AT THE 'APEX OF POWER'

The campaign and transition offered a preview of a second term

- ERIC CORTELLESSA

ONE BY ONE, THEY ALL TRICKLED INTO THE WALNUT-paneled Mansfield Room. Donald Trump had just made another improbable return: his first visit to the U.S. Capitol since a mob of his supporters stormed the building on Jan. 6, 2021. Now, just days away from reclaiming power, the President-elect was there to meet with the 52 Republican Senators of the 119th Congress about advancing his legislative agenda: a massive border-security package, extending his 2017 tax cuts, and dispensing with the debt ceiling.

After more than an hour of wrangling over strategy, Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia tried to wrap things up, according to one of the GOP Senators present. “Sir,” she told Trump, “I want to respect your time and get you out of here so you can move on to your other commitments.” Trump raised his eyebrows and interjected. “I have no other commitments,” he said. “This is my legacy.” The Jan. 8 meeting lasted nearly another hour.