Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump met with congressional Republicans today and it wasn't exactly pretty if you're a Republican. If you're a Democrat, however, this is fan-fucking-tastic.
Trump reportedly threatened to start attacking Republican senators who do not fall in line behind him, including the likes of Senators Jeff Flake and Mark Kirk. Trump reportedly called Senator Kirk a "loser" and said Senator Flake would lose his seat this year.
That forced Senator Flake to give Trump the bad news.
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, said the sources, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose details of the private meeting.
Whoops?
Trump's meeting with House Republicans wasn't quite as disastrous as his meeting with Senate Republicans, which is a very low or high bar, depending on your perspective, but he still managed to embarrass himself.
Another Republican in the meeting who declined to go on the record so he could speak candidly told TPM that Trump was asked pointedly if he would defend Article I of the Constitution.
"Not only will I stand up for Article One," Trump enthusiastically stated, according to the member in the room. "I'll stand up for Article Two, Article 12, you name it of the Constitution."
There is no Article 12.
I should say that while I disagree with Senator Kirk on almost every issue, calling him a "loser," as Trump has, is not just childish; it's beyond the pale. Kirk suffered a stroke and still managed to climb his way up the steps of the capital building. Trump would never do that.