On Wednesday evening, a handful of Republicans in the Senate joined forces with Democrats and independents on Wednesday to pass a measure subverting the Trump administration&#8217;s 25% tariffs on Canadian goods.
The Senate voted 51-48 in favor of a <a href="https://www.kaine.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/ros25392.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolution</a> from Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) that, if enacted, would terminate the <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/02/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-imposes-tariffs-on-imports-from-canada-mexico-and-china/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">national emergency declaration</a> employed by President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on Canada earlier this year.
Despite the Senate&#8217;s rebuke, Kaine&#8217;s resolution faces significant challenges, as it needs approval from the GOP-led House to take effect — an unlikely prospect. Additionally, Trump indicated he would veto the resolution if it reached his desk.
Senate Republicans who <a href="https://x.com/SenatePress/status/1907578012867940509" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke ranks</a> to support Kaine&#8217;s resolution included Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Rand Paul (R-KY). Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) did not vote.
&#8220;The Maine economy is integrated with Canada, our most important trading partner,&#8221; Collins <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KvDcrFi0PY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on the Senate floor, adding later, &#8220;The tariffs on Canada would be detrimental to many Maine families and our local economies.&#8221;
Collins acknowledged sharing Trump&#8217;s goal of &#8220;stemming the tide of dangerous fentanyl that flows into the United States,&#8221; but insisted that, &#8220;unlike Mexico and China&#8221; — two other countries targeted for tariffs — &#8220;Canada is not complicit in this crisis.&#8221;
In an <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114266599439835683" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> on Truth Social before the vote, Trump called out the GOP defectors by name, urging them to reject a &#8220;ploy of the Dems to show and expose the weakness of certain Republicans&#8221; and encouraging people in their states to contact their senators.
Trump contended that Canada was facilitating the flow of fentanyl into the United States and emphasized that Kaine&#8217;s resolution is &#8220;not going anywhere because the House will never approve it and I, as your President, will never sign it.&#8221;
Earlier this year, Trump imposed 25% tariffs on some imports from Canada, arguing that the U.S. neighbor was not doing enough to curb the trafficking of drugs such as fentanyl. Canada <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/12/canada-tariffs-steel-aluminum-trump-computers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> by announcing 25% retaliatory tariffs.
The penalties against Canada preceded Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; announcement of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-unleashes-liberation-day-tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reciprocal tariffs</a> on dozens of other countries around the world during an event in the White House Rose Garden on Wednesday afternoon.
When Kaine <a href="https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-klobuchar-and-warner-formally-file-legislation-to-undo-president-trumps-senseless-taxes-on-canadian-goods" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> the resolution on Canada tariffs with Sens. Amy Klobucher (D-MN) and Mark Warner (D-VA), he said the measure was privileged, meaning the Republican-controlled Senate was required to vote on it in the coming weeks.
They <a href="https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-klobuchar-and-warner-announce-expected-vote-timing-on-their-bill-to-undo-canada-tariffs-that-will-raise-costs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> that tariffs against Canada have disrupted the United States economy in a way that raises costs for American consumers, harms workers and businesses, strains a key trade partnership, and ignites a destructive trade war.
On the GOP side, McConnell <a href="https://www.courier-journal.com/story/opinion/contributors/2025/02/12/trump-tariffs-damage-kentucky-economy-bourbon-mcconnell/78393549007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> of higher prices and harm to Kentucky industries, Paul <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx2MD3iOAiY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">objected</a> to the use of emergency authority for tariffs, and Murkowski pondered why the U.S. was <a href="https://x.com/highbrow_nobrow/status/1902855339902390661" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;fighting&#8221;</a> Canada while &#8220;making nice&#8221; with Russia.
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) said in a statement after the vote on Wednesday that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had already declared Kaine’s resolution dead on arrival in the House, and it will never reach Trump’s desk.
Kaine’s &#8220;goal&#8221; was &#8220;to undermine President Trump’s successful work to secure the Northern Border,&#8221; he said, adding, &#8220;This meaningless messaging resolution will not stop Senate Republicans from making America’s communities safer.&#8221;

Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine

Four Senate Republicans Vote With Dems To Upend Trump’s Canada Tariffs

Canada

Congress

Donald Trump

Mitch McConnell

Susan Collins

Tariffs

Tim Kaine

Trade War

U.S.

