Long-time Republican US Senator Mitch McConnell appears to be waging a real intra-party war on Donald Trump. The Senate Minority Leader made it clear he has no fear of Trump’s huge influence over the GOP.
McConnell fell out with Trump over the results from the 2020 presidential election and the January 6, 2021 events at the US Capitol.
McConnell’s Quest to Keep ‘Goofballs’ Out of Senate
While Trump’s influence has been sufficient to chase into retirement some Republican lawmakers he labeled as RINOs, McConnell now appears to be throwing his weight behind anti-Trump or moderate Republican candidates in the 2022 midterm elections in the fall.
The Senate Minority Leader promised to prevent “goofballs” from getting into the Senate, a report by The Daily Mail claims.
McConnell is thus working purposefully to boost the election or reelection chances of establishment Republican candidates vs. pro-Trump candidates; his initiative in that regard is said to be achieving mixed results.
It is noted that Trump hasn’t actually endorsed many polarizing candidates as GOP insiders had feared.
Nevertheless, the two of them are on a clear collision course for control over the Republican Party. The Senate Minority Leader has been attacking Trump indirectly, but with harsh statements which still are targeting him.
Most recently, McConnell spoke out against the pro-Trump Republican National Committee’s decision to censure Reps. Adam Kinzinger and Liz Cheney, the two GOP members of Nancy Pelosi’s January 6 committee.
Clearly meaning Trump, the Senate Minority Leader declared you can’t just expel from the Republican Party everybody you disagree with.
It's not just Democrats. Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, John McCain, and countless other GOP frauds spent years sabotaging Trump.
— thebradfordfile (@thebradfordfile) February 13, 2022
‘Nobody Should Be Afraid of Trump’
According to another report, this time by The New York Times, the Kentucky Republican is worried Trump is now falling for backing GOP candidates which rose as part of the “conservative backlash” to Obama.
McConnell is quoted as saying the GOP changed its “business model” back in 2014; none of those “goofballs” have been nominated for the US Congress ever since then.
In response to Trump’s endorsements, the key senator is believed to be working behind the scenes in order to find new “non-Trump” candidates for the Senate, such as GOP governors of Maryland, Arizona, and New Hampshire, who enjoy high popularity.
He is supported in that regard by some high-profile Republican figures who are opponents of Donald Trump, such as Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) and ex-President George W. Bush.
The NYT quotes Collins in particular as stating nobody should be afraid of Donald Trump.
The Daily Mail report points out, however, McConnell’s efforts haven’t borne much fruit, at least with respect to his attempts to convince the three above-mentioned popular GOP governors to run for the US Senate.
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan refused to seek Senate seats. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey is still considering the option.
Attention Republicans: You are hurting President Trump everyday by leaving Mitch McConnell in a leadership position.
— TheLeoTerrell (@TheLeoTerrell) February 9, 2022
He’s about as popular as Mitch McConnell outside the Senate. Trump is the GOP and America – not this little weasel. https://t.co/MjJhyuBQYS
— Jack Benteen (@JBenteen) February 14, 2022
