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Category Archives: Donald Trump

Opinion | Hillary Clinton: I’ve Debated Trump and Biden. Here’s What I’m Watching For. – The New York Times

Posted: July 1, 2024 at 1:32 am

Last week I had the time of my life at the Tony Awards introducing a song from Suffs, the Broadway musical I co-produced about the suffragists who won women the right to vote. I was thrilled when the show took home the awards for best original score and best book.

From Suffs to Hamilton, I love theater about politics. But not the other way around. Too often we approach pivotal moments like this weeks debate between President Biden and Donald Trump like drama critics. Were picking a president, not the best actor.

I am the only person to have debated both men (Mr. Trump in 2016 and, in the 2008 Democratic presidential primary race, Mr. Biden). I know the excruciating pressure of walking onto that stage and that it is nearly impossible to focus on substance when Mr. Trump is involved. In our three debates in 2016, he unleashed a blizzard of interruptions, insults and lies that overwhelmed the moderators and did a disservice to the voters who tuned in to learn about our visions for the country including a record 84 million viewers for our first debate.

It is a waste of time to try to refute Mr. Trumps arguments like in a normal debate. Its nearly impossible to identify what his arguments even are. He starts with nonsense and then digresses into blather. This has gotten only worse in the years since we debated. I was not surprised that after a recent meeting, several chief executives said that Mr. Trump, as one journalist described it, could not keep a straight thought and was all over the map. Yet expectations for him are so low that if he doesnt literally light himself on fire on Thursday evening, some will say he was downright presidential.

Mr. Trump may rant and rave in part because he wants to avoid giving straight answers about his unpopular positions, like restrictions on abortion, giving tax breaks to billionaires and selling out our planet to big oil companies in return for campaign donations. He interrupts and bullies he even stalked me around the stage at one point because he wants to appear dominant and throw his opponent off balance.

These ploys will fall flat if Mr. Biden is as direct and forceful as he was when engaging Republican hecklers at the State of the Union address in March. The president also has facts and truth on his side. He led Americas comeback from a historic health and economic crisis, with more than 15 million jobs created so far, incomes for working families rising, inflation slowing and investments in clean energy and advanced manufacturing soaring. Hell win if that story comes through.

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Opinion | Hillary Clinton: I've Debated Trump and Biden. Here's What I'm Watching For. - The New York Times

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Opinion | Joe Biden Is a Good Man and a Good President. He Must Bow Out of the Race. – The New York Times

Posted: at 1:32 am

I watched the Biden-Trump debate alone in a Lisbon hotel room, and it made me weep. I cannot remember a more heartbreaking moment in American presidential campaign politics in my lifetime, precisely because of what it revealed: Joe Biden, a good man and a good president, has no business running for re-election. And Donald Trump, a malicious man and a petty president, has learned nothing and forgotten nothing. He is the same fire hose of lies he always was, obsessed with his grievances nowhere close to what it will take for America to lead in the 21st century.

The Biden family and political team must gather quickly and have the hardest of conversations with the president, a conversation of love and clarity and resolve. To give America the greatest shot possible of deterring the Trump threat in November, the president has to come forward and declare that he will not be running for re-election and is releasing all of his delegates for the Democratic National Convention.

The Republican Party, if its leaders had an ounce of integrity, would demand the same, but it wont, because they dont. That makes it all the more important that Democrats put the countrys interests first and announce that a public process will begin for different Democratic candidates to compete for the nomination town halls, debates, meetings with donors, you name it. Yes, it could be chaotic and messy when the Democratic convention starts on Aug. 19 in Chicago, but I think the Trump threat is sufficiently grave that delegates could quickly rally around a consensus nominee.

If Vice President Kamala Harris wants to compete, she should. But voters deserve an open process in search of a Democratic presidential nominee who can unite not only the party but also the country, by offering something neither man on that Atlanta stage did on Thursday night: a compelling description of where the world is right now and a compelling vision for what America can and must do to keep leading it morally, economically and diplomatically.

Because this is no ordinary hinge of history we are at. We are at the start of the biggest technological disruptions and the biggest climate disruption in human history. We are at the dawn of an artificial intelligence revolution that is going to change EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE how we work, how we learn, how we teach, how we trade, how we invent, how we collaborate, how we fight wars, how we commit crimes and how we fight crimes. Maybe I missed it, but I did not hear the phrase artificial intelligence mentioned by either man at the debate.

