Trump to return to Capitol for first time since Jan 6 riot for meeting with top Republicans

Donald Trump will make his first return to Capitol Hill in Washington DC on Thursday since his supporters laid siege to the US Capitol on January 6 2021 in protest at his defeat to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election.

The Republican presidential candidate and convicted felon was already scheduled to meet behind closed doors with GOP senators but will now also reportedly sit down with their House counterparts in a separate session.

House GOP Conference chairwoman and prospective Trump running mate Elise Stefanik notified lawmakers on Tuesday about the upcoming meeting with their party’s presumptive nominee, according to the Associated Press.

The Trump campaign has not confirmed the meeting with House Republicans but a senior campaign official has said the Senate session will be focused on policy issues, including tax cuts.

Trump’s return to the Republican Party’s campaign offices across from the Capitol will inevitably stir up vivid memories of the events of January 6, when he addressed “Stop the Steal” protesters on the Ellipse and urged them to “fight like hell”.

They took that appeal literally, attacking the legislative complex and battling law enforcement for several hours as they attempted to storm the building in order to prevent the formal certification of the 2020 election results at a joint-session of Congress.

Lawmakers and their families were sent fleeing for their lives as the rioters stalked the halls, invaded representatives’ offices and called for the hanging of Mike Pence, Trump’s then vice-president who had rejected his boss’s call to subvert his ceremonial role at the session by blocking the certification process.

The attack resulted in Trump’s historic second impeachment and more than 1,000