Trump ramps up his Senate whip operation

GOP senators are talking on the phone, lunching and hitting the green with President Trump as the White House ramps up pressure to pass its "big, beautiful bill" this weekend.Why it matters: The stakes are high: Senators are staring down a weekend-long battle to pass Trump's marquee tax and spending cut measure, and the president has time and again relied on personal outreach to get legislation over the finish line.The Senate had hoped to take the first procedural vote at 4pm ET, but that timeline has slipped. Some senators want to see scores for the new text before they vote.Zoom in: Trump played a round of golf Saturday morning with Sens. Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.). Paul has been a firm "no" on the bill.Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) talked with Trump over the phone Friday night, Tillis confirmed. The senator expressed his concerns about the bill but called it a "good conversation." Still, he plans to vote "no."Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wisc.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Katie Britt (R-Ala.) met with the president for lunch Saturday at Trump's Northern Virginia golf course — along with those who played golf, per multiple sources familiar with the matter.Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah.) said he also had a phone call with Trump Friday night. The bottom line: Trump has enormous sway with Congressional Republicans.Trump "wants to be the closer, and he is," Thune told us in an interview earlier this week."I feel pretty confident that come the end of the week, the sense of urgency around this that he's conveyed to a lot of our members is going to be the compelling force that gets this on his desk," he said.— Axios' Alex Isenstadt contributed reporting.

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