If there was ever a time that the world needed an America at its best, led by its best, it is now for great dangers and opportunities are now upon us. A younger Biden could have been that leader, but time has finally caught up with him. And that was painfully and inescapably obvious on Thursday.

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Opinion | Joe Biden Is a Good Man and a Good President. He Must Bow Out of the Race. - The New York Times

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Biden reportedly won’t quit the race, while Trump awaits Supreme Court immunity ruling – NewsNation Now

Posted: at 1:32 am

(NewsNation) The presidential campaign enters Independence Day weekend with no letup in the conversation and speculation about whether President Joe Biden should continue his reelection bid, while former President Donald Trump will learn whether the Supreme Court will uphold or wipe away the charges that he conspired to overthrow the 2020 election.

President Bidens family is urging him to stay in the race, a source familiar with the matter told NewsNation. The source said that first lady Jill Biden and son Hunter were the strongest in pushing the president not to withdraw during discussions at Camp David on Sunday.

There is also a lot of anger by the family directed at the campaign staff who were deeply involved in the debate preparation, the source confirmed. They did him a disservice, is how the source summarized the familys feelings.

Responding to that report, Biden campaign spokesperson Kevin Munoz told NewsNation: The aides who prepped the President have been with him for years, often decades, seeing him through victories and challenges. He maintains strong confidence in them.

There are ongoing discussions about Biden doing some type of press event later this week to answer the criticism of his performance, the source said. The presidents official schedule has him returning to the White House Monday night.

The man in charge of Bidens debate preparation, former White House chief of staff Ron Klain, said hes 100% certain that Biden will stay in the race.

He is the choice of the Democratic voters, Klain told The New York Times. We are seeing record levels of support from grass-roots donors. We had a bad debate night. But you win campaigns by fighting, not quitting, in the face of adversity, he said.

No prominent Democratic officeholder has publicly called on Biden to quit the race, but one longtime Biden Senate colleague has.

I think the president should step aside and let the convention pick a new candidate, said former Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, who served with Biden for more than two decades in the Senate. He has a great legacy, and now its time to pass the torch, Harkin told The Washington Post.

A handful of major news organizations have called on Biden to quit the race, including The New York Times, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Chicago Tribune, The New Yorker and The Economist. The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal editorial boards said that Biden should seriously consider bowing out, but neither explicitly called for him to withdraw.

While the money poured in, public doubt grew. In a CBS News/YouGov poll released Sunday, 45% of Democratic registered voters surveyed said Biden should step aside, while 55% said he should continue running.

The survey of 1,130 registered voters taken last Friday and Saturday has a 4.2% margin of error.

The presidents debate performance did not hurt the campaigns fundraising effort. In a Sunday email, the campaign said it raised more than $33 million since the Thursday debate $13 million of that from first-time grassroots donors. The email boasted that Thursday was our best grassroots fundraising day ever, while Friday was the second best.

Former President Donald Trump was off the trail most of the weekend but shared his thoughts on the expected Monday ruling from the Supreme Court on presidential immunity.

Without Presidential Immunity, a President of the United States literally could not function! Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

It is a BIG decision, an important decision, a decision which can affect the Success or Failure of our Country for decades to come. We want a GREAT Country, not a weak, withering, and ineffective one. STRONG PRESIDENTIAL IMMUNITY IS A MUST!

A senior Trump adviser says the former president will travel from Mar-A-Lago to his golf club in Bedminster, N.J. on Monday. As of Sunday night, Trump had no public events on his schedule this week.

Trump wants the court to dismiss the charges filed in Washington, D.C. that he repeatedly spread false claims about the 2020 presidential election, tried to discount legitimate votes and helped plan the January 6 attempt to stop the vote certification by Congress.

Since Thursdays debate, some of those believed to be on the shortlist to become Trumps running mate have lavishly praised his performance something one observer says they must do.

The ones that wallflower arent going to get picked. This is the moment. This is a key moment for them, Republican strategist Ron Bonjean said of Trumps would-be running mates. Its a real test on whether they rise to the occasion and they defend Trump and go on the attack, he told The Hill.

One of those vice-presidential hopefuls, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, is taking a double negative approach to his praise by saying how unimportant the running mate may be in the campaign.

Hes winning he can win this election by himself, so hes got the luxury of picking someone who can help him govern, and thats gonna lead to a good choice, Burgum told Fox News.

