President Donald Trump has invited a group of Republican lawmakers, including several candidates facing difficult November races, to dine with him at the White House on Wednesday as pressure builds inside the GOP for the president to deploy his enormous political war chest.
The dinner is expected to take place in the White House Rose Garden, according to two people familiar with the planning. Five people with direct knowledge of the event spoke anonymously to POLITICO because the gathering and its guest list were not publicly announced.
The confirmed invitees include Wisconsin Rep. Derrick Van Orden, Michigan Rep. Tom Barrett and Georgia Republican Senate nominee Rep. Mike Collins. A wider group of GOP lawmakers was also invited, but the complete guest list had not been disclosed as of Wednesday morning.
Van Orden personally confirmed that he planned to attend. "Of course," the Wisconsin Republican said when asked about the invitation.
The guest list underscores the political stakes surrounding the dinner. All three confirmed attendees are competing in races that could help determine control of Congress, while Republican candidates and strategists are waiting for Trump to release funds accumulated by MAGA Inc., the super PAC aligned with the president.
The organization reported having more than $400 million available heading into the final months of the midterm campaign, according to federal filings. That gives Trump one of the largest pools of political money in the country and considerable influence over which Republican candidates receive support.
MAGA Inc. had spent relatively little of that money directly helping congressional candidates by the end of June, however, prompting concern among Republicans watching Democratic campaigns invest heavily in battleground states. The reluctance to spend has raised questions about whether Trump intends to preserve part of the money to maintain his influence beyond the midterms.
Republicans entered the final stretch of the campaign with a substantial overall financial advantage. Major GOP committees and affiliated super PACs held approximately $657 million in cash, nearly twice the $334 million controlled by comparable Democratic organizations, according to a review of campaign filings. MAGA Inc.'s reserves accounted for most of that advantage.
Van Orden is seeking a third term in Wisconsin's competitive 3rd Congressional District. He is facing Democrat Rebecca Cooke in a rematch of their close 2024 contest, which Van Orden won with 51.3% of the vote to Cooke's 48.6%. Cooke secured the Democratic nomination again in August, while recent Democratic polling has shown her leading the Republican incumbent.
Barrett is defending Michigan's 7th Congressional District, another closely divided seat. The Army veteran won the open district in 2024 after losing a previous campaign there to Democrat Elissa Slotkin. He now faces Democratic nominee Will Lawrence.
Collins is attempting to unseat Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in Georgia, one of the most closely watched Senate races of the cycle. The self-described "MAGA warrior" won the Republican nomination after receiving Trump's endorsement and defeating former football coach Derek Dooley in a June runoff.
Ossoff entered the general election with a major fundraising advantage, increasing Republican pressure for MAGA Inc. to intervene. Collins has also faced questions about former staffers and associates accused of posting racist, antisemitic or extremist content. His campaign has condemned the material and said the individuals involved no longer work for him.
Trump's relationship with candidates such as Collins illustrates the dual value of the White House dinner. Attendance provides vulnerable Republicans with direct access to the president, while Trump retains control over a financial operation capable of reshaping their races.
Republicans have been waiting for signs that MAGA Inc. will begin spending on a larger scale. Trump's advisers have indicated that the super PAC intends to support GOP candidates and promote the president's record, but they have not publicly detailed how much will be spent or which races will receive priority.
