Seething Trump froze out 2 Senate Republicans after racist video criticism: report
A simmering President Donald Trump privately fumed over the weekend at Mar-a-Lago at Republicans who dared to criticize his social media post sharing a racist video about the Obamas, according to a new report Friday.
After refusing to apologize, Trump spent days stewing and plotting payback against GOP allies who spoke out, CNN's Alayna Treene reported.
The targets of his ire: Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), the sole Black Republican senator, and Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL).
“The president felt he could’ve handled that matter privately,” a senior Trump administration official told CNN about Scott. “He was like, ‘We work together all the time. He didn’t need to comment publicly.’”
Trump reportedly questioned the lawmakers' loyalty for publicly condemning the racist video and unleashed expletives while declaring Britt dead to him.
The video depicting the Obamas as apes stayed online for nearly 12 hours before removal — and only after GOP backlash forced the president's hand. Trump refused to accept responsibility, blaming an unnamed staffer while insisting "I didn't make a mistake."
The president and many of his closest aides privately believe Scott’s response led to the story gaining nationwide attention, according to the report.
Far-right activist Laura Loomer fueled his rage by presenting printouts of the senators' critical statements. She then posted that she was "compiling a list" of Republicans who "attacked" Trump with "false accusations of racism."
Trump rewarded loyalist Sens. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) with golf invitations and Super Bowl party access, while freezing out Scott and Britt during the GOP's Palm Beach winter retreat.
Scott's office stayed silent on the report, while Britt's blasted the reporting as "classic fake news," touting her voting record alignment with Trump.
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