U.S. Senate

On Thursday morning, Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mitch-mcconnell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitch McConnell</a> (R-KY) announced that he will not seek another term in the upper chamber during next year&#8217;s election, a decision that will bring to an end a lengthy career that included serving nearly two decades as party leader in the Senate.
&#8220;Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate,&#8221; McConnell said in a Senate floor speech on his 83rd birthday. &#8220;Every day in between I’ve been humbled by the trust they’ve placed in me to do their business right here. Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Sen. Mitch McConnell (<a href="https://twitter.com/SenMcConnell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenMcConnell</a>): &quot;Seven times my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate&#8230;Representing our Commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/b33cR7I36e">pic.twitter.com/b33cR7I36e</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1892621015370399750?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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During a record <a href="https://www.senate.gov/senators/longest-serving-party-leaders.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">18 years</a> as party leader in the Senate, McConnell played a key role in shaping the conservative Supreme Court, sending aid to Ukraine, implementing a sweeping tax overhaul, and handling two impeachment trials for President Donald Trump, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mitch-mcconnell-senate-retirement-34c79ef12bf62d14cb71d3c393f23a83" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per the AP</a>.
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McConnell <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcconnell-to-step-down-as-senate-republican-leader" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> one year ago he would not seek another term as GOP Senate leader. The childhood polio survivor was briefly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-senate-minority-leader-mitch-mcconnell-discharged-from-hospital" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hospitalized</a> in March 2023 with a concussion from falling. In the months that followed, he appeared to freeze and struggled to answer questions. He also got a cut on his face and sprained his wrist after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcconnell-falls-again-gets-medical-attention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tripping</a>.
After revealing his plans to step aside from leadership, McConnell indicated that he planned to serve out the remainder of his current term in the Senate, which ends in January 2027, saying in a speech, &#8220;I still have enough gas in my tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm with which they&#8217;ve become accustomed.&#8221;
McConnell <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcconnell-falls-twice-in-short-span-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fell again</a> — twice during a short time span — earlier this month. Soon afterward, a spokesperson for the senator told The Daily Wire that McConnell was &#8220;fine,&#8221; adding, &#8220;The lingering effects of polio in his left leg will not disrupt his regular schedule of work.&#8221;
Over the past couple of weeks, McConnell has voted against some of Trump&#8217;s second-term Cabinet nominees. They included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
It did not take long for people to start announcing their intention to run for McConnell&#8217;s seat after the senator announced his plan to retire. Former Republican Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who lost a bid for governor in 2023 after being endorsed by Trump, revealed his campaign on X, posting, &#8220;Kentucky, it&#8217;s time for a new generation of leadership in the U.S. Senate. Let&#8217;s do this.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Kentucky, it&#39;s time for a new generation of leadership in the U.S. Senate. Let&#39;s do this. <a href="https://t.co/YRXAm4Busv">pic.twitter.com/YRXAm4Busv</a>
&mdash; Daniel Cameron (@DanielCameronKY) <a href="https://twitter.com/DanielCameronKY/status/1892622418113372645?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 20, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sen. Mitch McConnell

