Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana, chairman of the Republican Study Committee, has announced that Republicans seeking to map out the party’s future will meet with former President Donald Trump for a summit next week.
The RSC includes a plethora of familiar conservative faces in Congress and plays a large role in formulating GOP strategy.
According to the New York Post, the caucus will meet with Trump in New Jersey on June 10 to discuss the conservative agenda.
Several RSC members will be meeting in person with Trump for the first time since he left office in January.
In an interview with the Post, Banks left little doubt as to Trump’s prominent place in the Republican Party.
“At Republican Study Committee, we’ve been very busy as we develop the consensus conservative agenda for the future of the Republican Party, and that agenda is the Trump agenda,” Banks said.
“We’re looking forward to going up to visit with him to discuss what we’ve been up to and what we plan to do for not just the rest of this term in the minority, but when we get the majority back.”
The Post reported that Trump has relocated his campaign and finance operations to his resort in Bedminster, New Jersey, from his home in Florida for the summer.
While Trump has not publicly disclosed his plans for a potential 2024 presidential run, he remains popular with the GOP base.
Even if he chooses not to launch another presidential campaign, he will at the very least seek to help House Republicans add to their ranks in 2022.
Trump is familiar with the RSC, having met with members regularly during his time in the White House.
The caucus was founded in 1973 and describes itself as “a leading influencer on the Right,” giving conservatives “a place to call home in the House of Representatives.”
“At RSC, what we’ve been focused on is really developing an agenda, the traditional conservative issues that RSC has always been involved with: balanced budgets and fiscal responsibility, … strong national defense and pro-life, social conservative issues,” Banks told the Post.
Banks suggested that Trump’s positions on trade, immigration, national defense and free speech, along with his continued popularity with voters, make him a key ally.
“But really, President Trump, where he’s led our party, is to be more focused on the China threat and RSC has been very active on that front,” he said.
“Trade issues, Big Tech issues are very important to RSC. We’re very active in that space, confronting the Big Tech’s … censorship of conservatives. We have our election integrity bill that I introduced, the Save Democracy Act. RSC is doing more on the immigration front than it has ever done before, and we look forward to talking to him about that,” Banks added.
Whether or not Trump makes another bid for the White House, Banks’ statements make it clear that he will continue to play an important role in the policy and strategy of the Republican Party.
