Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spurred outrage Wednesday when he announced he’d meet with former President Donald Trump in Washington D.C. — despite having condemned him when MAGA supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
McConnell (R-KY) told reporters in Washington D.C. that he was throwing support behind Trump’s campaign and intended to meet with him in person on Thursday. “I said three years ago, right after the Capitol was attacked, that I would support our nominee, regardless of who it was, including him,” McConnell said. “And of course, I will be at the meeting tomorrow.”
Trump will be meeting with Republican leaders in the House and Senate to discuss a controversial political platform Democrats have vowed to combat, reports show. This will be the first time McConnell and Trump have spoken since December 2020 when McConnell publicly congratulated Biden on his victory and urged other Republicans to do the same.
Despite McConnell’s claim that Trump was “practically and morally responsible” for the Capitol riots, the powerful Senate Republican gave the presumptive nominee his endorsement in March. On Wednesday, the anti-Trump Republicans of the Lincoln Project had one word for McConnell: “Coward.”
“Coward and cult member,” added Ruth Burnham. New Republic writer Hafiz Rashid went into further detail, slamming the Senate minority leader in an editorial Wednesday afternoon. Rashid noted that Trump has called McConnell a “dumb son of a b—-” and made racist attacks against the senator’s Asian-American wife, Elaine Chao, who served in Trump’s administration.
“McConnell still doesn’t have the courage to confront Donald Trump,” wrote Rashid. “But that would mean McConnell would have to make a moral stand and put politics aside, which is not in his character.”
The upcoming meeting highlights the ongoing tension within the Republican Party as it navigates its relationship with Trump. McConnell’s willingness to meet with Trump, despite previous condemnations, underscores the complex dynamics at play as the party prepares for future elections. Critics argue that this move reflects a prioritization of political strategy over moral integrity, further deepening the rift within the GOP.