McConnell Announces He Will Not Seek Re-Election

Daniel Cameron

Kentucky

Politics

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) attempted to slap President Donald Trump with a new nickname on Sunday, but the response thus far has only proved that Democrats have learned nothing since the days of &#8220;Cocaine Mitch.&#8221;
Jeffries posted a video via his X account along with a brief caption, stating, &#8220;Far right extremists are trying to crush the American dream. We will bring it back to life.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Far right extremists are trying to crush the American dream.
We will bring it back to life. <a href="https://t.co/CgNPOE7ACX">pic.twitter.com/CgNPOE7ACX</a>
&mdash; Hakeem Jeffries (@RepJeffries) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJeffries/status/1891132754772783282?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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In the video, which primarily featured Jeffries speaking in direct-to-camera format while waving his hands for emphasis, the minority leader insisted that Republicans — and specifically Trump — were the cause of America&#8217;s problems.
&#8220;This administration is making America weaker across the world and creating the space for people like China and Russia to step in while hurting everyday Americans,&#8221; Jeffries claimed, but gave no specifics to support his assertion.
He then unveiled his new nickname for Trump, saying, &#8220;Captain Chaos and the Extreme MAGA Republicans spent last year promising to lower the high cost of living and running away from Project 2025 as if it didn&#8217;t exist.&#8221;
Jeffries then suggested that because prices had not yet gone down after Trump&#8217;s first month in office, he had already failed to deliver on his campaign promise to do so. He also claimed that Republicans were &#8220;implementing the most extreme parts of the Project 2025 agenda.&#8221;
Some critics pointed to Jeffries&#8217; overall message as failing to hit the mark.
&#8220;Extreme Hakeem with his daily dose of division,&#8221; Matthew Kolken posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Extreme Hakeem with his daily dose of division.
&mdash; Matthew Kolken (@mkolken) <a href="https://twitter.com/mkolken/status/1891475114065060033?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;And you were left dumbfounded by President Trumps (sic) high approval rating. This is how people know you are just spewing fear mongering bulls***,&#8221; another posted, sharing video of Jeffries from Sunday morning&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;This Week.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
And you were left dumbfounded by President Trumps high approval rating. This is how people know you are just spewing fear mongering bullshit..<a href="https://t.co/YumzVvW6gL">pic.twitter.com/YumzVvW6gL</a>
&mdash; Ava- I Love My USA! 🇺🇸 (@WEdwarda) <a href="https://twitter.com/WEdwarda/status/1891189801690275914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Others zeroed in on the new nickname: &#8220;Captain Chaos.&#8221;
&#8220;Hakeem Jeffries unveils his nickname for Donald Trump. [drumroll] &#8216;Captain Chaos,'&#8221; one said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Hakeem Jeffries unveils his nickname for Donald Trump.
[drumroll]
&quot;Captain Chaos&quot; <a href="https://t.co/sLIKb9bgLH">pic.twitter.com/sLIKb9bgLH</a>
&mdash; Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) <a href="https://twitter.com/kenklippenstein/status/1892076775712116895?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Why do they insist on making him sound cool?&#8221; New York City Councilwoman Vicki Paladino asked.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Why do they insist on making him sound cool?
&mdash; Councilwoman Vickie Paladino (@VickieforNYC) <a href="https://twitter.com/VickieforNYC/status/1892128095722696761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Captain Chaos strikes fear into the leftists who have spent the past four years destroying this country,&#8221; Dustin Grage added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Captain Chaos strikes fear into the leftists who have spent the past four years destroying this country. <a href="https://t.co/mlYm1EnPS3">https://t.co/mlYm1EnPS3</a> <a href="https://t.co/dzdOc0Ti2e">pic.twitter.com/dzdOc0Ti2e</a>
&mdash; Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrageDustin/status/1892137822712135810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Democrats saw similar results when they attempted to nickname former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) during the 2018 election cycle. West Virginia coal executive Don Blankenship, running in the GOP primary in his own state, attempted to tie McConnell to 90 pounds of cocaine found on a ship owned by the father of then-Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, McConnell&#8217;s wife.
Blankenship promised during his campaign to help the Senate &#8220;ditch Cocaine Mitch&#8221; – but in the end, Blankenship lost his primary, and McConnell embraced the nickname.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Thanks for playing, <a href="https://twitter.com/DonBlankenship?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DonBlankenship</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WVSen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WVSen</a> <a href="https://t.co/TV1ETgQdmu">pic.twitter.com/TV1ETgQdmu</a>
&mdash; Team Mitch (Text MITCH to 47137) (@Team_Mitch) <a href="https://twitter.com/Team_Mitch/status/994036999387537409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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McConnell&#8217;s team also sold t-shirts that read &#8220;Team Mitch Cartel Member,&#8221; capitalizing on the nickname further.

