A small group of Republican lawmakers met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on his first full day as they plan to rocket launch the MAGA agenda.
The huddle with Trump, Vice President JD Vance and all the top GOP congressional leaders was both a pep rally and strategy session, DailyMail.com has learned.
‘I would say it was more of a rah-rah speech after all of the executive orders,’ House Republican Policy Committee Chair Kevin Hern, R-Okla., told reporters after the meeting.
Earlier in the day the president signed a sweeping number of actions to undo many Biden-era policies.
At the meeting the president handed out huge golden challenge coins as gifts to the lawmakers in attendance. The blue and gold coin features the presidential seal on one side and ’45th and 47th’ under ‘President of the United States’ on the other.
‘President Trump handed out his new challenge coin,’ Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., posted on X alongside a picture of the large golden medallion. ‘He’s ready to bring America into a new golden age!’
Specifically, Trump discussed his initiative to cut tax on tips, though the broad ranging conversation did not yield much in details on how to accomplish 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 most at-risk selections avoid Senate scrutiny.
But lawmakers have pushed back on using that maneuver, saying they can push through the Cabinet picks through official channels.
Sen. Lankford showing off the challenge coin he received from President Trump at a White House meeting with some GOP lawmakers on Tuesday
Donald Trump sitting at his desk in the Oval Office
President Donald Trump speaks with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and his wife Kimberley Thune, as he departs at the end of inaugural ceremonies at the Capitol
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., after the meeting noted that Trump mentioned recess appointments but he did not appear eager to embrace them.
Trump, however, is set on getting his selections like Pete Hegseth, Kash Patel and Robert Kennedy Jr. quickly confirmed.
And that could mean that senators will have to stay in D.C. this weekend to vote on confirmations.
Thune said Senate Democrats are holding up the process for three nominees: John Ratcliffe for CIA Director, Kristi Noem for DHS Secretary, and Pete Hegseth for Defense Secretary – in light of new bombshell allegations this week he was ‘abusive’ to his ex-wife.
Hegseth has denied the allegations along with the ex-wife who said the allegations are untrue.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise shared that the Oval Office meeting focused moving forward with the agenda to get the economy moving, lower energy costs and secure the border.
GOP leaders discussed moving forward with one giant 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 by Easter as they use a process called budget reconciliation, so they do not need any support from Democrats to get it done.
U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson said he is working on a bicameral approach to getting Trump’s agenda through Congress
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has expressed distaste in recess appointments. Still, Trump brought up the controversial idea again on Tuesday
Speaking Wednesday House Speaker Mike Johnson said the meetings with Trump and Vance reinforced the need for both the House and Senate to come together on a plan.
‘What came out of the meetings at the house yesterday was that we’re going to do this in a bicameral manner,’ he said. ‘You’re going to have the Senate Republicans and House Republicans working together to advance the America first agenda.’
Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., also showed off her coin calling it ‘big and beautiful,’ and noted House and Senate Republicans are ‘on the same page’ on the massive GOP bill’s strategy.
‘We’re ready to move forward with the president’s agenda,’ Capito declared after returning from the gathering, adding the two chambers are on the ‘same team.’