Feb. 25, 2022: Scoop: Trump tries to recruit Scott for majority leader

In a private meeting at Mar-a-Lago a few days ago, Donald Trump made a personal pitch to Senate Republican campaign chief Rick Scott. “You should run for Senate majority leader,” he told the NRSC chairman, according to someone familiar with the exchange. It wasn’t the first time, either: Trump has repeatedly told Scott he’d be great at the job and should challenge Mitch McConnell, multiple people familiar with the interactions told Playbook. The Florida Republican didn’t tell the former president “no” that day — though he’s told reporters that he supports McConnell for leader. Instead, he quickly pivoted to the reason for his meeting. “We have to focus on winning” the Senate, Scott told Trump. “My only focus is on winning.” Listen to Playbook Deep Dive: Putin’s new war, inside and out Raghu Manavalan is the Host of POLITICO's Playbook.Jenny Ament is the Senior Producer of POLITICO Audio.