Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has taken center stage in the latest drama surrounding former President Donald Trump, and it’s not the kind of headline that will rally the Republican base. With a new biography set to drop just before the election, McConnell is out here championing Democrat-friendly notions and throwing shade at Trump like it’s an Olympic sport. Apparently, McConnell believes that the January 6 Capitol protests were just the ticket to finally put Trump in his place, insisting the former president should “pay a price” for his alleged role.
While McConnell has often danced around the topic of Trump in the past, this new exposé seemingly pulls no punches. With all the warmth of a winter’s day in Antarctica, he has apparently declared that allegations leveled against Trump are as valid as a three-dollar bill. According to McConnell, if Trump hasn’t committed indictable offenses, he doesn’t know what is. It’s almost poetic — for a senator who has tried to present himself as a traditional Republican, he’s now sharing a stage with the likes of Jack Smith, the Special Counsel appointed by Biden’s Justice Department, to argue about the legitimacy of Trump’s actions.
Traitor to the party
McConnell supported Jack Smith’s charges against Trump as he hoped ex-president would ‘pay a price’ for Jan. 6 #DonaldTrump #MitchMcConnellhttps://t.co/297nT0nxZY— chief matt foster (@blackopps12Matt) October 21, 2024
Now, let’s rewind to January 6 for just a minute. McConnell referred to the day as an “insurrection,” a label that raises eyebrows among those who witnessed the events firsthand. Most people recognize that it was more of a rowdy protest than a full-scale uprising, yet here’s McConnell, unabashedly pointing the finger at Trump. It’s hard not to chuckle at the irony; McConnell, a man who once said to supporters “remain peaceful,” is now calling for Trump to face severe repercussions for something that many Americans view through a completely different lens.
The biography also divulges McConnell’s flirtation with voting to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial, which further highlights his internal conflicts. To think that McConnell nearly jumped off the GOP ship to appease the left during one of Trump’s most tumultuous times truly showcases the senator’s wishy-washiness. At least he had the sense to realize that removing a president who had already left office was a tough sell—too late in the game, even for someone trying to be popular with the mainstream media.
While doing the political cha-cha with Paul Ryan and setting up clandestine meetings with Rupert Murdoch, it appears McConnell is playing politics with all the flair of a high school drama club. Reaching out to the Murdoch family in a bid for influence only adds fodder for conspiracy theorists who suspect some behind-the-scenes maneuverings at play. These antics could very well alienate Trump’s loyal base right before a crucial election—something every Republican strategist wishes to avoid.
With Smith’s legal circus promising not to hit the courtroom until after the Election Day festivities, one can only wonder how many more Republican candidates and their agendas will be overshadowed by this feud. McConnell may think he’s winning points by jumping on the anti-Trump bandwagon, but the base is more likely to be wondering who exactly has the party’s best interests at heart while they plow ahead.