FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 18, 2024
CONTACT: Lindsay Reilly, [email protected]
ICYMI: Trump-Endorsed Larry Hogan Would Deliver Senate Majority to Republicans Vowing to Enact Trump’s MAGA Agenda
Hogan committed to caucusing with Republicans – saying “of course I am” when asked
Senate Republicans – including Republican leader Mitch McConnell and others who recruited and support Republican Larry Hogan’s campaign – welcomed Donald Trump to the Capitol and vowed a Republican majority would enact his agenda.
Trump praised McConnell, who personally recruited Hogan into the race, for “always work[ing] really hard to increase the number of [Senate] Republicans.” Following the meeting, Republican senators doubled down on the need to elect Hogan and secure a majority, touting they were “getting the team back together,” “hadn’t seen that Republican group as strongly united on all of those policy issues in a long, long time,” and that “everyone was on the same page… [and] focused on winning in November.”
Shortly after the meeting, Trump endorsed Republican Larry Hogan for Maryland’s open U.S. Senate seat, saying “I would like to see him win” and “we got to take the majority.”
- The Hill: McConnell, Trump bury hatchet with eye on GOP takeover
- Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and former President Trump made efforts to bury the hatchet and end their long-running feud Thursday as GOP confidence grows that the party could win both chambers of Congress and the White House this fall.
- McConnell gave reporters a glowing account of the lunch and noted he had a few chances to speak with Trump and to shake his hand.
- “The president spoke favorably about Mitch, about all the work he did to try to hold the conference together,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said. “He was very complimentary.”
- [Trump] said later on, ‘I know. Mitch, you’ve always worked really hard to increase the number of [Senate] Republicans.’
- The senator said Trump’s magnanimous comments toward McConnell on Thursday were intended to help unify the GOP ahead of the fall election.
- Politico: Trump and McConnell shake hands, thawing icy relationship
- Trump praised McConnell for counting votes and said the party needs to be unified.
- Hawley said Trump acknowledged that Republicans have had differences in the past, but the Missourian added the meeting was “gracious and warm.”
- “There was a lot of unity…” [Senator Rand] Paul said.
- “I haven’t seen that Republican group as strongly united on all of those policy issues in a long, long time,” [Senator Mike] Rounds said.
- The Hill: Trump touts ‘great relationship’ with GOP members of Congress
- Trump said… he and the Republican lawmakers agree on “just about everything” and “work out” what they differ on.
- Those who were present in the meetings have said the focus was on unity and the need to “vote for the team.”
- Notably, the meetings included a few Republicans who have previously criticized the former president, like Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) and Sens. Bill Cassidy (La.) and Mitt Romney (Utah).
- Trump said his meeting with the Senate was “great” and the GOP has “tremendous unity” and “common sense.” He said the meeting with the House showed the same unity.
- The Hill: Cruz calls Trump meeting ‘terrific,’ says there was birthday cake
- “Everyone was on the same page,” [Senator Cruz] said. “We were all focused on winning in November and turning the country around, and the president was in very good spirits.”
- The Hill: Trump touts ‘great unity’ in GOP after meeting with Republican lawmakers
- “But this is an outstanding group of people. I’m with them a thousand percent. They’re with me a thousand percent. We agree just about on everything and if there isn’t, we work it out,” [Trump] said at a press conference following the meeting.
- CNN: Senators characterize Trump meeting as unifying
- Florida Sen. Marco Rubio characterized the meeting with former President Donald Trump as “getting the team back together”
- Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville said the mood in the room was “unification, leadership.”
- When asked how the party can be united when some senior Republicans had previously blamed Trump for the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, Sen. J.D. Vance of Ohio said: “No real Republican with any credibility in the party is still blaming him.”
- “He is the choice of our voters overwhelmingly. It shows that he is absolutely the leader of the party,” [Senator Josh] Hawley said of Trump’s appearance. “I mean, you had people who have vociferously opposed him, who were sitting right next to him in the room.”