Trump does not commit to staying out of the Senate primaries, despite the stimulus of the Republican senator

Asked on Tuesday whether Trump agreed with his suggestion, Scott said, “He didn’t respond.”

Scott, who met Trump last week at his Florida golf resort, said the former president’s intentions during the primary season are still unclear.

“He didn’t say,” Scott told CNN when asked if Trump would get involved in the Senate primaries. “He didn’t say he would. What I argued for him is that I will work hard to do what I am going to do. I’m sure he wants to be useful, so the best thing for him to do would be to participate in whoever wins the primaries and then come back. “

Scott, whose committee plans to remain neutral in the primaries where Republican senators are not on the ballots, added: “Well, I told him, you know, so I don’t get involved in the primaries, and said, ‘I think it’s in your best interest have winning candidates, so it would be helpful if he did it after the primaries. ‘”

Although Trump was not committed to Scott’s suggestion, the Republican senator noted that there would be “robust” primaries in the Senate in several crucial states “so I think it is better to wait until after the primaries”.

Trump and his advisers have signaled that they plan to support Senate candidates in their mold. It remains to be seen whether these candidates conflict with the ideal choices of Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, who told CNN last week that his high-spending super PAC is prepared to engage in primaries “only if necessary”.

But McConnell and Trump haven’t spoken for months, a cold war that intensified after the Republican Senate leader criticized the former president’s actions in preparation for the January 6 attack on the Capitol, even when the Kentucky Republican voted to absolve him in his impeachment trial on charges of inciting an insurrection.

Still, at their meeting last week, Trump’s fight with McConnell did not appear, according to Scott.

“I am the one who sees to it that there is no civil war,” said Scott.

McConnell and Scott indicated that they plan to support all Republican candidates, including Senator Lisa Murkowski, the Alaskan Republican who angered Trump after voting for his conviction at the end of his impeachment trial earlier this year. Trump said he would not support his re-election, but Scott told Trump he had different plans.

“All I said was that I am going to support all incumbent Republicans,” said Scott.

CNN’s Sarah Fortinksy contributed to this report.