Hakeem Jeffries 11/15

Hakeem Jeffries Debuts New Trump Nickname, Proves He Learned Nothing From ‘Cocaine Mitch’

Hakeem Jeffries Debuts New Trump Nickname, Proves He Learned Nothing From 'Cocaine Mitch'

Hakeem Jeffries

Social Media

On Wednesday, Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mitch-mcconnell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitch McConnell</a> (R-KY) reportedly suffered two more falls, this time in the U.S. Capitol.
Punchbowl News&#8217; Max Cohen <a href="https://x.com/maxpcohen/status/1887215639439257693" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post to X that the 82-year-old fell twice in a &#8220;short span,&#8221; once while exiting the Senate chamber and again while entering a closed-door GOP lunch.
One tumble happened after McConnell voted to confirm Scott Turner as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Fox News&#8217; Chad Pergram <a href="https://x.com/ChadPergram/status/1887193223853990274" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that Sens. Steve Daines (R-MT) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) helped McConnell up.
John Bresnahan, a Punchbowl News co-founder, offered details on what apparently was the second fall. He <a href="https://x.com/bresreports/status/1887215050559029713" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> McConnell fell on his side while carrying a plate of food and may have bruised his face.
Cohen later <a href="https://x.com/maxpcohen/status/1887212966602547580" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> a photo of McConnell exiting the GOP lunch. He noted that McConnell was holding onto an aide for support as he entered Majority Leader John Thune&#8217;s (R-SD) office.
Yet another <a href="https://x.com/maxpcohen/status/1887220018611400912" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> from Cohen showed McConnell in a wheelchair, which his team said was being used as a precautionary measure.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Mitch McConnell is in a wheelchair after falling multiple times today <a href="https://t.co/pDd03oBgQl">pic.twitter.com/pDd03oBgQl</a>
&mdash; Max Cohen (@maxpcohen) <a href="https://twitter.com/maxpcohen/status/1887220018611400912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Senator McConnell is fine,&#8221; a McConnell spokesperson told The Daily Wire. &#8220;The lingering effects of polio in his left leg will not disrupt his regular schedule of work.&#8221;
McConnell, a childhood Polio survivor, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcconnell-to-step-down-as-senate-republican-leader" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last February that he would not seek another term as GOP leader in the Senate following multiple health scares in the preceding months.
The senator was briefly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-senate-minority-leader-mitch-mcconnell-discharged-from-hospital" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hospitalized</a> in March 2023 with a concussion after falling at a D.C. hotel, and in the months that followed, he appeared to freeze and struggled to answer questions from the press.
More recently, McConnell got a cut on his face and sprained his wrist after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcconnell-falls-again-gets-medical-attention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tripping</a> in December. McConnell received medical attention, and his spokesperson said the senator was cleared to resume his schedule.
After revealing his plans to step aside from leadership, McConnell indicated that he planned to serve out the remainder of his current term in the upper chamber, which ends in January 2027.
&#8220;I still have enough gas in my tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm with which they&#8217;ve become accustomed,&#8221; he said during Senate floor remarks.
In a radio interview that followed, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcconnell-says-hes-not-leaving-the-senate-aims-to-fight-isolationist-movement-within-gop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;I’m not leaving the Senate. And I’m particularly involved in actually fighting back against the isolationist movement in my own party and so many others as well.&#8221;

