The source said the meeting with Scott, a Florida chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is scheduled for weeks. But it will come at a time of considerable tension between the former president and the party institution following his pressure to lead supporters’ money through his own political apparatus, rather than traditional Republican campaign committees such as the NRSC.
The visit,
first reported by The Washington Post, also highlights the GOP rift over Trump’s legacy in the party as it moves forward in the Biden era. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Representative Steve Scalise, along with Trump and most House Republicans – with the notable exception of GOP Conference Chair Liz Cheney – also viewed the former president as their banner bearer.
But Trump’s support is less pronounced in the Senate, where Mitch McConnell, leader of the GOP, and John Thune, the Republican of the 2nd Senate facing re-election in South Dakota next year, both worked to oust themselves from the former president distance.
McConnell made sharp remarks about Trump on the Senate floor after voting in the indictment to acquit him, and even suggested that he could be prosecuted for his actions that led to the January 6 Capitol attack.
The split has been further complicated in recent days by letters from Trump’s lawyers to the Republican National Committee and the party’s House and Senate campaign to warn against using Trump’s name to raise money.
In tweeted statements, Trump urged his supporters to donate money directly to his Save America political action committee, leaving the network of campaign committees and affiliated super-PACs that usually lead the mid-term efforts in the cold.
“No more money for RINOS,” Trump said in a statement Monday night. “They are doing nothing but hurting the Republican Party and our vast voting base – they will never lead us to Greatness. Send your donation to Save America PAC at DonaldJTrump.com. We will bring it all back stronger than ever before! “
But while Trump may put his name behind a candidate, McConnell is still armed with a well-funded outreach group, the Senate Leadership Fund, which is poised to drop millions in key races to overtake the GOP leader’s preferred choices over the finish line. to try to print. .
CNN’s Michael Warren, Fredreka Schouten, Eric Bradner, Daniella Diaz and Manu Raju contributed to this report.
