GOP operatives say McConnell isn't interested in fighting with Trump, wants to focus on winning in 2022
When it comes to former President Donald Trump versus Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Republican operatives have no idea how far their feud will go.
McConnell holds Trump responsible for Republicans losing the Senate, The Washington Post reports, and Trump is still smarting from McConnell saying publicly that he holds him "practically and morally responsible" for the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. Trump released a statement on Tuesday that went for the jugular, calling McConnell a "dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack."
On Wednesday, the Post interviewed 10 Republicans close to McConnell and Trump, who said the men couldn't be more different. "The contrast is pretty simple: Mitch McConnell doesn't care about being liked, he cares about winning," Steven Law, president of the Senate Leadership Fund super PAC, told the Post. "Donald Trump cares about being liked; he cares much less about winning."
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.
McConnell wants to focus on picking apart Democratic policies and finding strong Republican candidates for future elections, the Post reports, with people close to him saying he is not interested in a constant back and forth with the former president. Some Trump associates are pushing him to do what he can to get McConnell out of his leadership role, but others have told him he needs to stop going after McConnell, because it's a bad look for both of them. Trump disagrees, the Post reports, telling them he is making his supporters happy and getting good TV coverage.
Even though McConnell wants to move on, people close to him say his thirst for power is so strong that he would be willing to reach an agreement with Trump if it meant he'd be back in control of the Senate. "If you told Mitch McConnell that every single day he'd receive a love letter from Donald Trump excoriating his physical appearance and ultimately he ended up with the majority in 2022, he'd take the deal in a heartbeat," former aide Josh Holmes told the Post.
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
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.
-
Airplane food is reportedly getting much worse
Cockroaches and E. coli are among the recent problems encountered in the skies
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What Mike Huckabee means for US-Israel relations
In the Spotlight Some observers are worried that the conservative evangelical minister could be a destabilizing influence on an already volatile region
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: November 19, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published