SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 15, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Republican junior U.S. Sen. Mike Lee of Utah is meeting with President-elect Donald Trump Thursday in New York an unknown reason.
Lee’s spokesman Conn Carroll says the senator wasn’t given a reason for the Thursday midday meeting at Trump Tower, according to The Washington Times.
Lee refused to back Trump during his campaign, and in October, called for the him to step down because of sexually explicit comments the businessman made in 2005 as he was preparing for a TV appearance.
The lewd comments, which were captured on video when Trump was 60, were first released by The Washington Post.
At that time, Lee took Trump to task for referring to his past statements as a distraction to the campaign.
In a passionate video posted to his Facebook page, Lee said, in part:
“With all due respect, sir, you, sir, are the distraction. Your conduct, sir, is the distraction. It’s the distraction from the very principles that will help us win in November. You yourself, Mr. Trump, have stated repeatedly that the goal, the objective, has got to be to defeat Hillary Clinton in November. I couldn’t agree more.
“It’s for precisely that reason, Mr. Trump, that I respectfully ask you with all due respect, to step aside. Step down. Allow someone else to carry the banner of these principles.”
Lee, who is a graduate of Brigham Young University and lives in Alpine, has served in the U.S. Senate since Jan. 3, 2011.
