McConnell Supports Previous Statements About Trump: ‘We are all on the same team now’
According to The Associated Press, the Senate GOP leader referred to the former president as “stupid” and a “despicable human being” in the aftermath of the 2020 election.
TroibNews 
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell defended his past remarks about Donald Trump on Thursday, where he described the former president as "stupid" and "despicable" in private discussions following the 2020 election.
In a statement to PMG, McConnell stated, “Whatever I may have said about President Trump pales in comparison to what JD Vance, Lindsey Graham, and others have said about him, but we are all on the same team now.”
The comments made by McConnell nearly four years ago resurfaced in an Associated Press report discussing excerpts from an upcoming biography titled “The Price of Power” by Michael Tackett, the outlet’s deputy Washington bureau chief. The book, which is scheduled for release at the end of the month, is based on years of interviews with McConnell as well as his recorded diaries.
These critical remarks were made in the lead-up to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, during Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. According to the Associated Press, McConnell remarked that Trump was "stupid as well as being ill-tempered" and referred to him as a "despicable human being" during recorded discussions.
McConnell also added, "It's not just the Democrats who are counting the days" until Trump exits office, and noted that for someone like Trump, “that’s been really hard to take, and so his behavior since the election has been even worse, by far, than it was before, because he has no filter now at all.”
The relationship between McConnell and Trump soured significantly after McConnell acknowledged Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 election. Their tensions continued this year, despite McConnell's endorsement of Trump for the 2024 presidential race.
Republican Senators JD Vance and Lindsey Graham have had their own contentious moments with Trump. In 2016, Vance expressed that he “can’t stomach” Trump during discussions about voting, while Graham referred to Trump as a “jackass” during their rivalry in the 2015 Republican presidential primary. Nevertheless, both senators have since reconciled with Trump.
In February, McConnell announced his decision to step down as the Senate's GOP leader, confirming he will not seek another term but plans to complete his current tenure until 2026.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
In a statement to PMG, McConnell stated, “Whatever I may have said about President Trump pales in comparison to what JD Vance, Lindsey Graham, and others have said about him, but we are all on the same team now.”
The comments made by McConnell nearly four years ago resurfaced in an Associated Press report discussing excerpts from an upcoming biography titled “The Price of Power” by Michael Tackett, the outlet’s deputy Washington bureau chief. The book, which is scheduled for release at the end of the month, is based on years of interviews with McConnell as well as his recorded diaries.
These critical remarks were made in the lead-up to the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, during Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election results. According to the Associated Press, McConnell remarked that Trump was "stupid as well as being ill-tempered" and referred to him as a "despicable human being" during recorded discussions.
McConnell also added, "It's not just the Democrats who are counting the days" until Trump exits office, and noted that for someone like Trump, “that’s been really hard to take, and so his behavior since the election has been even worse, by far, than it was before, because he has no filter now at all.”
The relationship between McConnell and Trump soured significantly after McConnell acknowledged Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 election. Their tensions continued this year, despite McConnell's endorsement of Trump for the 2024 presidential race.
Republican Senators JD Vance and Lindsey Graham have had their own contentious moments with Trump. In 2016, Vance expressed that he “can’t stomach” Trump during discussions about voting, while Graham referred to Trump as a “jackass” during their rivalry in the 2015 Republican presidential primary. Nevertheless, both senators have since reconciled with Trump.
In February, McConnell announced his decision to step down as the Senate's GOP leader, confirming he will not seek another term but plans to complete his current tenure until 2026.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
