WASHINGTON, June 14, 2024 — Former President Donald Trump made a triumphant return to Capitol Hill on Thursday, his first visit with lawmakers since the January 6, 2021, attacks. Embraced by energized House and Senate Republicans, Trump was bolstered by his bid to retake the White House.
Despite facing federal charges for allegedly conspiring to overturn the 2020 election and a recent guilty verdict in an unrelated hush money trial, Trump arrived as the presumptive Republican nominee. He has managed to purge the GOP of most critics, silence skeptics, and attract previously critical lawmakers to his MAGA-fueled campaign.
During a private breakfast meeting at GOP campaign headquarters across from the Capitol, a packed room of House Republicans sang “Happy Birthday” to Trump. They presented him with a baseball and bat from the annual congressional game. Senators later celebrated with an American flag cake adorned with “45” and “47” candles, symbolizing Trump’s potential next presidency.
Trump boasted that his telephone rallies for lawmakers could draw larger audiences than popstar Taylor Swift, who has yet to make any political endorsements.
The visit underscored Trump’s enduring influence within the Republican Party and his ability to galvanize support among GOP lawmakers as he campaigns for a return to the White House.