Also: a memo from two Trump advisers calls for a streamlined Republican party platform for Trump to present to the delegates at the partys convention in Milwaukee.

The platform is an opportunity to make our vision clear, and to lay out a framework for policy-making while rejecting any special interest influence that seeks to make public policy stray from our clear and straightforward objectives, stated the memo, signed by Trump advisers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, obtained by NPR, The New York Times and other news organizations.

Still to be determined: What the GOP platform will say about abortion. Democrats have promised to make abortion rights a major campaign topic up and down the ballot.

While the Trump and Biden campaigns await the Supreme Courts ruling on presidential immunity, occasional Trump adviser Steve Bannon wont be around to comment. Hes scheduled to report to the low-security federal prison in Danbury, Conn., Monday to serve a four-month sentence for contempt of Congress.

Bannon refused to obey a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the January 6, 2020, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

NewsNation producer Kevin Bohn, The Hill and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Biden reportedly won't quit the race, while Trump awaits Supreme Court immunity ruling - NewsNation Now

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In Post-Debate Poll, Voters Think Biden Is Too Old to Be President Yet Alternative Candidates Perform Similarly … – Data For Progress

Posted: at 1:32 am

Voters Perceptions of Biden and Alternative Democratic Candidates

Bidens debate performance has led to significant debate among his supporters over whether he should step down as the Democratic nominee.

When asked if they have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of the following people, 44% of voters have a favorable view of Joe Biden, while 44% say they have a favorable view of Donald Trump.

Many potential alternative Democratic candidates are still unknown by a majority of voters, including Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Senator Amy Klobuchar, and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro.

Among those who a majority of voters have heard of, Vice President Kamala Harris has a -7-point approval rating, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg has a +2-point approval rating, Senator Cory Booker has a +6-point approval rating, and California Governor Gavin Newsom has a -9-point approval rating.

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In Post-Debate Poll, Voters Think Biden Is Too Old to Be President Yet Alternative Candidates Perform Similarly ... - Data For Progress

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Donald Trump Returns to Capitol Hill for First Time Since Jan. 6 Riot – The Wall Street Journal

Posted: June 13, 2024 at 4:36 pm

  1. Donald Trump Returns to Capitol Hill for First Time Since Jan. 6 Riot  The Wall Street Journal
  2. Republicans, including detractors, embrace Trump in return to Washington after Jan. 6  ABC News
  3. Republicans enter the upside down: Unity with Trump  POLITICO

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Donald Trump Returns to Capitol Hill for First Time Since Jan. 6 Riot - The Wall Street Journal

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Jeffrey Katzenberg Is Bidens Secret Weapon Against Trump – The New York Times

Posted: at 4:36 pm

When President Biden made clear last year that he was planning to run for another term, some important Democratic contributors expressed doubt. He was too old, they feared. He was not up to another four years.

It fell to Jeffrey Katzenberg to tell them they were wrong. When some still did not believe him, Mr. Katzenberg challenged them to come to Washington and find out for themselves then arranged to bring the dubious donors to the White House to sit down with the octogenarian president to convince them he was still sharp enough.

He was like, Trust me. And if you dont trust me, trust, but verify. Come with me and see for yourself and engage with the president, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, a longtime ally of Mr. Katzenberg, recounted in an interview. And he started doing that in a consistent way. In the end, Mr. Newsom added, He really was instrumental in getting people off the sidelines and getting them to dive headfirst in this campaign.

Few have dived headfirst into the presidents re-election campaign more thoroughly than Mr. Katzenberg. The longtime Hollywood mogul known for The Lion King and Shrek, among many others, Mr. Katzenberg has been one of the most prolific cash generators for Democratic presidents for a generation. On Saturday night, he will bring Mr. Biden together with former President Barack Obama, George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Jimmy Kimmel for a star-studded fund-raiser in Los Angeles, following the $26 million fund-raiser at Radio City Music Hall in March he arranged with Mr. Obama and former President Bill Clinton.

While Mr. Katzenberg has not solved Mr. Bidens age problem by any means and Biden aides noted that some of those he brought to the White House did not need convincing, his efforts to validate the president with the well-heeled set have helped build a war chest that has been outpacing the Trump campaign. But he has gone far beyond his past political work, joining Mr. Bidens campaign as a co-chairman and investing himself fully in the effort to defeat former President Donald J. Trump.

