Report: Trump Meeting With Senate Republicans Turns Combative

The Washington Post reported Thursday that the meeting Senate Republicans had with Donald Trump turned combative when the real estate mogul started calling out specific legislators who were publicly skeptical about supporting him.

The publication, which spoke to several people on the condition of anonymity, reported that Trump had a particularly tense exchange with Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), who has said he couldn’t support Trump after he proposed a ban on Muslims from entering the country.

When Flake stood to introduce himself, the Post reported that Trump told him, “You’ve been very critical of me.”

To which Flake responded: “Yes, I’m the other senator from Arizona — the one who didn’t get captured — and I want to talk to you about statements like that.”

Flake was referring to comments Trump made earlier in his campaign about Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) when he argued that the senator was not a war hero because he was captured.

Trump reportedly said at the meeting that he has not yet attacked Flake hard but threatened to begin to do so. Flake told Trump that he needed to stop attacking Mexicans and the businessman said to Flake that he would lose his reelection bid.

Flake then reportedly informed Trump that he was not on the ballot this year. A spokesman for Flake didn’t return the Post’s request for comment.

Trump also called out Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) who withdrew his endorsement after Trump criticized the ethnicity of a federal judge. Trump said he would win Illinois, typically a Democratic state, in a landslide. Kirk wasn’t present at the meeting.

Trump also called out Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE), who has refused to support Trump. His spokesman told reporters that the two had a “gracious exchange,” but that the election remains a “dumpster fire.”

Read the full Washington Post report.

This post has been updated.