Politico: “Donald Trump sounds like he’s ready for a GOP civil war. But he’s also eager to play a leading role in Senate Republicans’ battle for the majority. The former president is dialing up GOP senators to back their campaigns and talk strategy, weighing how to approach primaries in critical open seats and making sure he leaves an imprint on the midterm elections. Trump’s involvement, revealed in interviews with a dozen GOP senators, shows how far the 50-member conference has come two months after they weighed a clean break with the former president following the insurrection at the Capitol by his supporters.”

“These days there’s a growing recognition that the Senate GOP and Trump need each other as Republicans fight to win back the majority and Trump mulls another run for the White House. His behind-the-scenes engagement also contrasts starkly with his public break from Republican campaign committees, including the Senate GOP’s, which received cease-and-desist letters from attorneys asking them to stop using Trump’s name. In reality, the GOP’s worst-case scenario would be running campaign operations at odds with Trump in must-win states across the country next year. With that in mind, Republican senators are making a fresh effort to ensure they and Trump are aligned as much as possible – especially given lingering tensions between the ex-president, their leadership and the seven GOP colleagues who recently voted to convict him at his impeachment trial.”