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| Donald Trump and Paul Ryan Meet, With a Chasm Between Them | |
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| WASHINGTON — Donald J. Trump faces a wary reception in Washington on Thursday as he seeks to break down resistance to his candidacy among the Republican Party’s most powerful elected leaders in a series of private meetings on Capitol Hill. | WASHINGTON — Donald J. Trump faces a wary reception in Washington on Thursday as he seeks to break down resistance to his candidacy among the Republican Party’s most powerful elected leaders in a series of private meetings on Capitol Hill. |
| Mr. Trump and party officials have eyed each other across a vast political and ideological gulf, confronting differences on everything from Medicare and trade policy to the mechanics of presidential campaign fund-raising. Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, the speaker of the House, said last week that he was not ready to support Mr. Trump, despite his status as the party’s presumptive nominee. | Mr. Trump and party officials have eyed each other across a vast political and ideological gulf, confronting differences on everything from Medicare and trade policy to the mechanics of presidential campaign fund-raising. Representative Paul D. Ryan of Wisconsin, the speaker of the House, said last week that he was not ready to support Mr. Trump, despite his status as the party’s presumptive nominee. |
| Mr. Trump arrived before 9 a.m. Thursday for a meeting with Mr. Ryan and Reince Priebus, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, at the party’s headquarters. Mr. Trump’s morning also was to include appointments with Mr. Ryan and a larger group of House leaders, as well as with Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, and his leadership team — a meeting the Trump team requested. | |
| Mr. Trump’s pilgrimage to Washington is a critical test for his candidacy at the onset of the general election campaign. His ability to compete against his likely Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, depends in no small measure on his success in raising money from mainstream donors and proving to middle-of-the-road voters that he is more than a flame-throwing populist. Without a reassuring performance on Thursday, he could find himself largely abandoned to his own devices in the fall, as Republicans seek to save their House and Senate majorities without help from a nominee they do not trust. | Mr. Trump’s pilgrimage to Washington is a critical test for his candidacy at the onset of the general election campaign. His ability to compete against his likely Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, depends in no small measure on his success in raising money from mainstream donors and proving to middle-of-the-road voters that he is more than a flame-throwing populist. Without a reassuring performance on Thursday, he could find himself largely abandoned to his own devices in the fall, as Republicans seek to save their House and Senate majorities without help from a nominee they do not trust. |
| In some respects, Mr. Trump’s meetings with Mr. Ryan and with the Senate leaders resemble a kind of custody negotiation between estranged parents, with the Republican Party caught in the middle. Intense distrust plagues the relationship, rooted in a fundamental divergence of worldview and exacerbated by petty slights during the 2016 primary race. | In some respects, Mr. Trump’s meetings with Mr. Ryan and with the Senate leaders resemble a kind of custody negotiation between estranged parents, with the Republican Party caught in the middle. Intense distrust plagues the relationship, rooted in a fundamental divergence of worldview and exacerbated by petty slights during the 2016 primary race. |
| Yet, for both Mr. Trump and the congressional leaders, the political incentives are all heavily in favor of conciliation — or at least, the appearance of good will. Despite considerable differences on matters of both policy and campaign strategy, it is in no one’s interest for them to air those disagreements on a continual basis. Both Mr. Trump’s team and, separately, Republican leaders have huddled — Mr. Ryan and Mr. Priebus, in a meeting on Tuesday — to choreograph their goals for Thursday’s sessions, in which the publicly stated objective is “party unity.” | Yet, for both Mr. Trump and the congressional leaders, the political incentives are all heavily in favor of conciliation — or at least, the appearance of good will. Despite considerable differences on matters of both policy and campaign strategy, it is in no one’s interest for them to air those disagreements on a continual basis. Both Mr. Trump’s team and, separately, Republican leaders have huddled — Mr. Ryan and Mr. Priebus, in a meeting on Tuesday — to choreograph their goals for Thursday’s sessions, in which the publicly stated objective is “party unity.” |
| In March, Mr. Trump stopped in the nation’s capital for a whirlwind, circuslike visit in which he tried to project the serious image of a commander in chief. He returns less than two months later after his extraordinary and unexpected success in all but securing the Republican nomination, but also under the shadow of an equally extraordinary and unexpected public rebuke by Mr. Ryan. | In March, Mr. Trump stopped in the nation’s capital for a whirlwind, circuslike visit in which he tried to project the serious image of a commander in chief. He returns less than two months later after his extraordinary and unexpected success in all but securing the Republican nomination, but also under the shadow of an equally extraordinary and unexpected public rebuke by Mr. Ryan. |
| Kevin Madden, a Republican strategist and adviser to Mitt Romney’s campaign in 2012, said there was little chance of a conclusive peacemaking event on Thursday. | Kevin Madden, a Republican strategist and adviser to Mitt Romney’s campaign in 2012, said there was little chance of a conclusive peacemaking event on Thursday. |
| “Given the way the primary was litigated, it’s clear that unity can’t just be ordered up,” he said. “It won’t just all of a sudden happen in one meeting. Healing isn’t an event, it’s a process.” | “Given the way the primary was litigated, it’s clear that unity can’t just be ordered up,” he said. “It won’t just all of a sudden happen in one meeting. Healing isn’t an event, it’s a process.” |
| There were some indications before Thursday’s meetings that the House speaker and presumptive nominee might be prepared to inch closer to each other, in at least a few areas. Mr. Ryan said at a news conference on Wednesday that it was essential for Republicans to defeat Mrs. Clinton, a task that would be all but impossible to achieve without supporting Mr. Trump. | There were some indications before Thursday’s meetings that the House speaker and presumptive nominee might be prepared to inch closer to each other, in at least a few areas. Mr. Ryan said at a news conference on Wednesday that it was essential for Republicans to defeat Mrs. Clinton, a task that would be all but impossible to achieve without supporting Mr. Trump. |
