Donald Trump Gets Epic Birthday Surprise
Republican lawmakers gave former President Donald Trump an early birthday surprise when he visited Capitol Hill on Thursday to meet with them.
This marked Trump's first return to Capitol Hill since the January 6, 2021, riot. During his visit, he discussed campaign strategies with Republicans in anticipation of the November election. Trump showered House Speaker Mike Johnson with praise and pledged to assist Republicans in achieving a significant victory in the upcoming election. He also announced his goal to win every state.
Reports indicate that lawmakers presented Trump with a birthday cake.
“The meeting took place on the eve of the former president’s 78th birthday, and Senator Tommy Tuberville told Newsweek that Republicans gave him a cake, which was reportedly chocolate,” the outlet stated.
The outlet continued:
[Senator] Mike Lee said the cake had “45” and “47” candles on it, a reference to his first term as president and the potential for him to be the 47th president, as well. Before blowing out the candles, Trump said he would make a wish that related to “everyone in this room,” according to Senator Cynthia Lummis.
Representative Matt Gaetz characterized the House meeting as a “pep rally” for Trump, emphasizing unity within the party. Trump urged Republicans to come together and avoid internal conflicts, offering to support members in tough races through tele-townhalls and other means. However, he also acknowledged that he was supporting some of their opponents.
In his speech, Trump addressed several contentious issues, including border security, China, and abortion. On abortion, he acknowledged its impact on past Republican elections and stressed the need for “common sense” policies that include exceptions for rape, incest, and when the mother’s life is in danger, Newsweek reported.
Trump intends to spend his birthday in Michigan, a crucial battleground state, where he will speak at The People’s Convention, hosted by Turning Point USA. The MAGA Conservative Coalition has organized a MAGA Boat Parade on Lake St. Clair for Saturday.
In a notable shift, Trump has reclaimed the lead over President Joe Biden in a key swing state he won in 2016 but narrowly lost in 2020, according to a new poll.
Fox News reported that the latest Marist College Poll shows Trump leading Biden 47-45 percent in Pennsylvania, though this is within the poll's margin of error.
The survey also revealed that Democratic-turned-independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. received 3% support, Green Party candidate Jill Stein got 1%, independent Cornel West polled at 1%, and 2% were undecided.
Among likely voters in the upcoming presidential election, the Republican nominee holds a 48% to 46% lead over the Democratic incumbent in a multi-candidate race, according to Fox News.
In 2016, Trump made history by becoming the first Republican in nearly three decades to win Pennsylvania, a state often considered part of the Democratic stronghold in the northeastern and midwestern regions.
Trump’s narrow victory over Hillary Clinton in the state was significant, despite the tight margin.
However, four years later, Biden narrowly won his home state.
The Marist poll, conducted from June 3-6, highlights challenges for Biden with key Democratic base demographics.
“Although still robust, Biden’s support among black voters has diminished. 68% favor Biden compared to 23% for Trump. In the 2020 presidential election, Biden overwhelmingly won the black vote, 92% to 7% for Trump,” the polling data analysis indicated.
The latest poll also shows increased support for Trump among voters under 45 in Pennsylvania. In the previous election, Biden led this group by 24 points, but the recent survey shows Biden’s lead over Trump has shrunk to just two points.
However, the survey found that, “Trump’s lead among older voters has diminished. He won voters 45 or older by 12 percentage points in 2020. Currently, there is a three-point difference between Trump (48%) and Biden (45%) among this group.”