2024 Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump returned to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, attending his first meetings on Capitol Hill since the Capitol riots on January 6, 2021. 

Key Quotes: Following Trump’s meetings with Republican lawmakers, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) stated, “President Trump brought an extraordinary amount of energy, excitement and enthusiasm this morning. We’re feeling good.” According to Johnson, Trump reiterated his stance on abortion legislation during the meetings, urging Republican lawmakers to soften their language regarding abortion restrictions and leave the issue up to the states. Johnson stated that Trump told lawmakers to “make sure that you exercise your own conscience to talk about it, share your conviction, and do that in a way that makes sense to people. And I think he made a good point.” After speaking with Republican Senators, Trump told reporters, “There’s tremendous unity in the Republican Party.” Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-CA) stated Trump’s visit to D.C. was “just another example of House Republicans bending the knee to Donald Trump.”

How the Media Covered It: Describing Trump’s current influence in the Republican Party, the Associated Press (Lean Left bias) stated that Trump has “successfully purged the GOP of critics, silenced most skeptics and enticed once-critical lawmakers aboard his MAGA-fueled campaign.” The article also stated that Trump’s return was “infused with the symbolism of his return as the U.S. president who threatened the American tradition of the peaceful transfer of power.”