President Trump met with members of the GOP this Monday in order to discuss the party’s goals and future. The meeting was hosted by the President at the White House’s Rose Garden. Based on the subjects discussed during the press meeting with the President and the Senate Majority Leader, Mitch Mcconnell, it can be assumed that the conversations at the meeting were mostly about the new health-care plan, Tax-cuts, and future additions to the conservative party in Congress.
A subject that concerned the press after the lunch was the newfound cooperation between McConnell and President Trump.
It is no secret that the pair has had a complicated past. President Trump has openly criticized the congressman for his failure to repeal Obamacare, using Twitter as a forum to voice his opinion. In response, McConnell told the press of his disdain for the President’s usage of Twitter, on top of sharing his opinion for the President’s tendency to point fingers at others within the conservative party. McConnell has even gone so far as to question Trump's future as a President, believing that his rash nature jeopardizes his position as a leader.
According to Senator McConnell, both the President and himself share “the same agenda.” Now that they have discovered this — that their goals for their party are aligned — they have decided to be cooperative in their endeavors.
Dodging questions
During the press conference, a member of the press asked President Trump about the tweets he had sent out in the past about Senator McConnell. The President’s response was in direct opposition to the tweet on the subject of McConnell’s shortcomings in repealing Obamacare he had posted earlier this year, saying “[he] couldn’t get it done.” Now, only a few weeks later, he says “this man is going to get it done.”
Can you believe that Mitch McConnell, who has screamed Repeal & Replace for 7 years, couldn't get it done. Must Repeal & Replace ObamaCare!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 10, 2017
During the press conference, it is clear that both political figures were attempting to dodge the questions about past disagreements between the two.
Although they may not be best friends, this cooperation means progress for the GOP. If the President is willing to work with Congress, they could possibly begin passing some of their bills, for better or worse.
Watch: President Trump dodges question about past criticism of McConnell, says "this man is going to get it done" https://t.co/lwOKBEeI7G
— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) October 16, 2017
A brighter future for the GOP
If a working relationship has truly been formed between McConnell and President Trump, the bills which the President has been failing to pass may actually make some progress in terms of their approval.
So far, Trump’s refusal to cooperate with anyone who disagrees with him has only left the GOP's agenda at a stalemate. Now that he has the backing of the Majority Leader in the Senate, the party may be able to make progress.
With the year 2017 coming to an end, one can only wonder if the President’s willingness to cooperate with others may be an attempt to have a bill pass before the end of the year. Trump has yet to leave his mark with any of the issues he has undertaken. During the press conference, he made it clear that his main focus will be the tax bill. Considering the complexity of constructing a new healthcare plan, the decision to focus on a tax-cut may be the party’s best bet in terms of progress.
The new tax legislation was described by the President as being a “simplification.” Not much is known of what the President meant by that term, but he did tell the press that its main purpose is to benefit the middle class — making them the largest beneficiary. According to Trump, discussion of the new tax-cuts has received a lot of support wherever he has gone to discuss it publicly.