Trump exchanges ‘pleasantries’ but doesn’t meet with Kelli Ward at Mar-a-Lago

President Trump “exchanged pleasantries” with GOP Senate candidate Kelli Ward at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Friday, according to a White House spokesperson.

The spokesperson did not elaborate on the details of the exchange. 

Ward tweeted earlier Friday that she was happy to see Trump arrive at Mar-a-Lago for the holidays, saying he needs some “celebratory time” with family and friends.

Great to see @realDonaldTrump arrive safely at Mar-A-Lago today – he deserves some celebratory time with his family & friends during the Christmas holiday as we all re-energize to win by putting #AmericaFirst #MAGA pic.twitter.com/XipNTDyeGz

— Dr. Kelli Ward (@kelliwardaz) December 22, 2017

{mosads}

ABC News’s Tara Palmeri tweeted Friday that Trump fielded a meeting with the insurgent GOP candidate, though a White House spokesperson said later it was simply an exchange of pleasantries.

Living up to “working vacation,” Trump met with Arizona Senate candidate Kelli Ward today at Mar-a-Lago. Doubt McConnell would be pleased.

— Tara Palmeri (@tarapalmeri) December 22, 2017 

Ward, who launched a bid to challenge Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) earlier this year, is backed by Trump’s former White House chief strategist, Stephen Bannon.

Bannon is recruiting and supporting candidates to challenge sitting Republican lawmakers he considers too cozy with the party’s establishment wing.

Flake, a vocal critic of Trump, announced in October that he would not run for reelection, citing disparities between his own brand of conservatism and that of Trump and Bannon.

— Updated on Dec. 23 at 10:35 a.m.