Story highlights Trump railed against the press in an afternoon news conference

Reactions on Capitol Hill ranged from stunned to bemused

Washington (CNN) Reaction inside the Capitol to President Donald Trump's 75-minute press conference ranged from stunned to bemused -- as the people weighing his sweeping agenda pondered how to deal with a leader who promised that he was "not ranting and raving."

Following the news conference, one Republican lawmaker tried to keep the President's comments in context with his overall demeanor: "We're just trying to manage this s***."

"The people that love him will love him more, the people that hate him will hate him more and the people in the middle probably will look at it the way that we look at in Congress, which is that's just the new normal. That's just the s*** that happens. I don't know how else to manage it," the Republican said.

Another lawmaker said that he was at the House gym when Trump took the podium at the White House and that every lawmaker in there -- the gym is for representatives only -- watched the President's news conference.

A Republican senator and Trump critic who watched the President's press conference texted CNN's John King: "He should do that with a therapist, not on live television."

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