Donald Trump plans to address Republican lawmakers on Wednesday during a visit to Capitol Hill after meeting with President Joe Biden, who traditionally begins the transition of power from one administration to another.
House Speaker Mike Johnson on Tuesday referenced Trump’s intention to meet with Republicans during a news conference where House leaders trumpeted that they would take a trifecta in last Tuesday’s election. “We are working out the details of a possible meeting with him tomorrow morning before he goes to the White House,” Johnson said.
Trump has poached Republican lawmakers for his Cabinet, appointing Florida Senator Marco Rubio as his intended secretary of state, New York Representative Elise Stefanik as ambassador to the United Nations and Florida Representative Mike Waltz , as his national minister. safety advisor. Republicans currently have a razor-thin four-seat majority in the House of Representatives, and if the vote counts remain as they are now, a Republican chairman would also have a four-seat majority in 2025.
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Johnson said he expects Republicans will eventually win a larger majority. But every Republican appointment or removal from the House of Representatives – as newly elected Governor Kelly Armstrong must do – reduces that majority.
“We have an embarrassment of riches,” Johnson said. “We have a really talented Republican conference. We have really competent, capable people here. Many of them could serve in very important positions in the new administration, but President Trump fully understands and appreciates the math here, and it’s just a numbers game.”
Trump’s meeting with Biden is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET. Biden said he told Trump “that I would direct my entire administration to work with his team to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition.” That is what the American people deserve.”
The traditional meeting is typically photographed with the outgoing and incoming president sitting next to each other in the White House. Reflecting the bitterness of the 2020 election, Trump shunned the meeting after being defeated by Biden.
