Trump plans to meet with House GOP on Thursday

Former President Donald Trump is slated to meet with the House GOP conference Thursday, according to two Republicans with direct knowledge of the planning.

The presumptive GOP presidential nominee will address members just weeks ahead of the party’s convention at a Republican-only club on Capitol Hill. Trump has locked down support from most Republican House members.

The former president is expected to have other meetings with lawmakers this week, including with Senate Republicans. Senate GOP Conference Chair John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) said they plan to talk about their "strategic governing agenda in 2025."

His meeting with the full Republican conference is slated to take place 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning, though the location has yet to be announced.

It marks a critical moment for Speaker Mike Johnson, who has repeatedly leaned on his relationship with Trump to both weather attacks from his right flank and push through tough legislation in the GOP's narrow House majority. Trump defended the GOP leader against Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), when the Trump loyalist led efforts to boot Johnson from the speakership.

But Johnson is also facing some legislative squeezes on Trump's behalf, which the former president could push in his upcoming meetings. Greene has trumpeted one in particular for weeks: Defunding special counsel Jack Smith, who is leading investigations into both Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents as well as his attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

Johnson initially dismissed defunding Smith in an interview with POLITICO Playbook — knowing many of his centrists are not on board — but he has appeared to warm to the idea as Trump has voiced his support.

And the speaker will get more face time with Trump days later at Mar-a-Lago, along with the chair of the House GOP campaign arm, Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.). The visit, first reported by Axios, comes as the party is bracing for a series of upcoming primary battles.

During a similar meeting in the past, Johnson and Hudson worked with Trump to figure out how to deal with a series of primary races, including withholding or providing endorsements as well as asking the former president to withhold attacks against those he believes have crossed him.

That meeting in March impacted races that could’ve fundamentally changed the makeup of the House, adding more hardliners that tend to cause more migraines for leadership if ultimately elected — or worse, cost them a winnable seat.

Jordain Carney contributed to this report.