A very annoyed Mitch McConnell would like everyone to stop calling him 'Moscow Mitch'

(Image credit: Tom Brenner/Getty Images)

published 4 September 2019

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) really doesn't like when people refer to him as "Moscow Mitch," and wishes everyone who calls him Moscow Mitch would just think about how much the nickname Moscow Mitch hurts his feelings.

On Tuesday, McConnell appeared on The Hugh Hewitt Show, and said it's not fair that he's been dubbed Moscow Mitch, calling it "modern-day McCarthyism." He got the name in July, after he blocked election security bills that had bipartisan support. The move came right after more warnings were made public about Russia attempting to interfere in the 2020 elections. "Unbelievable for a Cold Warrior like me who spent a career standing up to the Russians to be given a moniker like that," McConnell said.

He's been called Moscow Mitch by constituents and colleagues alike, and McConnell made it clear to Hewitt that only he can give himself unflattering nicknames — earlier this year, he bestowed upon himself the title "Grim Reaper," as he planned on killing all progressive policy proposals. "You know, I laugh about things like the Grim Reaper, but calling me Moscow Mitch is over the top," McConnell said.

Subscribe to The Week

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

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Explore More

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox