Mnuchin, GOP lawmakers reportedly convinced Trump to sign COVID-19 relief bill by flattering him
President Trump's allies reportedly convinced him to finally sign Congress' bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill mostly by playing it cool, Axios reports.
Per Axios, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) didn't try to force Trump's hand, but instead took a more subtle approach, which included indulging his rants and highlighting several items he could count as "wins" even without altering the bill. They also reportedly dropped hints about what signing the bill would mean for his legacy, reminded him he didn't want to hurt people, and convinced him he had proven himself "to be a fighter" who had "gotten all there was to get" from the funding package.
After a few days and a round of golf with Graham, their work paid off. During a phone call with McCarthy and Mnuchin on Sunday, the president made his decision. "This is good," Trump reportedly said. "I should sign this." Read more at Axios.
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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
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