He can be found in the halls of the West Wing offering advice and counsel. He was at Camp David the weekend before the State of the Union address, helping the president prepare for his nationally televised speech. He pushes the campaign to tape reaction videos of the president for social media and connected Biden aides with writers to help come up with jokes for the president to deliver at the White House Correspondents Association dinner.

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Jeffrey Katzenberg Is Bidens Secret Weapon Against Trump - The New York Times

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Behind Closed Doors, Trump Disparages Milwaukee, Host of His Party’s Convention – The New York Times

Posted: at 4:36 pm

Former President Donald J. Trump on Thursday repeatedly disparaged the city of Milwaukee, which will host the Republican National Convention in July, while meeting with a group of his G.O.P. allies in the House on Capitol Hill.

The city, the most populous in the battleground state of Wisconsin, became a target of Mr. Trumps complaints and election falsehoods during a closed-door session with Republicans in Washington, even as Mr. Trump is set to accept his partys presidential nomination there next month.

Mr. Trumps exact language and the degree of disdain of his comments were disputed by his allies, but his campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung, acknowledged on X that Mr. Trump had criticized the citys crime rate and its role in his loss in the 2020 election.

Punchbowl News reported that Mr. Trump had called Milwaukee horrible. But Mr. Cheung used an expletive to describe the outlets report, which he said was wrong.

He was talking about how terrible crime and voter fraud are, Mr. Cheung wrote.

Milwaukees mayor and Wisconsins governor, who are both Democrats, condemned Mr. Trump's criticism of the city, which is set to host thousands of Republican delegates and dignitaries from July 15 to July 18.

Well, if Donald Trump wants to talk about things that he thinks are horrible, all of us lived through his presidency, so right back at you, buddy, Cavalier Johnson, the citys mayor, said during a news conference on Thursday.

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Behind Closed Doors, Trump Disparages Milwaukee, Host of His Party's Convention - The New York Times

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Trump’s Campaign Was Just a Scammy Money Grab All Along – The New Republic

Posted: at 4:36 pm

The plaintiffs have sincere legal, moral, ideological, and policy objections to elective abortion and to FDAs relaxed regulation of mifepristone, Kavanaugh wrote. But under Article III of the Constitution, those kinds of objections alone do not establish a justiciable case or controversy in federal court. Here, the plaintiffs have failed to demonstrate that FDAs relaxed regulatory requirements likely would cause them to suffer an injury in fact. For that reason, the federal courts are the wrong forum for addressing the plaintiffs concerns about FDAs actions.

Instead, Kavanaugh suggested that the plaintiffs take their issues to the president, setting up another fight to maintain abortion access should Donald Trump win in November.

By and large, most Americans support abortion access. In a 2023 Gallup poll, just 13 percent of surveyed Americans said that abortion should be illegal in all circumstances. Meanwhile, 34 percent said it should be legal under any circumstances, and an additional 13 percent said it should be legal in most circumstances.

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Trump's Campaign Was Just a Scammy Money Grab All Along - The New Republic

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Opinion | The American flag isnt another Trump property. Time to reclaim it. – The Washington Post

Posted: at 4:36 pm

Im not easily flabbergasted, but the other day my flabber got good and gasted. I was riding my beach bike, the one with the 2-by-3-foot American flag flying off the back. I fly it because I (a) love my country and (b) love my spine, and the flapping flag means fewer cars flatten me.

So Im pedaling along the street and the Stars and Stripes are whipping behind me, and I hear a honk. Thats when a guy on the passenger side of a white 4x4 Ram truck leans out and yells, Yeah! Go Trump!

Go Trump? Me? He cant be yelling that at me. I look around for somebody in a MAGA hat or a T-shirt with Trumps mug shot, but theres nobody. And thats when it hits me.

This guy thinks Im a Trumper.

Why else would I be flying an American flag?

Then, a week later, it happens again, only in reverse. I'm riding when a woman leans out of her green Subaru and hollers, F--- Trump! and flips me off. Shed seen the flag and figured the same thing as the guy in the truck.

This lady thinks Im a Trumper.

Which brings me to a question for Friday Flag Day: When did the American flag become another Trump property?

And if the former president doesnt quite own it, he has definitely co-opted it. Nowadays, if you see a jacked-high pickup with four American flags, you either honk proudly or move three lanes away. Theres a house on my block with a giant Trump flag hanging from the roof. Do you ever see a Biden flag? Me neither, not once. Online, you can find dozens of American flags for sale with Donald Trumps name or face on them. Good luck finding one with Bidens.

