Donald Trump recently took aim at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at a rally in North Carolina, showing no hesitation in belittling the long-time Senate leader and then making an unforgettable gaffe. The former president criticized McConnell as a “disgrace,” blaming him for aiding Democratic initiatives like inflation-driving spending, and went on to mock McConnell’s endorsement.
Trump’s rant targeted McConnell’s alliance with Democrats on certain votes, and he claimed that McConnell’s endorsement in March was nothing short of a reluctant favor. “Can you believe he endorsed me?” Trump mused to the crowd. “That must have been a painful day in his life… he didn’t have to do that, he provided the necessary votes. What a disgrace.”
Yet, the rally took an unexpected turn when Trump appeared to lose track of his location, confusing North Carolina with Pennsylvania. Praising Republicans he “actually liked,” Trump gave a shoutout to David McCormick, a candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania, as if McCormick were present at the North Carolina event. Trump enthused, “You’ve got the best of all right here, David McCormick. Where’s David? Is he around someplace? You know, we just left him. He’s a great guy.” Unbeknownst to Trump, McCormick was nowhere nearby—McCormick is actively campaigning in Pennsylvania.
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McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader, has not held back his disdain for Trump privately, reportedly calling him “stupid” and “narcissistic” in a recent biography. McConnell is quoted as saying that Trump has done “a lot of damage to our party’s image and our ability to compete” and suggesting that the MAGA movement is something even Ronald Reagan “wouldn’t recognize.”
However, McConnell’s private opinions have starkly contrasted with his public actions. Despite his outspoken frustration, McConnell voted to acquit Trump during the impeachment trial focused on the January 6 Capitol riot and has endorsed Trump in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 presidential elections. For McConnell, this pattern of reluctant support has offered little in return, as Trump’s recent comments have shown just how expendable McConnell is within the new GOP order.
