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| As Trump Thunders, G.O.P. Lawmakers Duck and Cover | As Trump Thunders, G.O.P. Lawmakers Duck and Cover |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| PHILADELPHIA — For months, the strategies have been tested and recalibrated — the senatorial speed-walk, the bemused deflection, the jittery laughter — honed through a presidential campaign season of refutable claims, racially charged rhetoric and tape-recorded boasts of sexual assault. | PHILADELPHIA — For months, the strategies have been tested and recalibrated — the senatorial speed-walk, the bemused deflection, the jittery laughter — honed through a presidential campaign season of refutable claims, racially charged rhetoric and tape-recorded boasts of sexual assault. |
| So when President Trump and his team began their White House tenure with two whoppers, doubling down on false claims about his inauguration crowd and illegal voting in the election, Republicans on Capitol Hill this week assumed their positions. | So when President Trump and his team began their White House tenure with two whoppers, doubling down on false claims about his inauguration crowd and illegal voting in the election, Republicans on Capitol Hill this week assumed their positions. |
| Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, chose to answer a question no one had asked, arguing that voter fraud “does occur” while declining to address Mr. Trump’s assertion that millions of fraudulent votes had cost him the popular vote. | Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, chose to answer a question no one had asked, arguing that voter fraud “does occur” while declining to address Mr. Trump’s assertion that millions of fraudulent votes had cost him the popular vote. |
| Speaker Paul D. Ryan allowed that he had seen no evidence of wide-scale fraud, before retreating into a familiar self-assessment (“I’m a policy guy”) to declare himself above the fray. | Speaker Paul D. Ryan allowed that he had seen no evidence of wide-scale fraud, before retreating into a familiar self-assessment (“I’m a policy guy”) to declare himself above the fray. |
| Senator Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, distinguished himself with the most adorable distraction: He cradled a Boston terrier puppy, stroking her chin, as he greeted reporters eager to ask about Mr. Trump this week in the basement of the Capitol. | Senator Thom Tillis, Republican of North Carolina, distinguished himself with the most adorable distraction: He cradled a Boston terrier puppy, stroking her chin, as he greeted reporters eager to ask about Mr. Trump this week in the basement of the Capitol. |
| “Her name is Tilly,” he said, before politely shrugging off questions about Mr. Trump. | “Her name is Tilly,” he said, before politely shrugging off questions about Mr. Trump. |
| The first several days of the Trump presidency have reinforced several core truths: He will continue to give voice to conspiracy theories and peddle misinformation. He will not stop obsessing over cosmetic displays of popularity, like crowd size and television ratings. | The first several days of the Trump presidency have reinforced several core truths: He will continue to give voice to conspiracy theories and peddle misinformation. He will not stop obsessing over cosmetic displays of popularity, like crowd size and television ratings. |
| And if Republican lawmakers harbored any expectation that this ritual of the campaign cycle would end — the grimacing through questions about Mr. Trump, the hedging when asked if their party’s leader had overstepped — these early days have supplied a decisive verdict: not so much. | And if Republican lawmakers harbored any expectation that this ritual of the campaign cycle would end — the grimacing through questions about Mr. Trump, the hedging when asked if their party’s leader had overstepped — these early days have supplied a decisive verdict: not so much. |
| On Thursday, Republicans welcomed Mr. Trump to their party retreat here — the headliner of an outing that also includes Prime Minister Theresa May of Britain and Peyton Manning, the retired football star. | |
| The event is fashioned as an off-site exercise in legislative sausage-making, with Republican members of both congressional chambers talking agenda by day and indulging in occasional cocktails by nightfall. At one of the gathering’s early sessions on Wednesday, Mr. Ryan outlined the party’s aggressive plan for Mr. Trump’s first 200 days, including repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act over the next few months, coming up with money for a border wall and working to complete tax reform by the August recess. | The event is fashioned as an off-site exercise in legislative sausage-making, with Republican members of both congressional chambers talking agenda by day and indulging in occasional cocktails by nightfall. At one of the gathering’s early sessions on Wednesday, Mr. Ryan outlined the party’s aggressive plan for Mr. Trump’s first 200 days, including repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act over the next few months, coming up with money for a border wall and working to complete tax reform by the August recess. |
| Yet hanging over the proceedings, as it has since Mr. Trump stormed to the top of the polls in the Republican primaries, is the question of just how much latitude Republicans are willing to give him — in policy making or otherwise — as the party delights in the prospects of unified government, albeit with a divisive leader. | Yet hanging over the proceedings, as it has since Mr. Trump stormed to the top of the polls in the Republican primaries, is the question of just how much latitude Republicans are willing to give him — in policy making or otherwise — as the party delights in the prospects of unified government, albeit with a divisive leader. |
| So far, dissent has been limited, and almost always cautious. Congressional leaders know, better than most, the president’s power to sink fortunes with a single Twitter message. | So far, dissent has been limited, and almost always cautious. Congressional leaders know, better than most, the president’s power to sink fortunes with a single Twitter message. |
| Still, there have been early signals of where fault lines might emerge between the White House and some congressional Republicans. | Still, there have been early signals of where fault lines might emerge between the White House and some congressional Republicans. |
