'Very Upbeat' Trump, Protesters & Supporters Show At Capitol Hill Thursday

Former President Donald Trump was on Capitol Hill Thursday, a place where he is both reviled and revered.

Democrats jeered his return while Republicans, with whom Trump met privately, cheered the man who is all but certain to be their nominee for president.

Trump met with Republican Senators in the afternoon and with GOP House members in the morning at the Capitol Hill Club, just a block from the Capitol.

Over the shouts of protesters, members leaving the meeting told reporters what Trump talked about and commented that he was "very upbeat."

"In fact, many in the room where I was sitting," said Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla. 1), "said it’s hard to believe he’s 77 years old, with the energy he has at his age."

Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla. 4) called Trump's speech "fantastic."

"He talked a lot about the campaign, why he thought he could win, how he was doing," Cole explained, "talked a lot about the policies he would implement, particularly the things he would go back to, in terms of the secure borders, strong economy, strong military."

This was Trump's first trip to the Capitol since a mob of his supporters, wanting to stop the transfer of power to Joe Biden, assaulted it almost three and a half years ago on January 6, 2021.

Democrats Thursday were disgusted.

In a statement, Texas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) said: “Three years after waging a continual war on our democracy, Donald Trump, a convicted criminal, returns to Capitol Hill to hang out with the very same MAGA extremists who acted as his proxies on January 6."

"This is just another example of House Republicans bending the knee to Donald Trump," said Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

Republicans say they embrace Trump because of policies they believe are better for the country. Oklahoma Congressman Josh Brecheen says, beyond that, it helps that he's unpredictable and authentic.

"I think it’s part of his appeal," said Brecheen (R-Okla. 2) in an interview, "He’s off the cuff, he’s raw, but there are many people who want somebody who just speaks their mind."

 "It was a pretty good 'rally the troops' kind of speech," said Rep. Cole, "A lot of affection and support for the President there."