Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on Thursday that Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) is the future of the Republican Party, and if Americans want to see where the GOP is headed then they need to listen to Scott’s speech last night.
McConnell also took a shot at President Joe Biden, saying that Biden pulled a “bait-and-switch” on America and that Bernie Sanders must be happy with Biden’s agenda.
“Well, look, we’re looking to the future, not the past,” McConnell said. “And if you want to see the future of the Republican Party, watch Tim Scott’s response to President Biden last night. He’s the future. That’s where we’re headed. We’re not preoccupied with the past, but looking forward.”
“He laid out what the Republican Party today and tomorrow is going to look like,” McConnell added. “He’s very popular, not only within our party, but among Senate Democrats as well. He’s brave, courageous, and tells the truth. And when you do that these days, a lot of people come after you. He’s a courageous leader, the most inspirational leader we have in our party looking forward.”
WATCH:
McConnell: "And if you want to see the future of the Republican Party, watch Tim Scott's response to President Biden last night. He's the future. That's where we're headed. We're not preoccupied with the past, but looking forward." pic.twitter.com/c8cFqEs4s1
— (((Jason Rantz))) on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) April 29, 2021
TRANSCRIPT:
MARTHA MACCALLUM, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: So, as promised, here now exclusively Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.
Good to have you with us today, Senator. Thank you for being here.
So, that’s the challenge. I mean, what does your side do specifically to push back on these plans that they hope will appeal to a lot of those blue-collar workers that were Trump Republican voters?
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): Well, first, the government is not the people. The president got it exactly wrong.
This is a massive engagement — or recommendation that we engage in higher taxes, more spending, and dramatically more debt. Senator Romney had it exactly right. This is the wrong prescription for America.
We’re coming out of this pandemic. Growth is picking up dramatically.
MACCALLUM: Yeah.
MCCONNELL: Vaccines are getting in arms. These proposals are wildly out of proportion to what to country needs at this particular juncture.
MACCALLUM: Well, it remains to be seen, politically, if trying to push this through — someone termed it today trying to get a rhinoceros through a garden hose, very tight, very tight majority for the Democrats.
And this is Senator Manchin from West Virginia talking about these spending plans. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUESTION: Are you concerned about this push for a more expansive government?
SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): Oh, most certainly, yes, I am.
And — but I want to see the details, as we talked before. But we can’t over — overreach to the point to where we stymie investments, we stymie basically growth for 2022, ’23, ’24 and on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: So, he sounds like he has some doubts about this. How many other Senate Democrats do you think you can peel off from these huge plans, Senator?
MCCONNELL: Yes, look, I think there are a number of Democrats who share the view of Senator Manchin that what’s being recommended here jeopardizes the future of our entire country, the massive amount of debt to deal with an economy that’s coming back on its own, getting back where it was.
In February of 2020, we had the best economy we’d had in 50 years, low unemployment among African Americans, Asian Americans, all Americans. We simply need to let this economy bloom again with the end of the pandemic, which is occurring with the dissemination of vaccine shots into arms all over the country.
MACCALLUM: Do you think that’s persuasive? I mean, do you think that President Biden ends up with these plans going through? Or how much of these plans do you think are viable for him?
MCCONNELL: Well, procedurally, he will have to have every single Senate Democrat, all 50 of them, in line, and the vice president in the chair. I think they will find that very, very challenging.
MACCALLUM: Interesting.
Last night — you have talked about the fact that you haven’t been invited to the White House by the president. You haven’t had a real meeting, a couple of short phone calls. Last night, he ad-libbed a thank you to you for naming a cancer bill a few years back after his son Beau Biden.
Did you outreach to him today? Is there any change? What was your response to that when you heard that in the hall?
MCCONNELL: Well, I appreciated the compliment. We’re friendly. We have done deals together in the past.
However, the reason we’re not talking now is because he’s not trying to do anything remotely close to moderate. Think of it as the Biden bait-and-switch. He ran as a moderate, but everything he’s recommended so far has been hard Left.
Bernie Sanders is really happy. He may have lost the nomination, but he won the argument over what today’s Democratic Party is.
MACCALLUM: Well…
MCCONNELL: More taxes, more spending, more borrowing.
MACCALLUM: We remember candidate Biden did promise to be the most progressive president in history, and that is what seems to be happening, by his own accord.
I do want to ask you about these comments by President Trump this morning, former President Trump this morning saying that it’s time for — he said that you have not done a great job and that it’s time for new leadership.
(LAUGHTER)
MACCALLUM: What do you say to him today?
MCCONNELL: Well, look, we’re looking to the future, not the past.
And if you want to see the future of the Republican Party, watch Tim Scott’s response to President Biden last night. He’s the future. That’s where we’re headed. We’re not preoccupied with the past, but looking forward.
MACCALLUM: So, you don’t think that your party listens to what he says about you or about your leadership?
MCCONNELL: What we’re doing is focusing on the future, not the past. And if you want to see the future, watch Tim Scott’s great speech last night. He laid out what the Republican Party today and tomorrow is going to look like.
MACCALLUM: All right, I want to ask you something else about that. But I want to play one more thing here from President Trump, because he seems to think that — that he does have a moment in the future as well. Here’s what he said.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, 100 percent I’m thinking about running. And we will, I think, be very successful if — we were very successful. Look, I ran twice. And the second time, I got 12 million more votes in the first time.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
MACCALLUM: So, you said that, if he got the nomination, you would stand by him. Do you still say that today?
MCCONNELL: Well, I’m going to support the nominee of the Republican Party.
I do predict, however, there’s going to be a robust competition for the nomination. I have got three or four members of the Senate who are going to be running for president in 2024. Once that all sorts itself out, as the Republican leader of the Senate, obviously, I will be supporting the Republican nominee for president in 2024.
MACCALLUM: And do you think that person will have to have former President Trump’s backing?
MCCONNELL: He will have to win the nomination. And I think, once the nomination is secured, the party will come together and give it our best shot in 2024.
MACCALLUM: Yes, what did you think — I’m sorry to jump — to interrupt.
What did you think about the fact that Tim Scott — and we’re going to talk about this later in the program. You know, he got trolled all over social media. They called him sort of racist names. I mean, it’s quite shocking.
Do you think that it’s possible for someone like him to gain acceptance on both sides of the aisle? Or do you think that some on the other side of the aisle feel threatened by his strength?
MCCONNELL: Look, he’s very popular, not only within our party, but among Senate Democrats as well.
He’s brave, courageous, and tells the truth. And when you do that these days, a lot of people come after you. He’s a courageous leader, the most inspirational leader we have in our party looking forward.
MACCALLUM: Good to speak with you today, sir.
Thank you very much for coming in…
MCCONNELL: OK.
MACCALLUM: … Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.