| In public, Mr. Trump has treated Mr. Ryan more gently than other critics of Mr. Trump within the Republican Party, complaining that Mr. Ryan was not helping party unity but declining to savage him in the personal language — or the fiery Twitter missives — he has employed against other adversaries. | In public, Mr. Trump has treated Mr. Ryan more gently than other critics of Mr. Trump within the Republican Party, complaining that Mr. Ryan was not helping party unity but declining to savage him in the personal language — or the fiery Twitter missives — he has employed against other adversaries. |
| And in private, Mr. Trump has appeared willing to massage elements of his policy vision that are in tension with the agenda of congressional Republicans. Mr. Trump has already met with several conservative economists about adjusting his tax plan to make it less costly, and advisers have said he is willing to accommodate Mr. Ryan in some areas. | And in private, Mr. Trump has appeared willing to massage elements of his policy vision that are in tension with the agenda of congressional Republicans. Mr. Trump has already met with several conservative economists about adjusting his tax plan to make it less costly, and advisers have said he is willing to accommodate Mr. Ryan in some areas. |
| The party platform, one Trump adviser said, was a potential “give point” in a conversation with Mr. Ryan. The adviser spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to be candid about preparations for a private meeting. Another aide said that Mr. Trump did not plan to ask Mr. Ryan for an endorsement on Thursday. | The party platform, one Trump adviser said, was a potential “give point” in a conversation with Mr. Ryan. The adviser spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to be candid about preparations for a private meeting. Another aide said that Mr. Trump did not plan to ask Mr. Ryan for an endorsement on Thursday. |
| Mr. Ryan also met on Wednesday with roughly a dozen House members who support Mr. Trump, a meeting the lawmakers requested to air their grievances with Mr. Ryan’s comments about Mr. Trump last week. Mr. Ryan, according to several people who were briefed on the meeting, echoed themes he had addressed on Wednesday in a closed-door conference session, including the need for party unity — which he said would be a “process” — and adherence to general conservative principles like limited government. | Mr. Ryan also met on Wednesday with roughly a dozen House members who support Mr. Trump, a meeting the lawmakers requested to air their grievances with Mr. Ryan’s comments about Mr. Trump last week. Mr. Ryan, according to several people who were briefed on the meeting, echoed themes he had addressed on Wednesday in a closed-door conference session, including the need for party unity — which he said would be a “process” — and adherence to general conservative principles like limited government. |
| “Donald Trump is our nominee, and I feel like we all need to get together to support him and we can work on policy going forward,” said Representative Scott DesJarlais, Republican of Tennessee, who attended the meeting. “That’s the message we shared with the speaker.” | “Donald Trump is our nominee, and I feel like we all need to get together to support him and we can work on policy going forward,” said Representative Scott DesJarlais, Republican of Tennessee, who attended the meeting. “That’s the message we shared with the speaker.” |
| Mr. DesJarlais, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, many of whose members have been especially critical of Mr. Trump, said he was working to organize a meeting in the coming weeks between Mr. Trump and the caucus. | Mr. DesJarlais, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, many of whose members have been especially critical of Mr. Trump, said he was working to organize a meeting in the coming weeks between Mr. Trump and the caucus. |
| Mr. Trump, who has a limited network of contacts in Washington and employs few experienced national political consultants, has leaned heavily on a top aide to Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama in Washington in recent days, Republicans familiar with Mr. Trump’s outreach said. The aide, Rick Dearborn, Mr. Sessions’s chief of staff, has been a principal point of contact between the Trump campaign and congressional leaders. Mr. Sessions has been a vigorous supporter of Mr. Trump’s campaign. | Mr. Trump, who has a limited network of contacts in Washington and employs few experienced national political consultants, has leaned heavily on a top aide to Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama in Washington in recent days, Republicans familiar with Mr. Trump’s outreach said. The aide, Rick Dearborn, Mr. Sessions’s chief of staff, has been a principal point of contact between the Trump campaign and congressional leaders. Mr. Sessions has been a vigorous supporter of Mr. Trump’s campaign. |
| Stephen Moore, a conservative economist and an informal adviser to Mr. Trump, described him as open to suggestion and negotiation. | Stephen Moore, a conservative economist and an informal adviser to Mr. Trump, described him as open to suggestion and negotiation. |
| “Trump wants to do tax reform and that’s something Paul’s talked about for 10 years; he wants to repeal Obamacare and replace it with market-based alternatives,” Mr. Moore said, referring to similarities between Mr. Trump and Mr. Ryan. “I kind of think that the differences have been exaggerated. I think they’re more stylistic than they have been policy-wise.” | “Trump wants to do tax reform and that’s something Paul’s talked about for 10 years; he wants to repeal Obamacare and replace it with market-based alternatives,” Mr. Moore said, referring to similarities between Mr. Trump and Mr. Ryan. “I kind of think that the differences have been exaggerated. I think they’re more stylistic than they have been policy-wise.” |
| Mr. Moore acknowledged a few areas where Mr. Trump and Mr. Ryan would simply not see eye to eye — trade, for one — but suggested some form of peace was eminently achievable. | Mr. Moore acknowledged a few areas where Mr. Trump and Mr. Ryan would simply not see eye to eye — trade, for one — but suggested some form of peace was eminently achievable. |
| “He is a negotiator,” Mr. Moore said. “For better or worse, he will make deals to get things done.” | “He is a negotiator,” Mr. Moore said. “For better or worse, he will make deals to get things done.” |