Senate Republicans were captivated by Donald Trump during a gathering on Wednesday night as he employed a hands-off approach.
Despite the president-elect reaffirming his expectation for Congress to deliver “one big, beautiful bill” covering his immigration, tax, and various other proposals, he also conveyed to the senators that he trusts them to fulfill their respective roles.
“It was an excellent meeting, very robust, and we’ll accomplish something,” Trump remarked to reporters as he exited a meeting that lasted over 90 minutes in the Capitol. “Whether it’s one bill or two, it doesn’t concern me. They will figure that out, but the end result will be the same.”
Prominent GOP leaders in the Senate, including the new majority leader, John Thune, have supported a dual-bill tactic to sidestep the filibuster and address central elements of Trump’s legislative objectives. However, that approach appeared less significant on Wednesday evening.
“I’m eager to have him return here once he’s sworn in on January 20th,” Thune told reporters. “He had ample opportunity to engage with our members. Our conference is aligned on his agenda.”
Trump has mainly aligned himself with House Speaker Mike Johnson in his aim to roll out Trump’s successful campaign message in a single decisive move.
“I believe it could go either route, but the trend seems to be leaning towards one originating from the House,” Senator Rand Paul expressed to reporters on Wednesday night.
Nonetheless, the president-elect signaled to senators advocating for a two-pronged strategy that he’s amenable to changing course.
“We’re considering the one bill versus two bills, and whatever it ends up being is of no concern,” Trump stated earlier in the evening as he walked past reporters en route to the Capitol Rotunda to pay his respects to the late former President Jimmy Carter. “We will achieve the result, and we’re set on making America great again.”
Trump’s discussion with Senate Republicans occurred just 13 days before his inauguration and celebratory procession along Pennsylvania Avenue. The outgoing and incoming president is eager to leverage his party’s complete control over both congressional chambers and the White House, where the Trumps will return on January 20 following a four-year hiatus for the MAGA movement.
He has arranged several events at Mar-a-Lago later this week to appeal to and mediate between quarreling factions, ranging from the far-right, fiery House Freedom Caucus to more pragmatic committee leaders and moderate Republicans in the House.
The president-elect has also invited Republican senators to his residence and club in West Palm Beach to further discuss a legislative blueprint for advancing the Trump agenda, a source in the room revealed to the Daily Beast. However, a date for that gathering has not yet been confirmed.
Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, who remains a senator until noon on January 20, entered the meeting with GOP senators Wednesday night to what the Trump team referred to as “thunderous applause.”
Prior to the meeting, Trump and his spouse, Melania, paid tribute to Carter while he lay in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda until Thursday when the memorial services transition to the National Cathedral for his state funeral.
“I came here for the funeral tomorrow. We went to Blair House. The first lady and I visited the Carter family,” Trump mentioned after the meeting. “They were lovely. It was a very sad occasion. Yet, there was a sense of celebration because he was a truly great man. I had known him a bit, but only as a wonderful individual.”
