Trump is mocking McConnell, McCain behind their backs

President Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with the Republican-controlled Senate, which once again failed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act this week. Trump's ire is particularly targeted toward Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who helped put the nail in the GOP health-care bill's coffin.

In addition to his public airing of grievances, Trump has reportedly taken to mocking McConnell and McCain in private, too. Trump physically mocks McConnell's "slumped shoulders" and "lethargic body language" and mimes McCain by "imitating the thumbs-down of his historic health-care vote," Axios reports. Trump also reportedly mocked McConnell as "weak" at a private dinner on Monday, Politico reports, adding that the president also "called McCain 'disgraceful' on health care and mocked his thumbs-down gesture on the Senate floor against a GOP proposal in July, complete with a facial expression, attendees said."

Trump has a long road ahead, though — including needing Senate Republicans on his side for a tax overhaul. "With his stoking of the culture war and bombastic style amid national and global turbulence, Trump continues to make every issue about himself — at the very time that he most needs friends," Axios concludes.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up