Trump is returning to Capitol Hill to meet with Republican lawmakers, a first since Jan. 6 attack

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is making a triumphant return to Capitol Hill to meet with House and Senate Republicans, his first since sending the mob to “fight like hell” ahead of the Jan.6, 2021 attack, as GOP lawmakers find themselves newly energized and reinvigorated by his bid to retake the White House.

Despite the federal charges against Trump for conspiring to overturn the 2020 election, and his recent guilty verdict in an unrelated hush money trial, the Republican former president arrives Thursday emboldened as the party's presumptive nominee. He has successfully purged the GOP of critics, silenced skeptics and enticed once-critical lawmakers aboard his MAGA-fueled campaign.

“We’re excited to have Trump back,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, who led one of the lawsuits challenging the 2020 election, and had his biggest fundraising day yet after Trump's felony conviction.

The Republican speaker demurred over whether he’s asked Trump to respect the peaceful transfer of presidential power and commit to not doing another Jan. 6. “Of course he respects that, we all do, and we've all talked about it, ad nauseum.”