What happened
Donald Trump returned to Capitol Hill on Thursday for the first time since his supporters stormed Congress on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump met separately with House and Senate Republicans, in what The Associated Press said was a "triumphant return" to a Washington "successfully purged" of his GOP critics.
Who said what
The meetings were supposed to highlight GOP unity under Trump's leadership, but "much of the focus was instead on stray comments he made," The New York Times said. "Perhaps most striking," Trump disparaged Milwaukee, "site of the Republican National Convention in July." Milwaukee "is a horrible city," he said, according to Jake Sherman at Punchbowl News.
"Republican members of Wisconsin's congressional delegation offered varying accounts of the comment's context," saying he was talking about crime or voter fraud, "and one claimed it wasn't uttered at all," the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said.
Trump also reportedly made odd comments about Taylor Swift, Nancy Pelosi and "nice guy" Hannibal Lecter, the fictional cannibal. One Republican attendee said to NOTUS that Trump's "rambling" performance was "like talking to your drunk uncle at the family reunion."
What next?
Trump plans to host House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) at Mar-a-Lago next week to discuss policy, Axios said.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Marisa Silver’s 6 favorite books that capture a lifetimeFeature The author recommends works by John Williams, Ian McEwan, and more
-
Book reviews: ‘We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution’ and ‘Will There Ever Be Another You’Feature The many attempts to amend the U.S. Constitution and Patricia Lockwood’s struggle with long Covid
-
Philadelphia’s Calder GardensFeature A permanent new museum
-
Can Trump bully Netanyahu into Gaza peace?Today's Big Question The Israeli leader was ‘strong-armed’ into new peace deal
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to ChicagoSpeed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
The GOP: Merging flag and crossFeature Donald Trump has launched a task force to pursue “anti-Christian policies”
-
Five key questions about the Gaza peace dealThe Explainer Many ‘unresolved hurdles’ remain before Donald Trump’s 20-point plan can get the go-ahead
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in OregonSpeed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartelsspeed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Why is this government shutdown so consequential?Today's Big Question Federal employee layoffs could be in the thousands