| The retreat began amid news reports about a draft order that would clear the way for the C.I.A. to reopen “black site” prisons, like those where the agency detained and tortured terrorism suspects before President Barack Obama shut them down. | The retreat began amid news reports about a draft order that would clear the way for the C.I.A. to reopen “black site” prisons, like those where the agency detained and tortured terrorism suspects before President Barack Obama shut them down. |
| “The president can sign whatever executive orders he likes,” said Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, who was tortured as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. “But the law is the law. We are not bringing back torture in the United States of America.” | “The president can sign whatever executive orders he likes,” said Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, who was tortured as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. “But the law is the law. We are not bringing back torture in the United States of America.” |
| Some colleagues, including those who have been less inclined to defy Mr. Trump, also sought to tweak Mr. Trump on the issue, firmly but carefully. | Some colleagues, including those who have been less inclined to defy Mr. Trump, also sought to tweak Mr. Trump on the issue, firmly but carefully. |
| “With respect to torture, that’s banned,” Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, said at the retreat. “We view that to be a matter of settled law.” | “With respect to torture, that’s banned,” Senator John Thune, Republican of South Dakota, said at the retreat. “We view that to be a matter of settled law.” |
| Repeatedly, lawmakers have been pressed on the often mismatched messaging coming out of the White House and Capitol Hill, exacerbated at times by surprise pronouncements from Mr. Trump on Twitter. | Repeatedly, lawmakers have been pressed on the often mismatched messaging coming out of the White House and Capitol Hill, exacerbated at times by surprise pronouncements from Mr. Trump on Twitter. |
| Mr. Thune waded in gingerly, suggesting that even without Mr. Trump, Republicans were “not always on the same page.” | Mr. Thune waded in gingerly, suggesting that even without Mr. Trump, Republicans were “not always on the same page.” |
| “It’s a work in progress,” added Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, the highest-ranking Republican woman in the House. | “It’s a work in progress,” added Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, the highest-ranking Republican woman in the House. |
| A handful of members have expressed concern that Mr. Trump’s behavior could wear thin. Representative Mark Sanford, Republican of South Carolina, noted Mr. Trump had thrived on presenting himself as “real” to the public. | A handful of members have expressed concern that Mr. Trump’s behavior could wear thin. Representative Mark Sanford, Republican of South Carolina, noted Mr. Trump had thrived on presenting himself as “real” to the public. |
| “I think you can move from real to bizarre if you don’t watch out,” said Mr. Sanford, who was his state’s governor when he famously disappeared to Argentina to pursue an extramarital affair. “And some of what he’s done in tweet-world and others certainly fit that mold.” | “I think you can move from real to bizarre if you don’t watch out,” said Mr. Sanford, who was his state’s governor when he famously disappeared to Argentina to pursue an extramarital affair. “And some of what he’s done in tweet-world and others certainly fit that mold.” |
| At the same time, Mr. Trump’s baseless claims of widespread election fraud and subsequent calls for an investigation into it have attracted little blowback from fellow Republicans, who may use any inquiry as a rationale to push for more stringent voter identification laws that many of them have long supported. | At the same time, Mr. Trump’s baseless claims of widespread election fraud and subsequent calls for an investigation into it have attracted little blowback from fellow Republicans, who may use any inquiry as a rationale to push for more stringent voter identification laws that many of them have long supported. |
| Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, perhaps the most frequent Trump critic among Senate Republicans, went furthest in admonishing the president, saying Mr. Trump’s claim “undermines faith in our democracy.” | Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, perhaps the most frequent Trump critic among Senate Republicans, went furthest in admonishing the president, saying Mr. Trump’s claim “undermines faith in our democracy.” |
| Others have diverged more gently, like Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who said he saw no evidence of widespread fraud but offered the president no advice. “I can’t tell Donald — uh, President Trump — how to speak or what he wants to focus on,” Mr. Rubio said. | Others have diverged more gently, like Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who said he saw no evidence of widespread fraud but offered the president no advice. “I can’t tell Donald — uh, President Trump — how to speak or what he wants to focus on,” Mr. Rubio said. |
| Senator John Barrasso, Republican of Wyoming, carved out an even safer position. “I have great confidence in everything that happened in Wyoming,” he said, after a long pause and a moment of nervous laughter. | Senator John Barrasso, Republican of Wyoming, carved out an even safer position. “I have great confidence in everything that happened in Wyoming,” he said, after a long pause and a moment of nervous laughter. |
| But at least a few lawmakers have shown greater alarm at elements of Mr. Trump’s first days. Mr. Sanford recalled a recent conversation with a colleague in his party about the president’s false statements on voter fraud. | But at least a few lawmakers have shown greater alarm at elements of Mr. Trump’s first days. Mr. Sanford recalled a recent conversation with a colleague in his party about the president’s false statements on voter fraud. |
| “A fellow member turned to me and pointed to it and said, ‘That’s what third-world dictators do,’” Mr. Sanford said. “They just repeat the same misinformation over and over and over again until it sinks in.” | “A fellow member turned to me and pointed to it and said, ‘That’s what third-world dictators do,’” Mr. Sanford said. “They just repeat the same misinformation over and over and over again until it sinks in.” |
| Mr. Sanford was asked if he shared his peer’s concerns that Mr. Trump had displayed authoritarian tendencies. He paused for a beat. | Mr. Sanford was asked if he shared his peer’s concerns that Mr. Trump had displayed authoritarian tendencies. He paused for a beat. |
| “I’m going to give anybody the benefit of the doubt,” he said, “over the first three days.” | “I’m going to give anybody the benefit of the doubt,” he said, “over the first three days.” |