Staff Reports
In a politically surprising twist, if the Republicans emerge victorious in the Senate come November, it will be with a good old dose of irony for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), a well-funded outside group aligned with the GOP leader, will have had a hand in paving the way for this victory by pouring in millions to support some of McConnell’s most vocal critics.
Take for instance Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO), who has publicly criticized McConnell’s fitness to lead. Despite this, the SLF reportedly assisted Hawley in his 2018 primary and spent a whopping $21 million to help oust his Democratic rival. And then there’s Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), who has openly blamed McConnell for the dysfunction in Washington, yet received a generous $26 million boost from the SLF for his electoral campaign.
McConnell’s mutiny: How the GOP leader helped elect his most vocal critics https://t.co/C6KI0PzTKz via @dcexaminer
— Torunn Sinclair (@TorunnSinclair) March 13, 2024
These Republicans have made it clear that they don’t owe McConnell any loyalty for the spending on their behalf. Johnson even went so far as to say, “I’m not gonna go, ‘Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you,’ or conduct myself in response to what they did or didn’t spend.”
But McConnell’s own actions seem to have played a role in the apparent rebellion against him. He has continuously been the subject of ire from conservatives who are tired of what they see as selling out to the establishment. And yet, McConnell continues to support candidates, such as Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH), who have been vocal critics of his actions. Vance, for example, believes McConnell has been a “failure” on Ukraine.
The SLF’s goal is clear – to secure a Republican majority in the Senate, and they are willing to spend where they think it will make a difference. But with McConnell’s imminent departure from leadership, the discord within the party seems unlikely to quiet down anytime soon.
McConnell may have to brush off personal attacks as he looks ahead to November, where the Republicans only need to gain two seats to regain the majority. However, with McConnell’s political nemesis, Donald Trump, still a significant figure within the party, the dynamics become even more complex.
It seems that the way forward for the Republican Party will be filled with conflicting opinions and a variety of voices trying to navigate the path to victory. And in the end, McConnell’s legacy may very well be one of fostering a wave of Republicans who are at odds with him on both policy and style.
