Scoop: Trump plans to invite entire GOP Senate to Mar-a-Lago bash
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President-elect Trump is preparing to invite the entire Senate Republican conference to Mar-a-Lago for a mega-MAGA party in the coming weeks, people familiar with the matter tell Axios.
Why it matters: Trump is keen to celebrate a victory he sees as historic and fete the senators who helped him achieve it. He also wants to build trust with the lawmakers he needs to pass his sweeping legislative agenda.
- "Mar-a-Lago is special to the president. He's at ease there. Everyone is," a Trump adviser told Axios.
- "So it's a good place to get everyone together outside of Washington. It's team bonding. Trump is very much the player-coach."
Driving the news: Final details have not been locked down, but the big bash could come before Trump's inauguration.
- It will serve as an informal and more fun follow-up to his meeting Wednesday evening with GOP senators at their weekly policy get-together.
- Trump is also hosting governors at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday night, Politico reported.
- Also this week, Trump will welcome three House groups to his Florida club. There'll be separate meetings scheduled for the Freedom Caucus, committee chairs and the so-called SALT lawmakers from high-tax blue states.
Zoom out: Trump likes to play the role of DJ at his Palm Beach club, but the background music will likely be dominated by the same talk that has consumed D.C. these last few weeks.
- Republicans are in a heated internal conversation on whether to use one — or two — legislative vehicles to implement Trump's immigration and tax reform policies.
Trump isn't entirely indifferent, but he's indicated he can live with either approach.
- "I like one, big, beautiful bill," Trump said at a press conference on Tuesday. "But if two is more certain, it does go a little bit quicker because you can do the immigration stuff early."
- "I can live either way," he added.
Zoom in: This winter, Mar-a-Lago has been the warm-weather retreat for Trump's court — once in exile, but now preparing to return to power. (Mar-a-Lago was dubbed the "Winter White House" long before Trump bought it).
- Government leaders and high-profile executives have all visited Trump in Palm Beach, both to pay their respects, but also to understand Trump's intentions and shape his views.
