President Donald Trump is acting like he just hit the lottery.
In a private lunch with Senate Republicans on Tuesday, a rejuvenated Trump laid out an ambitious legislative agenda and put past intraparty conflicts behind him as he reveled in special counsel Robert Mueller's apparent vindication from allegations that the president colluded with Russia during the 2016 campaign.
Trump looked like a president eager to run for reelection in 2020, and Senate Republicans — who face a tough map next year — were happy to see it.
“I look at this as sort of a new election. A fresh start,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a close Trump ally. He said Trump put it this way: “I’ve got this behind me now. It’s a fresh start. So let’s see what we can do: starting with healthcare.”
The president urged his party to swiftly pass a new North American trade deal, said he would pursue an “excellent” pact with China and even called on the GOP to formulate a brand new healthcare plan as he seeks to invalidate the Affordable Care Act. He endorsed a probe by Graham into whether there was an anti-Trump effort in the Justice Department in 2016 and at one point handed Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pages listing unconfirmed nominees and directed the caucus: “Please get these done.”
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05.21.2025