President Donald Trump met with Senate Republicans on Wednesday for a closed-door lunch at the Capitol, his first such gathering with the full conference in several months. The meeting highlighted ongoing tensions within the party, centered on disagreements over voting legislation, the war in Iran, and recent political conflicts.

Trump expressed frustration with Senate Republicans for their reluctance to pass his voting bill, the Save America Act, which he linked to his refusal to sign a recently passed bipartisan housing bill. He made clear he would withhold his signature on the housing legislation until the voting bill advanced, despite the housing measure’s overwhelming congressional support. The voting bill contains requirements for citizenship verification when registering to vote and photo identification at the polls. Trump has also advocated including provisions limiting mail voting, restricting transgender athletes in women’s sports, and limiting gender transition care for minors. However, Senate Republicans acknowledge they lack enough votes to overcome the 60-vote threshold to beat a filibuster, and opposition within the party has prevented scrapping the filibuster rule.

Several senators described the lunch as contentious. Trump reportedly dominated the discussion and vented about four Senate Republicans who joined Democrats in blocking his ability to conduct further military strikes against Iran. The Senate passed that resolution as a bipartisan rebuke of the administration's handling of the conflict amid delicate negotiations with Tehran over the nuclear program.

Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, one of the Republicans who supported the Iran resolution, clashed verbally with Trump during the meeting. Cassidy criticized the president’s lack of transparency on the war, calling for more information while emphasizing concern that the conflict had persisted longer than originally planned. Both acknowledged raising their voices during the exchange. Other Republicans present attempted to ease tensions.

Tensions between Trump and Senate Republicans have escalated in recent weeks. His endorsement of challengers helped oust two incumbents—Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana—in recent primaries, straining his relationship with the caucus. Both attended Wednesday’s lunch but have not spoken with Trump since their defeats. Additionally, Trump stirred controversy by pursuing a $1.8 billion fund to compensate allies he said were wrongfully prosecuted under the Biden administration, a plan that raised concerns among Republicans about perceived leniency toward those convicted in the January 6 Capitol attack, forcing the administration to back down.

Further complicating relations, Trump last week instructed Jay Clayton, his nominee for director of national intelligence, to skip his Senate confirmation hearing. The move undermined a Republican effort to renew a key surveillance law and deepened intra-party frustration.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota) acknowledged differences with the former president but emphasized that the party remains united on key issues. Thune described the lunch as an opportunity to hear Trump out, though no significant shifts in position were reported. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) said most senators left the meeting holding the same views they had going in.

Republican coordination efforts have also displayed fractures. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Florida), a Trump ally who arranged the lunch without informing Thune, has proposed daily votes on the Save America Act or its components to increase pressure. Meanwhile, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) continues pushing a procedural strategy to bypass the filibuster through extended debate, a tactic some Republicans dismiss as unrealistic.

Democrats responded to the party’s internal discord with criticism. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York) characterized the Republicans’ infighting as a barrier to effective governance.

As Republicans confront the upcoming midterm elections with a narrow 53-47 Senate majority, the discord between Trump and Senate leadership signals ongoing challenges in managing party cohesion amid divergent priorities on legislative and foreign policy matters.