Donald Trump singled out Sen. Ben Sasse during a private meeting with senators. Sasse had little to say as he left the meeting at the National Republican Senatorial Committee. | Getty Trump to Sasse: 'You must want Hillary' The GOP standard-bearer also had a tense exchange with Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake.

Donald Trump singled out his chief Republican nemesis in the Senate, Ben Sasse, during a private meeting with senators on Thursday, and also had a testy exchange with Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake.

At one point during the gathering, Trump turned to the Nebraska senator and said, "You must want Hillary," according to a source in the room. Sasse, who has vowed not to vote for Trump or Hillary Clinton, did not respond, the source said.


Sasse had little to say as he left the meeting at the National Republican Senatorial Committee building on Capitol Hill. He was one of the first senators to leave the meeting, which lasted more than an hour.

"Happy to listen," Sasse told reporters, declining to respond to further questions.

Another attendee played down the interaction as a blip in a mostly productive meeting about messaging, the economy and national security.

"Trump's not afraid to call a spade a spade," that person said.

But Trump also had words with Flake, another vocal critic of the GOP standard-bearer. Flake questioned Trump pointedly about his rhetoric on Latinos, including his criticism of a judge of Mexican descent presiding over a lawsuit over Trump University, according to a source in the room.

Trump, in turn, criticized Flake for not supporting his campaign and said he will pay in his reelection campaign, which Trump apparently believed is this year. Flake's term is up in 2018.

Flake appeared to restrain himself from responding to Trump afterward.

"Nah, I'll leave it," he said.

The confrontation between Trump and Flake was first reported by The Washington Post. Flake later said the back-and-forth was reported "verbatim."

Trump also singled out Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois, who opposes Trump as well.

"I guess he lit me up," said Kirk, who did not attend the meeting.

Paul Manafort, Trump's campaign chairman, called any negative characterization of the meeting "wholly inaccurate."

"The conversation was very positive and substantive. The members were in total agreement with Mr. Trump on the need to unite the party and work together to win the presidency and keep a Republican Congress," Manafort said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

A spokesman for Sasse said the senator and Trump had a "gracious exchange" but that Sasse still opposes both Trump and Clinton. The spokesman said Trump's comments came during a long, uninterrupted string of remarks and Sasse did not have an opportunity to respond.

“Mr. Sasse continues to believe that our country is in a bad place and, with these two candidates, this election remains a dumpster fire. Nothing has changed," the spokesman said.

Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) downplayed the exchange between Trump and Flake.

"It seemed blunt but it wasn't tense. ... Trump's comment at the end didn't come across as a threat," Lankford said. "It was, 'I'm gaining popularity in your state and get on board, because if you're fighting against me, the people in your state support me.'"

Trump appeared upbeat after the session, which followed a gathering with House Republicans.

"Just leaving D.C. Had great meetings with Republicans in the House and Senate. Very interesting day!" he tweeted. "These are people who love our country!"

