A small group of Republican lawmakers met with President Trump in the Oval Office on his first full day as they plan to rocket launch the MAGA agenda.
The call with Trump, Vice President JD Vance and all top Republican congressional leaders was as much a pep rally as it was a strategy session, DailyMail.com has learned.
“I would say it was more of a rah-rah speech after all the executive orders,” Kevin Hern, chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee, told reporters after the meeting.
Earlier in the day, the president signed a raft of actions to undo many Biden-era policies.
During the meeting, the President distributed huge gold challenge coins as gifts to the lawmakers present. The blue-gold coin features the presidential seal on one side and “45th and 47th” under “President of the United States” on the other side.
“President Trump handed out his new challenge coin,” Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., posted on X next to a photo of the large gold medallion. “He's ready to take America into a new golden age!”
In particular, Trump discussed his initiative to cut the tax on tips, although the wide-ranging conversation did not provide many details on how to deliver on this campaign promise, a source familiar with the meeting revealed to DailyMail.com.
Trump also urged lawmakers to confirm his Cabinet nominees as quickly as possible, warning that he could potentially use the controversial “recess appointments” process as a way to help his riskiest selections gain control of the Senate to avoid.
But lawmakers have reversed the maneuver, saying they can push through Cabinet choices through official channels.
Senator Lankford shows off the challenge coin he received from President Trump during a White House meeting with some Republican lawmakers on Tuesday
Donald Trump sits at his desk in the Oval Office
President Donald Trump speaks with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and his wife Kimberley Thune as he departs the end of the inaugural ceremonies at the Capitol
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., noted after the meeting that Trump mentioned recess appointments but did not seem eager to embrace them.
However, Trump is determined to keep his selections such as Pete Hegseth, Kash Patel and Robert Kennedy Jr. to be confirmed quickly.
And that could mean senators will have to stay in DC this weekend to vote on confirmations.
Thune said Senate Democrats are holding up the trial of three nominees: John Ratcliffe for CIA director, Kristi Noem for DHS secretary, and Pete Hegseth for defense secretary — in light of new allegations this week that he woman had 'abused' .
Hegseth has denied the allegations, along with the ex-wife who said the allegations are not true.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise said the meeting in the Oval Office was aimed at moving forward on the agenda to get the economy moving, lower energy costs and to secure the border.
GOP leaders discussed moving forward with one massive bill that addresses all of their priorities, despite some, including Thune, previously calling for two bills to move forward.
The goal is to get their massive MAGA bill passed before Easter because they're using a process called budget reconciliation so they don't need any support from Democrats to get it done.
US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said he is working on a bicameral approach to get Trump's agenda through Congress
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has expressed his disgust at the recess appointments. Still, Trump raised the controversial idea again on Tuesday
On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said the meetings with Trump and Vance had reinforced the need for both the House of Representatives and the Senate to come together on a plan.
“What came out of the meetings at the House yesterday was that we are going to do this in a bicameral manner,” he said. “You will have Senate Republicans and House Republicans working together to advance the America First agenda.”
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., also showed off her coin, calling it “big and beautiful,” noting that Republicans in the House and Senate are “on the same page” on the strategy of huge Republican bill.
“We are ready to move forward with the president's agenda,” Capito declared after returning from the meeting, adding that the two chambers are on “the same team.”
