By Zachary Stieber
The No. 2 Republican in the House of Representatives met with former President Donald Trump this week, his office confirmed to The Epoch Times.
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) met with Trump as he traveled in Florida.
“Rep. Scalise is in Florida this week on political travel and had meetings at Mar a Lago on Tuesday and touched base with President Trump while he was there,” a spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email.
Trump is currently living at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach.
The meeting is another sign of the cache Trump has retained among House Republicans. All but 10 voted against impeaching him last month, and the leader of the House GOP, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), traveled to Florida previously to huddle with the former president.
Scalise’s team declined to share details on what was discussed. Trump’s team said he spoke to McCarthy about how Republicans will flip the House in the 2022 midterm elections.
“President Trump has agreed to work with Leader McCarthy on helping the Republican Party to become a majority in the House,” Trump’s political action committee said, adding that the work has already started.
Republicans stunned political insiders in 2020 by picking up 15 seats, considerably narrowing the Democrat majority. Republicans believe they can gain control of the lower chamber in 2022.
Trump said in a recent statement that he would back candidates who agree with his “America First agenda,” as opposed to Republicans he accused of pursuing a “Beltway First agenda,” and Democrats.
“Where necessary and appropriate, I will back primary rivals who espouse Making America Great Again and our policy of America First. We want brilliant, strong, thoughtful, and compassionate leadership,” he said, as he took aim at the top Republican in Congress, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
McConnell voted with 42 other Republicans to acquit Trump, but made it clear on the Senate floor he only did so because Trump was no longer in office.
McConnell blamed Trump for the violence that took place on Jan. 6. He said Trump’s claims of election fraud motivated the rioters who breached the U.S. Capitol.
