gavel to their leader, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., was presiding over the Senate at the time of the meeting.
