McConnell, asked whether he believes Trump's denial of campaign aides' contact with Russia: 'I have no idea'

When asked at a press conference Friday whether he believed President Trump's claim that to his knowledge, "nobody" from his campaign has been in contact with Russia, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) did not offer a particularly heartening answer:
Uncertainties about Russia aside, McConnell said he is pretty pleased with Trump so far — except for one thing. "I'm not a great fan of daily tweets. What I am a fan of is what he's been actually doing," McConnell said.
McConnell applauded Trump's Cabinet as "the most conservative" he'd seen in his time in office and railed against "left-wing agitators" for delaying the confirmation of Trump's nominees. "Did you all notice that the Democratic leader voted against the secretary of transportation?" McConnell said, referring to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's (D-N.Y.) vote against McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, in her confirmation vote for transportation secretary. McConnell said he'd hope that "at some point here the other side will accept the results of last year's election."
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.
But when the topic of Trump came up again, McConnell suddenly had less to say. Asked about Trump's bombastic, 76-minute press conference Thursday, McConnell simply said he didn't "have any observation about that."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The genetic secrets of South Korea's female free-divers
Under The Radar Unique physiology of 'real-life mermaid' haenyeo women could help treat chronic diseases
-
Democrats: How to rebuild a damaged brand
Feature Trump's approval rating is sinking, but so is the Democratic brand
-
Unraveling autism
Feature RFK Jr. has vowed to find the root cause of the 'autism epidemic' in months. Scientists have doubts.
-
Qatar luxury jet gift clouds Trump trip to Mideast
speed read Qatar is said to be presenting Trump with a $400 million plane, which would be among the biggest foreign gifts ever received by the US government
-
Trump taps Fox News' Pirro for DC attorney post
speed read The president has named Fox News host Jeanine Pirro to be the top federal prosecutor for Washington, replacing acting US Attorney Ed Martin
-
Trump, UK's Starmer outline first post-tariff deal
speed read President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer struck a 'historic' agreement to eliminate some of the former's imposed tariffs
-
Fed leaves rates unchanged as Powell warns on tariffs
speed read The Federal Reserve says the risks of higher inflation and unemployment are increasing under Trump's tariffs
-
Denmark to grill US envoy on Greenland spying report
speed read The Trump administration ramped up spying on Greenland, says reporting by The Wall Street Journal
-
Supreme Court allows transgender troop ban
speed read The US Supreme Court will let the Trump administration begin executing its ban on transgender military service members
-
Hollywood confounded by Trump's film tariff idea
speed read President Trump proposed a '100% tariff' on movies 'produced in foreign lands'
-
Trump offers migrants $1,000 to 'self-deport'
speed read The Department of Homeland Security says undocumented immigrants can leave the US in a more 'dignified way'