In 2016, Sen. Mike Lee made a last-ditch attempt at the Republican National Convention to derail Donald Trump from winning his party’s presidential nomination — shouting on the floor until the convention chair walked off the stage. Two-and-a-half years later, he’s ready to endorse Trump’s reelection campaign.
“Look, I had some concerns and I expressed those,” Lee said in an interview. “I’ve been pleased with the number of things he’s done, and he’s been very helpful to me on criminal justice reform. … I’ve talked to him a lot and talking to him helps me develop a relationship with him.”
“I quite like him,” Lee said, adding that he intends to endorse Trump’s presidential bid this time around.
The Utah Republican is thriving in the Trump era, which has upended the Republican Party and left many of Lee’s colleagues smarting over the president’s erratic style. But while hawkish Republicans seethed as the president pulled out of Syria and upended plans to avert a government shutdown, December has been a good month for the libertarian-leaning Lee, who backs Trump in both fights.
Lee played a key role in pushing the Trump-backed prison and sentencing overhaul in the face of resistance from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). He even kept his own whip count in a bid to pressure leadership before the bill was ultimately passed — something Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn derided as “kind of a side show.”
And despite McConnell’s opposition, Lee also forced to the floor a resolution to withdraw U.S. support for the Saudi-backed war in Yemen. The measure, co-sponsored with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), passed the Senate with bipartisan support.
“Those two issues,” Lee said, “are examples of what can happen with an idea when you cultivate it and nurture it over the course of many years.”
Meanwhile, Lee continues to strengthen ties with Trump, lunching with him and a handful of other conservative lawmakers at the White House amid a government shutdown that GOP leaders sought to avoid. “I’m a big believer in the need to bolster border security and I think he is right to place emphasis on that,” Lee said of Trump.
Next year, Lee plans to continue working with Ivanka Trump and Senate Republicans on a proposal that would allow new parents to use their Social Security benefits to take parental leave when a child is born and pay the money back later. He also sees an opportunity to block arms sales to Saudi Arabia, particularly with Democratic control of the House.
Lee describes his strategy as waiting for the right moment for an idea to succeed. The Yemen resolution gained momentum after the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the administration’s refusal to directly link Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Khashoggi’s killing.
“The stars aligned,” he said.
Lee was also a rare GOP voice applauding Trump’s move to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. Trump returned the favor, citing Lee approvingly in a tweet defending his Syria decision.
For someone so used to going it alone, Lee’s found a surprising ally in the White House.
“I had real concerns about him,” the senator said of the president, “and have been very pleased.”
More at:
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...p-2020-1075490
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