On the eve of their return to Congress this week, a group of House Republicans sat down with Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., for dinner and a chat about what to expect from President-elect Donald Trump.
The GOP was on the brink of securing a governing trifecta, giving Trump sweeping power in a new Washington. The House Republicans at the table, including representatives of the conference’s five ideological factions, supported Trump’s agenda but wanted to know how they should navigate the inevitable pressure to vote in ways that could threaten their reelections, according to three people familiar with the conversation who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private conversations.
Johnson tried to reassure them, saying he would try to give lawmakers ample notice so that they can sell policies in their district – a pledge he may struggle to keep.
“It’s a given Trump’s going to beat us into …