AFP grows Capitol Hill footprint; Trump 2028 push looks to House

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) may be in the doghouse with President Trump, but it is increasing its footprint on Capitol Hill as it advocates for its top priority this year: Extension of the president’s 2017 tax cuts.

The libertarian-conservative Koch-funded group got a boost in that endeavor when it hosted Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Monday for a “congressional conversation” with Guy Benson, a Fox News Contributor and member of AFP’s advisory council.

It took place at AFP’s Capitol Hill outpost, which the organization calls its “Freedom Embassy” – a relatively new office located just a block away from the epicenter of GOP Hill politics, the Capitol Hill Club and the Republican National Committee.

The event came together relatively quickly, I’m told, and at an opportune time: After making a “prayer request” at the AFP event, Johnson defied expectations and ushered the House budget resolution — which sets a framework for the tax cuts AFP wants and other major items in Trump’s legislative agenda — across the House floor Tuesday evening.

AFP in January launched a $20 million campaign in support of extending the Trump tax cuts that he signed into law in his first term. The organization pledged a 50-state media and lobbying effort and to conduct 1,000 meetings with congressional offices on Capitol Hill.

I got a preview of the next moves in that “Protect Prosperity” campaign:

Mid-March AFP state director fly-in with “hundreds” of meetings with lawmakers on the Hill
Ads with testimonials from “real people” and their concerns about a tax hike
State-based events with members of Congress

While AFP hasn’t taken a position on the House’s “one big beautiful bill” play on Trump’s legislative agenda —which will include tax cuts among the priorities —versus a two-step approach pitched by Senate Republicans, the organization was aligned with Johnson in saying that it is important to build on momentum as soon as possible.

Brent Gardner, AFP’s Chief Government Affairs Officer, warned that “momentum is fleeing” and it should be Republicans’ “number one goal” to extend the tax cuts so Americans feel the benefits “well before the midterm elections.”

“It would be a major mistake to assume the results of the election mean renewing President Trump’s tax cuts is going to be easy. The margins are razor thin and we’re all seeing just how tough this can be — even before diving into the substance of the legislation,” Gardner said.

AFP’s moves on to build inroads on Capitol Hill come despite bad blood with Trump, who is still furious that AFP Action backed his GOP primary opponent Nikki Haley.

Trump in January essentially blacklisted “people who worked with, or are endorsed by, Americans for No Prosperity (headed by Charles Koch)” from his administration, as well as alums of Haley, Mike Pence, and more. (Never mind that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth once headed up Concerned Veterans for America, another Koch network group.)

But while AFP on your resume might make a White House Presidential Personnel Office staffer move your application to the back of the application backlog, it has a generally positive reputation among Capitol Hill Republicans and staffers I spoke to — even if its perceived usefulness has dwindled as Trump rose.

Johnson, for his part, has a long relationship with AFP, dating back to before he was Speaker. He joked at the event that he has AFP tattooed on his back — and “one big beautiful bill” tattooed on his chest. "Lots of tattoos."

While AFP makes its big play to move the needle on tax cuts across the finish line, it is still Trump — who called key holdouts ahead of the Tuesday House vote — who appears to be the closer for his agenda.

ICYMI: House GOP adopts Trump budget after topsy-turvy night

SCOOP — LUETKEMEYER JOINS ACII:

Former Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.) will lead the American Consumer & Investor Institute (ACII) as its chief executive officer.

ACII, launched in 2023, advocates for more consumer and investor access to financial markets and products, including in cryptocurrency, consumer banking and securities.

Luetkemeyer retired from Congress at the end of last year after eight terms in the House, sitting on the House Financial Service Committee for seven of those. He is also a previous vice chair of the House Small Business Committee.

Luetkemeyer said in a statement: “The past four years under the Biden Administration were a disaster for hardworking Americans who struggled to make ends meet, much less save and invest for their future. President Trump is fighting for their ability to once again live the American Dream — an opportunity establishment elites have fought to protect only for themselves. For too long, Washington advocacy groups have blown with the political winds. As ACII’s CEO, I am committed to fighting alongside the Trump Administration to advance policies that actually help real consumers and investors.”

He also praised President Trump’s appointment of Scott Bessent as Treasury Secretary and Paul Atkins as Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, saying they “understand that free markets, consumer and investor choice, and a pro-innovation approach are essential to empowering more Americans to take control of their financial futures.”

