Republican legislators surprised former President Donald Trump with an early birthday present during his visit to Capitol Hill on Thursday. This marked Trump’s first appearance on Capitol Hill since the events of January 6, 2021. During the meeting, Trump engaged in discussions with Republicans regarding campaign tactics for the upcoming November election.
He expressed his admiration for House Speaker Mike Johnson and made a strong commitment to supporting Republicans in achieving significant victories in the election. Furthermore, Trump announced his ambition to secure victories in all states. Reports indicate that the lawmakers presented him with a birthday cake as a surprise.
“The meeting came on the eve of the former president’s 78th birthday and Senator Tommy Tuberville told Newsweek that Republicans presented him with a cake. It was reportedly chocolate,” the outlet said.
The outlet added:
“[Senator] Mike Lee said the cake had “45” and “47” candles on it, a reference to his first term as president and the potential for him to be the 47th president, as well. Before blowing out the candles, Trump said he would make a wish that related to “everyone in this room,” according to Senator Cynthia Lummis. Representative Matt Gaetz characterized the House meeting as a “pep rally” for Trump, emphasizing unity within the party. Trump urged Republicans to come together and avoid internal conflicts, offering to support members in tough races through tele-townhalls and other means. However, he also acknowledged that he was supporting some of their opponents.”
During his speech, Trump addressed various contentious issues, including border security, China, and abortion. He acknowledged that abortion has influenced previous Republican Party elections and emphasized the need for “common sense” policies with exceptions for rape, incest, and maternal life endangerment, as per Newsweek.
Trump is set to celebrate his birthday in Michigan, a key battleground state, where he will speak at The People’s Convention hosted by Turning Point USA. The MAGA Conservative Coalition has organized a MAGA Boat Parade on Lake St. Clair this Saturday.
In a notable development, Trump has surpassed President Joe Biden in a critical swing state that he won in 2016 but narrowly lost in 2020, according to a recent survey. According to Fox News, the latest Marist College Poll shows Trump leading Biden by 47–45 percent in Pennsylvania, although this falls within the survey’s margin of error.
In the survey, Democratic-turned-independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. polled at 3%, while Green Party candidate Jill Stein and independent Cornel West each received 1%, with 2% undecided. In the upcoming presidential election, among a smaller group of likely voters, the Republican candidate maintains a 48% to 46% lead over the Democratic incumbent in a multi-candidate race, as reported by Fox News.