This is unbelievable if true.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) allegedly praised Democrats for resuming Donald Trump’s impeachment proceedings after January 6.
Following the event, McConnell expressed gratitude to Democrats for taking action against his long-time political opponent, according to the New York Times. McConnell agreed with Democrats that Trump should be impeached once it became clear that House Democrats would use January 6 as a powerful political weapon against conservatives.
McConnell said, “The Democrats are going to take care of the son of a bitch for us,”. “If this isn’t impeachable, I don’t know what is.”
McConnell also conveyed that he would support the impeachment of Trump from the Senate. McConnell used the media’s framing to purvey January 6 as a “violent insurrection.”
The Times also reported, “Several senior Republicans, including John Thune of South Dakota and Rob Portman of Ohio, told confidants that Mr McConnell was leaning that way,”
The articles of impeachment were quickly transmitted to the Senate, where the conflict between Washington, DC’s establishment and conservatives started. The president’s Defenders said that the impeachment trial was unnecessary because Trump was no longer in office. Biden had already been sworn in.
Upon the argument, it didn’t stop Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) from submitting a motion to Senate Republicans raising ” whether it is constitutional to impeach Trump after he left office.” Forty-five senators voted in favour of this motion, including McConnell.
Trump was later cleared of all House charges by a vote of 57 to 43; seven Senate Republicans joined Democrats in voting to impeach him. A two-thirds majority, or 67 votes, was required for conviction.
Following Trump’s acquittal, McConnell allegedly told a friend that he voted in favour of protecting Trump to maintain his position as GOP Senate leader. “I didn’t get to be a leader by voting with five people in the conference,” McConnell said.
Trump’s acquittal and continuing popularity among Republicans has forced McConnell to remain silent and only sometimes comment on the Democrats’ impeachment proceedings. However, when asked on Fox News in February 2021 if he would support Trump if he became the Republican nominee in 2024, McConnell responded yes. In his words, “Absolutely.”
Many Republicans despise McConnell’s dishonest style of politics. According to a Wednesday survey, McConnell has the second-lowest net favorability rating (-3) among Republicans. Only Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) scores worse (-31.). On the other hand, Trump was the most popular Republican, with a net favorability rating of +63.
Fellow establishment member Jonathan Swan, an Axios reporter, questioned McConnell In April about why Republicans “hate” him.
“Recent polls show your approval ratings are in the 30s among Republicans, not Democrats — Republicans,” Swan prefaced. “Why do they hate you?”
McConnell responded, “My job is not to run up political popularity nationally,” “I’m not running for anything nationally.”
