Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell is an old-guard Republican that has outlived so many other politicians that it’s difficult to remember a time without him. It’s undeniable that when you think of old Republicans in D.C., McConnell is chief among them.
And maybe that’s the problem. McConnell has been there so long that he’s melded into the culture. He might have an “R” next to his name but, in truth, his party affiliation should be “McConnell.” Take, for instance, his lack of enthusiasm for his own party’s chances in the Senate for the coming midterm elections. Before people have even gotten a chance to vote, McConnell already seems to be throwing in the towel. It’s a defeatist attitude that has many people asking whose side he’s on, and the answer is simple: McConnell’s.
Tucker Carlson’s response to McConnell was solid:
“So, there’s the head Republican in the Senate conceding three months out that Republicans are probably not going to retake the Senate. Why is that? Well, the answer, of course, is in the final line you just heard. Some of the candidates are mediocre. That’s Mitch McConnell’s excuse and there’s some truth in that. Obviously, some of them are mediocre, but compared to what? Mediocre in the Congress. Well, let’s see. Dianne Feinstein hasn’t spoken a coherent sentence in years, hasn’t had trouble getting reelected. Eric Swalwell had sex with a Chinese spy. He’s still there. So, mediocre people get elected to office, lots and lots and lots of them do every cycle. So, what McConnell’s analysis really is, of course, is buck-passing. Don’t blame me. I didn’t choose these people. All right, but they’re still the nominees.”
You’ll hear nary a good word said about the Republican Senate Minority Leader, and one of the Republicans ready to see him go is none other than Donald Trump.
According to The Federalist, Trump is calling for his removal and not just because of his lack of solid leadership. McConnell is a corrupt D.C. politician:
“Why do Republicans Senators allow a broken down hack politician, Mitch McConnell, to openly disparage hard working Republican candidates for the United States Senate[?]” Trump asked in a Truth Social post on Sunday. “This is such an affront to honor and to leadership. He should spend more time (and money!) helping them get elected, and less time helping his crazy wife and family get rich on China!”
As The Federalist highlighted, this isn’t just Trump running his mouth, especially against McConnell’s wife Elaine Chao who resigned from her position within his administration after the January 6 riot.
Chao’s family has strong business connections to communist China thanks to her father’s company, China State Shipbuilding Corp., which is an unofficial arm of the Chinese Navy. McConnell used to take a very strong stance against China, but that all changed when he took a sponsored trip to meet the Chinese President.
From there, McConnell’s Chinese relatives used his position to grow their shipping business and become far wealthier. When Trump appointed Chao to be his head of the Department of Transportation, Chao’s family went into action as reported by The Federalist:
Even though the Trump administration took a hardline stance against China and its intent to compete with the U.S., the Chao family company proceeded with the purchase of 10 new ships from the Chinese government. That strategic buy expanded the Foremost fleet capacity by more than 40 percent, enabling the company to do even more business with the CCP. It also came shortly after Chao secured a spot in the Trump Cabinet overseeing an industry in steep decline thanks to competition with China.
While China sought to expand its maritime endeavors, it was under Chao’s leadership that the Department of Transportation proposed budget cuts for programs meant to stimulate American shipping and mariners.
It was later confirmed from investigations that Chao’s family used her position to their benefit.
With McConnell being the most powerful member of the Republican Party, it’s not likely going to help in our ongoing struggle against China. McConnell will continue to open the door to our enemy becoming more powerful at the cost of American prosperity.
Trump has seen this first-hand and, on top of that, notes that McConnell’s weak leadership against Democrats makes him the worst candidate for leader of the GOP. He called for his removal in a statement.
“Mitch McConnell is not an Opposition Leader, he is a pawn for the Democrats to get whatever they want,” Trump said in a statement. “He is afraid of them, and will not do what has to be done. A new Republican Leader in the Senate should be picked immediately!”
As my colleague Joe Cunningham notes, getting rid of McConnell is easier said than done. His roots go deep and his donors are required for funding. Candidates that get the nod from Trump often wind up heading to McConnell for assistance from Super Pacs that are allied with him. That gives McConnell a lot of pull and quite a few more allies.
Power makes for more power and McConnell has been around long enough to gather a lot of it. To dislodge him, Republicans would have to wage something of a civil war, and if they do manage to oust him, it will leave a monetary gap that Republicans will need to fill.