Despite Rubio-Trump harmony, the former president has put other Senate Republicans – especially those who will be re-elected in 2022 – in a difficult position in recent days.
Trump attacked Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell this week after the Kentucky Republican criticized his conduct in relation to the January 6 uprising, even as he voted to absolve him in the impeachment trial. The split is already causing problems for Republican Party senators, who seek to calm the conflict and unite the party while trying to win back the majority in the Senate next year.
Trump, for his part, has threatened to support the primary challenges against Republican Party holders that he considers insufficiently loyal to him. Her daughter’s decision to resign from a Senate race is good news for Republicans who want to avoid a complicated primary in a state where Trump is especially popular with Republican voters.
Rubio, who was harshly critical of Trump during his competition in the 2016 Republican Party presidential primaries, has since eased his rhetoric. Lately, the 49-year-old Republican has only occasionally distanced himself from Trump while remaining largely in line with the former president on issues.
After Trump’s defeat in November, Rubio became more outspoken about the Republican Party’s future in an attempt to reposition himself as the leader of the Republican Party.
“Going forward, the GOP must be a multi-ethnic and multi-racial coalition of hard-working Americans who love their country,” wrote Rubio in a recent article.
The New York Times first reported the conversation between Rubio and Ivanka Trump.