After harsh campaign words, Trump reaches out to ex-rivals

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, whose rough treatment of critics and rivals has been a hallmark of his brash style, has begun reaching out to some whose help he now needs.

The latest on hi s li st i s Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who has said he has signifificant concerns about the health care bill Trump wants Congress to pass.

The president and fifirst lady hosted Cruz and his wife, Heidi, and their two daughters for dinner Wednesday night — a day after Trump had lunch with South Carolina Sen. Lindsay Graham, another onetime challenger for the Republican presidential nomination.

It was terrific. It was a social evening we had a very nice evening with the president and the fifirst lady with Heidi and the girls,” Cruz said.

He tweeted a photo of his daughters standing next to the president in the Oval Offiffice, and put out this caption: “Our family had dinner w the President & First Lady, who were warm & gracious. Catherine brought Joe—her kindergarten class stuffffffffffffed giraffffffffffffe!”

Trump gave Florida Sen. Marco Rubio an Air Force One ride to his home state last week and invited Rubio and his wife for dinner at the White House. Trump met recently with Ohio GOP Gov. John Kasich, had another Republican governor, Chris Christie of New Jersey., and his wife over for Valentine’s Day meatloaf, and had a working lunch with Gov. Scott Walker, Wisconsin’s Republican leader.

Like Cruz and Graham, all had competed with Trump for the presidential nomination.

Trump will need every possible ally to sell his legislative agenda, especially on repeal and replacement of the Affffffffffffordable Care Act. That helps explain his wooing of ex-rivals such as Cruz and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, whom Trump has spoken to several times since taking offiffice, said Paul’s spokesman Sergio Gor.

But the 2016 GOP cam- paign was harsh, and that has led to some awkward interactions.

As a candidate, Trump gave Cruz the nickname ‘Lyin’ Ted,’ questioned the senator’s faith and suggested Cruz’s father may have been involved in President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Trump also went after Cruz’s wif wife.e. Cruzf responded by calling Trump “a sniveling coward,” a “pathological liar” and “utterly amoral.” Cruz declined to endorse Trump in his Republican Convention speech.

White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Thursday the president enjoyed welcoming the Cruzes to the White House.

“They had a very enjoyable time and a very fruitful discussion,” Spicer said, adding that it was something the president “is going to continue to do with members of both parties, both chambers, and not just here in Washington.”

Trump has in the past marveled at politicians’ abilities to move on, even after brutal election campaigns.