Presidential candidates have always been glad to wrap themselves in the flag, of course. But with Trump, it has never looked more like a Hollywood prop. Trump doesnt care about the flag any more than he cares about being a Republican. What he cares about is how he looks holding it.

I was with Trump one time, 20 years ago, when he kept mis-introducing me as the guy who runs Sports Illustrated or this guy owns SI! I just worked at the place. When I asked him why he was lying to people, he said, Sounds better.

Trump loves the flag, like the Bible, because it looks better. The American flags flying at his properties are about the size of a Dennys. He actually cuddled up to a flag at a conservative conference in 2020 and mouthed, I love you, baby.

Hes yuuuuge on the flag, but puny on what it stands for.

Serve your country in the military? Uh no.

Obey the law? No, no, 34 times no.

Free speech? Big no. Trump says that if reelected he would retaliate against media criminally or civilly.

But what really makes me eat bees is that Trumpers arent just kidnapping the flag theyre abusing it, too. MAGAs are flying the flag upside-down. Like the one that flew over the Alitos house. That used to be a seafaring sign that a ship is in distress. Now its a sign that the brain is.

In video of the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, an Arkansas trucker picked up an American flag on a pole and beat a cop with it. Bash the Blue.

Theres also a Jan. 6 video showing the invaders yanking down the Star-Spangled Banner and putting up a Trump one. And Colin Kaepernick taking a knee was treasonous?

For a lot of Americans, the flag has become a symbol of Trump misogyny, Trump bigotry and Trump wannabe president for life. Which means, for Democrats like me, flying an American flag on your house is akin to bringing your neighbors anthrax brownies. Flying a flag puts you in the pickup truck with an Oath Keeper. You can see why. During the 2020 election, a phalanx of trucks flying American flags and Trump flags tried to run a Biden campaign bus off the road.

The Stars and Stripes were here 169 years before Trump was born, and theyll be here long after hes gone. I say its time to take the flag back. And so does the Biden campaign, judging by the Democratic National Committees recent ad for him its just called Flag.

The American flag belongs to 336 million of us, not just the 46.9 percent of the electorate that went for Trump last time around. More than 81 million Americans voted for Biden in 2020. The more of us flying the flag from our porches and cars and, yeah, bikes, the less it seems as though Trump helped Betsy Ross sew it.

Go Trump? Great idea. Go, Trump, as far away as possible. But leave the flag.

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Opinion | The American flag isnt another Trump property. Time to reclaim it. - The Washington Post

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Republicans host ‘pep rally’ with Trump in his first visit to Capitol Hill since Jan. 6 attack – NBC News

Posted: at 4:36 pm

WASHINGTON Three and a half years ago, President Donald Trump incited a violent riot at the Capitol in a bid to overturn Joe Bidens election victory and remain in power, a special House committee concluded after a lengthy investigation.

On Thursday, Trump made his first visit to Capitol Hill since before the Jan. 6 attack as Republicans gave a heros welcome to their partys presumptive 2024 nominee.

Less than five months before Trump's rematch with Biden, the closed-door meetings with House and Senate Republicans represented a rare moment of unity for a party that has been engaged in a civil war since Jan. 6.

In the Senate meeting, Trump made peace with Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who had blamed Trump for the deadly Capitol riot. The two men had not spoken since December 2020. McConnell said he and Trump shook hands several times Thursday, calling it a good meeting and an entirely positive session."

It was a pep rally for President Trump, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., a Trump loyalist, said as he left the House gathering.

With Trump and Biden locked in a competitive race and control of Congress is up for grabs this fall, many in the GOP expressed optimism about sweeping the 2024 elections and acting swiftly on Trumps agenda.

Trump delivered a message about "unity," saying Republicans need to come together to defeat Democrats in November, one source in his meeting with House Republicans room said. He offered to do tele-townhalls for members facing tough races and stressed that Republicans should not attack each other.

At one point, two sources said, Trump implored his close ally, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to get along with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., whom she attempted to oust from power.

"Marjorie, are you being nice to Mike?" Trump asked, the sources said, eliciting laughter from House Republicans.

One source who observed Greene's reaction said she made a sort of hand gesture, which Greene herself confirmed afterward.

