Donald Trump to meet House minority leader Kevin McCarthy in Florida, reports say

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

Donald Trump is set to meet House minority leader Kevin McCarthy in Florida on Thursday, reports say

The former president, who is facing a historic second impeachment trial in the US Senate, will meet with the top Republican congressman on Thursday, according to NBC News.

Mr Trump has kept a low-profile since leaving the White House for the final time last week and heading to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

The resort, which has annual fees of around $200,000, is reportedly losing large number of members following the end of the Trump administration.

The California lawmaker was a loyal supporter of Mr Trump during his one term in office.

But Mr McCarthy was critical of the ex-president in the wake of the 6 January Capitol violence by a pro-Trump mob that killed five people, including a police officer.

He even went as far as to say that Mr Trump bore some responsibility for the violence, after he ordered his supporters to march on the Capitol after his “Stop the Steal” rally in front of the White House.

Mr McCarthy did not vote to impeach Mr Trump but also did not force House Republicans to back the ex-president, and in the end 10 GOP members voted with Democrats.

He softened his tone towards Mr Trump last week when he said that he didn’t “provoke” the violence and that "Trump continues to have that ability to lead this party and unite.”

Mr McCarthy has been accused of walking back his criticism to not isolate himself from Mr Trump’s MAGA base.

“He always puts his political finger to the wind and tries to shift,” one House Republican told Politico.

 “It seems to be based on his personal ambitions.”

Mr Trump’s impeachment trial in the Senate is set to start on 8 February after the article of impeachment was delivered to the high chamber from the House on Monday.

Last week Mr Trump made his first public comment since Joe Biden’s inauguration.

“We’ll do something, but not just yet,” Mr Trump told the Washington Examiner  as he lunched at his golf club with friends on his 16th wedding anniversary.