Ernst airs concern over Trump’s Florida trips

Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said at a town-hall meeting this week in northwest Iowa that President Donald Trump has 'a number of flaws” and should spend more time in Washington, D.C.

Congressional Democrats have criticized Trump for spending an inordinate amount of time at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. He has traveled there seven times in about 12 weeks, according to the Washington Post.

Ernst's comments suggest there is a wider concern that extends to the GOP side of the aisle.

The freshman senator's remarks came Tuesday at a public meeting in Sac County. In response to a question from the audience about the president's trips to Florida and their cost, Ernst said Trump should spend more time in Washington, according to a video of the meeting shown on CNN.

'I think it's smart that he does business in Washington, D.C., so I've had those same concerns myself,” Ernst said.

'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, D.C.,” Ernst also said.

At another point, a questioner asked Ernst about how Trump treats women and people with disabilities, for which Democrat Hillary Clinton criticized him during the 2016 campaign.

'I think that we have a president that has a number of flaws,” Ernst said on a video clip airing on MSNBC, adding: 'I support a majority of the policies versus the actual person.”

Ernst's Twitter account posted a link to a Facebook video of her town hall, but the video was not available Wednesday at that link.

The senator, who was elected in 2014, supported Trump during the 2016 election and has praised him, including for his pick of Neil Gorsuch for the U.S. Supreme Court.

Her office said Wednesday she 'very much supports the president” and that 'folks would be hard pressed to find a perfect president.”

Ernst has expressed some differences with Trump. She has called on him to release his taxes and said he wasn't tough enough with Russia.