During his talk, the former president jumped from topic to topic, touching on everything from border security and China "They are ripping us off" to railing against trans athletes in women's sports.

Minutes after the Supreme Court rejected a challenge to the abortion pill mifepristone, Trump told House Republicans that in the post-Roe environment, the party needs to talk about abortion correctly, multiple sources said.

He acknowledged that the issue of abortion rights had cost Republicans and that its too important to ignore, while adding it's now back in the hands of the people and the states his stated preference. He also voiced support for abortion policy that includes exceptions like in cases rape, incest, and life of the mother.

Were the party of common sense on this and other key issues, Trump told the lawmakers. He did not directly reference mifepristone or the Supreme Court ruling.

Members in the room had mixed reactions to his abortion riff, the sources said.

Trump also took a shot at Milwaukee, the host city of the Republican National Convention where Trump will formally accept the GOP presidential nomination. It's planned for July 15 through 18, though Trump may not attend in person.

The former president called Milwaukee horrible and overrun by crime, a source said, adding that no one in the room disagreed with him.

As Trump arrived for his first meeting at the Capitol Hill Club Thursday morning, a handful of protesters held signs reading things like Failed Coup and Democracy forever, Trump never. The Democratic National Committee, meanwhile, has set up a mobile billboard that will attempt to follow Trump between meetings while airing footage from the Jan. 6 attack.

Thursday's Senate meeting marked the first time since the Capitol riot that Trump was in the same room with McConnell, with the former president's campaign having accused the Senate GOP leader of "killing the Republican Party through weakness and cowardice" and attacking McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, with racist attacks.

At the time, McConnell slammed Trump as being practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of Jan. 6. He has since endorsed Trump for president and announced that he will step down as Senate GOP leader after this year.

I said three years ago right after the Capitol was attacked that I would support our nominee, regardless of who it was including him. Ive said earlier this year I support him. Hes earned the nomination by the voters all across the country, McConnell told reporters Tuesday, without using Trumps name.

Senators described the handshakes between Trump and McConnell as a unifying moment. "To me, that was some type of reconciliation," said Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind. "There was a lot of unity in that room."

During the meeting, Senate GOP Conference Chair John Barrasso, R-Wyo., brought out a birthday cake to mark Trump's 78th birthday on Friday. Candles on the cake read "45" a nod to the fact that Trump served as the 45th president but Barrasso added another set of candles on the cake that read "47" as Trump seeks to return to the White House as the 47th president.

Senators sang "Happy Birthday," and Trump made a wish before blowing out the candles.

The Senate discussion was heavily focused on energy and economic policy, including threatening tariffs on China if they buy oil from Iran. And he spoke about a new policy proposal he raised at a Las Vegas rally over the weekend: getting rid of taxes on tips.

Trump joked to senators that he's become very popular among the caddies at Mar-a-Lago after proposing tax exemptions for tips, according to Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.

"The little guy who makes his money on tips. Making that no longer taxable is something that really resonates with a lot of people," Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., told NBC News.

Between meetings with House and Senate Republicans, Trump sat down with CEOs with the Business Roundtable, a lobbying group that says it represents more than 200 major companies, as Washington and key industries prepare for the reality that Trump might be president again.

Several top contenders vying to be Trump's running mate also had a chance to catch his attention Thursday. They included GOP Sens. JD Vance of Ohio, Marco Rubio of Florida and Tim Scott of South Carolina. Trump mentioned the trio by name but not in a way that revealed his thinking of the VP decision, a source said.

Some Trump critics in the party did skip out on the Senate meeting, including Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine. Both voted to convict Trump after he was impeached in connection with Jan. 6.

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, another vocal Trump critic who voted for conviction, had planned to catch a flight rather than attend the meeting. But on Wednesday, he said his flight to Florida had been canceled and therefore would join the event.

During his visit, Trump is not expected to set foot in the Capitol complex itself, which his supporters overran in 2021. He huddled in the morning with House Republicans at the Capitol Hill Club, a private Republican club which is just steps from the Capitol office buildings. In the afternoon, he will meet with GOP senators at the National Republican Senatorial Committee headquarters after he addresses the Business Roundtable.

Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., who has not endorsed Trump for president, declined to say whether he will attend.

No Trump questions, Young said, adding that it is a personal rule until I decide to make it no longer a rule.

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Republicans host 'pep rally' with Trump in his first visit to Capitol Hill since Jan. 6 attack - NBC News

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