Donald Trump met with GOP lawmakers Thursday in his first visit to Capitol Hill since the Jan. 6 riots, much to the dismay of Democrats.
During the closed-door meeting with House Republicans at the Capitol Hill Club, the former president spent much of his time attacking his critics and complaining about his legal woes, stopping only to address policy matters briefly, a source told CNN.
He alluded to the importance of staying loyal to him, highlighting the majority of 10 Republicans who voted to impeach him over the riots are no longer in office, except two.
"I never loved him," Trump said of Rep. David Valadao of California, according to a GOP member, CNN reported.
Trump also addressed the ongoing feud between Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and House Speaker Mike Johnson, after her failed attempt to oust him from his seat, last month.
"He's always so sweet, recognizing me, and he said 'are you being nice to Speaker Johnson?' He was joking. And I said, 'eh,'" Greene said while gesturing with her hands, the outlet reported. "He said, 'OK, be nice to him' and I nodded my head."
Trump shifted the conversation to his recent convictions on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records in connection with the Stormy Daniels hush-money case, calling the Department of Justice "dirty no good bastards," while expressing his frustrations, another source said.
Allies said after the meeting the convictions only fueled and motivated the party to reclaim the presidency.
"Anybody who thought that this President was going to be down after the sham trial, after that crooked trial that we saw in New York, I think, again, it's only given him even more energy," House Majority Whip Tom Emmer said. "And what he did for us upstairs just now is, he showed us that energy and he showed us that positive outlook, despite all the garbage they've been throwing at him with their lawfare and their nonsense."
Trump drifted off-topic several times, insiders said, sounding off on former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a hypothetical romance between the rivals, accusing one of her "wacko" daughters of saying he and Pelosi "would be perfect together, there's an age difference though," according to NBC.
Christine Pelosi responded on X, "Speaking for all 4 Pelosi daughters – this is a LIE. His deceitful, deranged obsession with our mother is yet another reason Donald Trump is unwell, unhinged and unfit to step foot anywhere near her – or the White House."
Before wrapping up the meeting, Trump advised Republicans to "follow their own heart" when it comes to the controversial topic of abortion.
"But like Ronald Reagan, you have to have three choices: life of mother, rape and incest you have to do, but you have to follow your own heart," Trump said, according to a source.
Thursday's gathering angered Democrats who said Trump should be using the visit to apologize to the officers involved in the Jan. 6 riots.
"[It is] insulting for the men and women who protected the Capitol with their lives to have to watch him come up to the Hill and pretend the insurrection never happened." Democratic Rep. Becca Balint of Vermont said, according to Axios.
Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas accused Trump of "hang[ing] out with the very same MAGA extremists who acted as his proxies on January 6th."
