Former President Donald Trump has spoken with GOP senators about trying to end Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) lengthy leadership run, The Wall Street Journal reports, citing people familiar with the conversations. The two have been at odds ever since McConnell refused to support Trump's baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
He's reportedly not gaining much traction in his efforts, however. McConnell, whose term as party leader runs through the end of 2022, remains popular among his colleagues, and even some of Trump's closer confidantes in the upper chamber, like Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and John Kennedy (R-La.), aren't on board. Tuberville said he's not "going to get in that fight," and praised McConnell for "doing a good job," while Kennedy, known for his ability to turn a phrase, equated Trump's odds of ousting McConnell from his perch to that of a donkey learning to fly, the Journal notes.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why ghost guns are so easy to make — and so dangerousThe Explainer Untraceable, DIY firearms are a growing public health and safety hazard
-
The Week contest: Swift stimulusPuzzles and Quizzes
-
'It's hard to resist a sweet deal on a good car'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Does Trump have the power to end birthright citizenship?Today's Big Question He couldn't do so easily, but it may be a battle he considers worth waging
-
Trump, Musk sink spending bill, teeing up shutdownSpeed Read House Republicans abandoned the bill at the behest of the two men
-
Is Elon Musk about to disrupt British politics?Today's big question Mar-a-Lago talks between billionaire and Nigel Farage prompt calls for change on how political parties are funded
-
Will California's EV mandate survive Trump, SCOTUS challenge?Today's Big Question The Golden State's climate goal faces big obstacles
-
'Underneath the noise, however, there's an existential crisis'Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Congress reaches spending deal to avert shutdownSpeed Read The bill would fund the government through March 14, 2025
-
Luigi Mangione charged with murder, terrorismSpeed Read Magnione is accused of murdering UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
-
Is the United States becoming an oligarchy?Talking Points How much power do billionaires like Elon Musk really have?