In addition, strategic communications adviser Katie Boyd will be president and policy director of ACII. Boyd said that Luetkemeyer’s “extensive knowledge of U.S. financial markets and steadfast commitment to expanding opportunity for every American will be a tremendous asset to ACII.”

TRUMP 2028 PUSH EYES HOUSE REPUBLICANS:

At the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) last week – and at the few major after parties – one of the off-stage highlights was a new push for a third Trump term.

People happily wore “Trump 2028” stickers — “finish the job,” the stickers said — even if they were unsure how, exactly, that could happen. A “Third Term Project” stand-up banner pictured a Roman statute-esque version of Trump.

The push is a project of Republicans for National Renewal, which describes itself as a nationalist and populist group.

Shane Trejo, grassroots director at the group who was pitching the Trump Third Term project at CPAC, told me the CPAC perception was nearly 100 percent positive — even if some of that positivity is rooted in delight at triggering liberals.

Rather than argue Trump can already legally seek a third term since his terms are not consecutive, as former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has floated, Trejo said the focus of his campaign is on pushing for Rep. Andy Ogles’s (R-Tenn.) proposal for a constitutional amendment to allow Trump to seek a third term since his were not consecutive.

The next step: Getting cosponsors on that. There are currently zero.

“The next thing we're going to do is a big social media, email campaign for all the different lawmakers in the House Freedom Caucus, so that they get constituent pressure, asking them, ‘why haven't you signed on to this proposed Constitutional amendment?’” Trejo said.

Keep an eye on that push coming as soon as next week.

I caught Ogles outside the House chamber to ask his thoughts about the push. He said the Third Term Project folks have reached out to him about boosting his proposed amendment, but he has not met with them yet: “To be determined.”

As for the lack of co-sponsors on his amendment resolution, Ogles said: “We’ve been so busy with reconciliation, I really haven’t pushed it, circulated it other than filing it.”

Trump has repeatedly joked about seeking a third term. But lawmakers, including Speaker Johnson when I asked him in a fireside chat at the House GOP retreat in January, have brushed off the comments as a joke.

Reality check: Chances of getting the Ogles constitutional amendment through Congress are almost zero.

But according to Trejo: “We're definitely serious about getting President Trump a third term. I think every conservative should be worried about Trump’s legacy. A lot of what he's doing is based on executive orders, and those could be wiped away.”

Three more stories that caught my eye this week:

BEZOS WASHINGTON POST — “Billionaire Jeff Bezos is retooling The Washington Post’s opinion section to focus on ‘free markets and personal liberties,’ saying the newspaper he owns will no longer publish op-eds that are not supportive of those ideals,” my colleague Dominick Mastrangelo writes.

WMAL host Vince Coglianese wonders if Bezos saw a piece from commentator Oren Cass calling Trump’s tariffs as “almost ideal.”

GAVIN NEWSOM SEEKS MAGA POD GUESTS — “Gavin Newsom will soon host his own podcast where the California governor will mix it up with MAGA personalities, open his vast Rolodex for frank conversations with Democrats about how to come back from the wilderness and break news on consequential policy decisions,” Politico reports.

Good idea for MAGA allies? I heard mixed opinions. Let me know if you are, or your boss is, going on: ebrooks@thehill.com
CRENSHAW/TUCKER FEUD — The feud between former Fox News host Tucker Carlson and Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) escalated this week when Crenshaw said if he ever met the pundit, he would “f‑‑‑ing kill” him. That comment was caught at the end of an interview with British journalist Steven Edginton from GB News.

But before video of the encounter made the rounds, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) called out Crenshaw, asking if he threatened to kill her “friend” Carlson. Crenshaw responded “Lol, no,” before the video went public. A spokesperson for Crenshaw said the threat was not serious, my colleague Lauren Irwin reports.

Carlson responded by inviting Crenshaw for a sit-down: “Why don’t you come sit for an interview and we’ll see how you do?” I’d certainly tune in.

I’m Emily Brooks, House leadership reporter at The Hill, expanding to cover the wider right-wing ecosystem, influences, and debates in Washington, D.C. Send me observations and tips: ebrooks@thehill.com.

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