Inside Trump’s Charm Offensive on Capitol Hill

Trump seems to have learned a key lesson from his first term: The carrot can be more effective than the stick on Capitol Hill.

Donald Trump arrives for a meeting with the House GOP conference

Donald Trump arrives for a meeting with the House GOP conference. Alex Brandon/AP

MIAMI — At the beginning of his first term, President Donald Trump didn’t have a close relationship with many GOP lawmakers.

He didn’t seem to think he needed them.

But as his first year in the White House went on — and his legislative priorities, like an Obamacare replacement, went down — Trump learned the importance of keeping his friends on Capitol Hill close and his enemies closer.