Trump Tells GOP Senator He’ll Lose Re-Election, Even Though He’s Not on Ballot

In Tense Meeting, Likely Nominee Attacks Republicans Who’ve Criticized Candidacy

By most accounts — and contrary to his tweet above — presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump had a pretty rough time meeting with Republican lawmakers in Washington on Thursday. 

As we mentioned earlier, several House Republicans came up with excuses to be absent from a get-together with Trump — where he made an embarrassing gaffe related to the Constitution. 

Later, Trump had a “tense meeting” with Senate Republicans, according to The Washington Post, where he predicted three who’ve criticized his candidacy would lose their re-election bids. 

From the WaPo: 

Trump’s most tense exchange was with Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.), who has been vocal in his concerns about the business mogul’s candidacy, especially his rhetoric and policies on immigration that the senator argues alienate many Latino voters and others in Arizona. … 

Flake told Trump that he wants to be able to support him — “I’m not part of the Never Trump movement,” the senator said — but that he remains uncomfortable backing his candidacy, the officials said.

Trump said at the meeting that he has yet to attack Flake hard but threatened to begin doing so. Flake stood up to Trump by urging him to stop attacking Mexicans. Trump predicted that Flake would lose his reelection, at which point Flake informed Trump that he was not on the ballot this year, the sources said.

Flake, who’s not up for re-election until 2018, told reporters after the meeting: “My position remains I want to support the nominee, I really do. I just can’t support him given the things he’s said.” 

Trump also reportedly characterized Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk, who didn’t attend the meeting, as a loser. Kirk recently withdrew his endorsement of Trump, who’s now predicting that he’ll defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton in the Prairie State.

According to The Hill, Kirk said later that Trump is wrong about his re-election prospects, because, “I’ve never been defeated.” 

Finally, Trump took aim at Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, who’s advocated for a third-party candidate in the presidential race. A Sasse spokesman said later that while the two had “a gracious exchange,” the senator continues to believe that the 2016 election is “a dumpster fire.” 

On a positive note, if you will, Trump did manage to convince Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, his former rival in the GOP primary, to speak at the upcoming Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Then again, Cruz’s acceptance of Trump’s invitation to speak is hardly surprising given that he’s reportedly already preparing to run for president again in 2020.