Republican Sen. Joni Ernst said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s frequent trips to Florida have been “bothering” her, saying, “I do wish he would spend more time in Washington.”
Her comments came during a Wall Lake, Iowa town hall meeting with constituents and followed a question that included a reference to the President’s visits to his Mar-a-Lago resort.
“That’s what we have the White House for, we would love to see more of those State Department visits in Washington, DC. I think it’s smart that he does business in Washington DC, so I’ve had those same concerns myself,” the Republican lawmaker said.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer told CNN Ernst’s comments would not affect future Trump travel plans. Trump has spent seven weekends at the resort since becoming President in January.
Ernst said at the town hall: “I have not spoken to him about the Florida issue yet, but that is something I think that has been bothering not just me, but some other members of our caucus. So I think that is going to be a topic of discussion that we have when we get back to Washington.
Ernst supported Trump’s presidential bid last year, though she criticized him for lewd and sexually aggressive remarks he made in an Access Hollywood video released during the final weeks of the presidential election. She has also more recently called for the release of Trump’s tax returns, according to Politico.