McConnell says he'll 'absolutely' support Trump if he's the 2024 GOP nominee

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will "absolutely" support the 2024 Republican nominee for president, even if it is someone he said was "practically and morally responsible" for provoking an attack on the Capitol.

During a Fox News interview on Thursday evening, McConnell was asked by host Bret Baier about the next presidential election. McConnell said he believes that at least four GOP senators will run, as well as a few governors "and others." Baier pressed McConnell on whether he would back former President Donald Trump if he wins the nomination, and McConnell responded that yes, he "absolutely" would.

Earlier this month, McConnell voted to acquit Trump on an impeachment charge of incitement of insurrection, but just minutes later said the former president was "practically and morally responsible for provoking" the Jan. 6 Capitol attack. Trump fed "wild falsehoods" to his base about a stolen election, McConnell said, because he was "angry" over losing, and his actions ahead of the riot "were a disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty." Catherine Garcia

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.

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.