Former President Donald Trump carried out a blistering attack on the most powerful Republican in Washington after Trump on Tuesday, calling Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell a “non-smiling political hack” that should be thrown from office.
“The Republican Party can never again be respected or held strong with political ‘leaders’ like Senator Mitch McConnell at the helm,” Trump said in an emailed 626-word statement that he nearly declared political war on the Republican. from Kentucky.
“McConnell’s commitment to business as usual, status quo policies, along with his lack of political acumen, wisdom, skill and personality, has quickly propelled him from Majority Leader to Minority Leader, and things will only get worse,” Trump said.
‘The Democrats and Chuck Schumer play McConnell like a fiddle – they’ve never had it better – and they want to keep it that way! We know our America First agenda is a winner, not McConnell’s Beltway First agenda or Biden’s America Last. “
The statement comes a day after McConnell appeared to be attempting to close a GOP gap over Trump’s just-concluded impeachment trial for allegedly instigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
McConnell told the Wall Street Journal, “I’m not going to assume that as far as the former president wants to stay involved, he won’t be a constructive part of the process.”
On Saturday, McConnell voted to acquit Trump of “inciting insurgency,” but later hit him in a speech on the Senate floor, saying Trump was “practically and morally responsible” for the violence that killed five people. He called Trump’s claim that he actually defeated President Biden in the November 3 election a “crescendo of conspiracy theories orchestrated by an outgoing president who seemed determined to reverse voters’ decision or otherwise burn our institutions.”
In Tuesday’s statement, McConnell is blamed for Republican woes and credits himself with recent successes.
“In 2020, I received the most votes of all sitting presidents in history, almost 75,000,000. Every sitting House Republican won for the first time in decades, and we shifted 15 seats, nearly costing Nancy Pelosi her job, ”he said.
Republicans won majorities in at least 59 of the 98 partisan legislative chambers, and Democrats failed to convert one legislative chamber from red to blue. And in Mitch’s Senate, I single-handedly saved at least 12 Senate seats in the past two electoral cycles, more than eight in the 2020 cycle alone – and then came the Georgia disaster, where we should have had both US Senate seats. to win. , but McConnell matched the Democrat’s bid of $ 2,000 stimulus vouchers by $ 600.
“How does that work? It became the Democrats’ main ad, and a big winner for them was it. McConnell then put himself, one of the most unpopular politicians in the United States, in the ads. Many Republicans in Georgia voted for Democrat. , or simply did not vote, for fear of their inept governor, Brian Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and the Republican Party, for failing to do their work on electoral integrity during the 2020 presidential race. “
Trump continued, “It was an all-out election disaster in Georgia and certain other swing states. McConnell did nothing, and never will do whatever it takes to ensure a fair and just electoral system in the future. He doesn’t have what it takes, never did and never will. “
The ex-president, who remains a mighty GOP figure according to the polls, indicated that the break with McConnell will be permanent after the two collaborate on common goals such as tax cuts and three Supreme Court confirmations during his four-year tenure.
“My only regret is that McConnell ‘pleaded’ for my strong support and approval from the great people of Kentucky in the 2020 election, and I gave it to him. He went from one point to 20 points and won. How quickly he forgets. Without my approval, McConnell would have lost and lost heavily. Now that his numbers are lower than ever before, he is destroying the Republican side of the Senate and hurting our country seriously, ”Trump said.
Likewise, McConnell has no credibility about China because of his family’s significant Chinese affairs. He is not addressing this enormous economic and military threat. “
McConnell said last month that the rioters who disrupted the certification of Biden’s victory were “provoked by the president” and that his Chinese-American wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, was the first Trump cabinet member to resign over the violence. Chao’s father, who fled to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War, and brother-in-law are prominent international businessmen.
Trump continued, “Mitch is a stiff, gloomy and unsmiling political hacker, and if Republican senators stick with him, they won’t win again. He will never do what needs to be done or what is right for our country. Where necessary and appropriate, I will support primary rivals who embrace Making America Great Again and our America First policies. We want brilliant, strong, thoughtful and compassionate leadership.
“Before the pandemic, we produced the largest economy and jobs figures in our country’s history, and likewise, our post-Covid economic recovery was the best in the world. We lowered taxes and regulations, rebuilt our military, took care of our vets, became energy independent, built the wall and stopped the massive influx of illegal immigrants into our country, and much more. And now illegal immigrants are pouring in, pipelines are being stopped, taxes are going up and we are no longer energy independent. “
Trump concluded, “This is a great moment for our country, and we can’t let it pass by using third-tier ‘leaders’ to dictate our future!”
Trump was acquitted by the Senate and only seven Republicans joined the Democrats who voted to condemn. The 57-43 votes fell far short of the constitution’s two-thirds demand for conviction. Because he was acquitted, Trump remains eligible to run for president again in 2024.
McConnell won’t be reelected until 2026, but the 2022 Republican primaries are likely to be a proxy war between pro-Trump and pro-McConnell factions. Trump previously pushed for a 2022 primary challenge against South Dakota’s No. 2 Senate Republican John Thune, who, like McConnell, voted for acquittal.
McConnell’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.