2 House Republican, privately met with former President Donald Trump in Florida earlier this week, the latest example of the splintering views among leading congressional Republicans on the role Trump plays in the party going forward. "He's 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," Scalise's spokeswoman Lauren Fine told CNN. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy also visited with Trump at Mar-a-Lago a few weeks ago and most House Republicans -- with the notable exception of GOP conference chair Liz Cheney -- view Trump as a force in the party. But Trump's support is less pronounced in the Senate, where GOP leader Mitch McConnell and John Thune, the No. 2 Senate Republican who faces reelection in South Dakota next year, have both worked to distance themselves from the former President in recent weeks.

Source: CNN February 18, 2021 14:26 UTC