In a recent interview with Tucker Carlson on X, the platform previously known as Twitter, former President Donald Trump did not hold anything back from giving his opinion of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Trump claimed that McConnell, the senior Republican senator from Kentucky, was pushing other senators toward voting for his impeachment. “In my view, Mitch McConnell was rallying senators to impeach me, notably during the second impeachment trial,” Trump expressed to Carlson. He criticized McConnell for his perceived lethargy during Trump’s initial impeachment. “He was excessively slow during the first impeachment. Things should’ve moved more swiftly,” remarked Trump.
Furthermore, Trump believes that McConnell leveraged his position as the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, which deals with campaign financing, to sabotage the defense against his impeachment. Trump commented, “McConnell influences some senators because of the financial backing he offers.” He added, “He fundraises, distributes the funds, and in turn, they adhere to his directives. That appears to be his sole leadership strategy.”
It’s noteworthy that after the 2020 election, McConnell parted ways with Trump, pointing to Trump’s efforts to challenge the results against Democratic candidate Joe Biden. The senator did not support either of Trump’s impeachments. Even though he criticized Trump on the Senate floor, he voted against the second impeachment. Out of the Republicans, seven senators did opt for Trump’s impeachment during the second trial.
However, the 57-43 vote favoring conviction did not achieve the two-thirds majority.
Trump, who supported McConnell in the 2020 elections, later expressed regret over the endorsement. Although Trump and McConnell’s relationship has strained, Trump maintains a tight bond with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
McConnell, now 81, has the distinction of being the longest-serving leader in the Senate’s history, as reported by Politico. This record was previously held by Democratic Sen. Mike Mansfield of Montana, who served for 16 years.
Instead of attending the recent Republican primary debate on Wednesday night, Trump opted for a conversation with Carlson.
