The Patriot Post® · Trump and McConnell Mend Fences

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell met with Donald Trump Monday at the White House for lunch and a strategy/agenda powwow. The pair emerged to give a brief news conference with Trump stating, “We’ve been friends for a long time. … [We’re] probably now, despite what you read, closer than ever before, and the relationship is very good. We’re fighting for the same thing.” McConnell echoed Trump’s sentiments, stating, “We have the same agenda. … We talk all the time. We are together totally on this agenda to move America forward.” The meeting was indeed followed by a flurry of activity in the Senate this week.

So what is the Republican agenda moving forward? Trump first highlighted the push to engage in meaningful tax reform and the work toward a major tax cut plan. Once again health care and the goal to finally repeal and replace ObamaCare by early next year was noted. Immigration was also brought up as Trump recently rescinded Barack Obama’s unconstitutional executive order on DACA, rightly sending the issue to Congress.

McConnell praised Trump for his nomination of Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court, calling it “the single most important thing the president has done.” On that note, the topic of judicial nominees and the lack of confirmations was also addressed. Trump called out Senate Minority Chuck Schumer for holding up “every single nomination,” saying that the obstruction was “beyond comprehension.”

Essentially, the message Trump and McConnell sent was that both are on the same page agenda-wise and are eager to work toward further establishing it. Not new news, but it was a welcome change to what seemed to be a growing tension between Trump and congressional Republicans.