McConnell Falls Twice In ‘Short Span’: Report

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mitch-mcconnell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitch McConnell</a> (R-KY), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, released a statement late on Friday night explaining his decision to vote against confirming Pete Hegseth to Secretary of Defense.
McConnell&#8217;s statement comes after Hegseth was confirmed in a 51-50 vote in the U.S. Senate earlier in the night with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote.
The 82-year-old said that the U.S. was in a more serious threat environment today than at any other point since World War II, making the position even more important.
McConnell wrote:
<blockquote>Effective management of nearly 3 million military and civilian personnel, an annual budget of nearly $1 trillion, and alliances and partnerships around the world is a daily test with staggering consequences for the security of the American people and our global interests.
Mr. Hegseth has failed, as yet, to demonstrate that he will pass this test. But as he assumes office, the consequences of failure are as high as they have ever been.</blockquote>
McConnell argued that a &#8220;desire to be a ‘change agent’ is not enough to fill these shoes&#8221; and that numerous secretaries &#8220;distinguished combat experience and time in the trenches have failed at the job.&#8221;
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?_gl=1*1lail3r*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MzIyMDEyNDkuQ2owS0NRaUEwZnU1QmhEUUFSSXNBTVhVQk9JSkM0VnNsMFVreURxYXUxVWVEVWdOdjZkNzR2Y1pEeEZQeHVBcGl2R3BLaTdBMjVzT1p5TWFBdG1nRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*NDUxNDQ0NzYwLjE3MzY3ODI2NDY.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczNjk1NzYwMy4zNDAuMS4xNzM2OTU3NzE2LjYwLjAuMA.." target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://get.dailywire.com/subscribe/plus/?_gl%3D1*1lail3r*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE3MzIyMDEyNDkuQ2owS0NRaUEwZnU1QmhEUUFSSXNBTVhVQk9JSkM0VnNsMFVreURxYXUxVWVEVWdOdjZkNzR2Y1pEeEZQeHVBcGl2R3BLaTdBMjVzT1p5TWFBdG1nRUFMd193Y0I.*_gcl_au*NDUxNDQ0NzYwLjE3MzY3ODI2NDY.*_ga*MTc2NzM0NDQ2NS4xNzI4OTA5Nzkx*_ga_CZKR9ZYKJP*MTczNjk1NzYwMy4zNDAuMS4xNzM2OTU3NzE2LjYwLjAuMA..&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1737044212122000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3mp2MZNwEXBk00lKmCtOss">CELEBRATE #47 WITH 47% OFF DAILYWIRE+ MEMBERSHIPS + A FREE $20 GIFT</a>
McConnell continued:
<blockquote>The United States faces coordinated aggression from adversaries bent on shattering the order underpinning American security and prosperity. In public comments and testimony before the Armed Services Committee, Mr. Hegseth did not reckon with this reality.
President Trump has rightly called on NATO allies to spend more on our collective defense. But the nominee who would have been responsible for leading that effort wouldn’t even commit to growing America’s defense investment beyond the low bar set by the Biden Administration’s budget requests.
In his testimony before the Committee, Mr. Hegseth provided no substantial observations on how to defend Taiwan or the Philippines against a Chinese attack, or even whether he believes the United States should do so. He failed, for that matter, to articulate in any detail a strategic vision for dealing with the gravest long-term threat emanating from the PRC.
Absent, too, was any substantive discussion of countering our adversaries’ alignment with deeper alliance relationships and more extensive defense industrial cooperation of our own.</blockquote>
McConnell said that he wished Hegseth &#8220;great success&#8221; in the role and that he looked forward to closely working with him &#8220;to restore American hard power.&#8221;
&#8220;Every member of the uniformed services will be looking to him for decisive, principled, and nonpartisan leadership,&#8221; he added.
McConnell&#8217;s move was met with backlash from some of his Republican colleagues:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
McConnell is the embodiment of what is wrong in DC. He will work against Trump. He can’t help it. <a href="https://t.co/5VQVIIpGGe">https://t.co/5VQVIIpGGe</a>
— Anna Paulina Luna (@realannapaulina) <a href="https://twitter.com/realannapaulina/status/1882978446688846265?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mitch McConnell doesn’t support <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> and he doesn’t support an America First agenda. He never has.
It’s why I ran against him for Leader and why I’ll continue to fight for President Trump and his agenda. <a href="https://t.co/JcRo6Yjpbq">https://t.co/JcRo6Yjpbq</a>
— Rick Scott (@ScottforFlorida) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottforFlorida/status/1882994177941868975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
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McConnell Releases Statement In Defense Of ‘No’ Vote For Hegseth

Department of Defense

Pete Hegseth

On Wednesday, GOP Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Jerry Moran (R-KS) reintroduced the Justice for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/9-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9/11</a> Act, originally introduced by Cotton and McConnell last August, to cancel any plea deals made between the Biden administration and the Guantanamo Bay inmates who planned the 9/11/2001 attacks. Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) is introducing companion legislation in the House.
Three detainees at Guantanamo Bay, including alleged 9/11 architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, had filed plea deals. Last week, a military appeals court ruled that the Pentagon could not reverse the deals reached by military prosecutors and defense attorneys.
The Act <a href="https://www.cotton.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/11_plea_deal_bill_reintro.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">states</a>:
<blockquote>
Notwithstanding the provisions of section 949h of title 10, United States Code, any plea agreement entered into by Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, or Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi for actions involving the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001, and its related judgment, shall not preclude the trial of such individual under chapter 47A of such title or any other provision of law for that terrorist attack. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in any trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, or Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi under chapter 47A of title 10, United States Code, or any other provision of law for the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001, a sentence of death shall be available. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of any sentence imposed on Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarak Bin ‘Attash, or Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, such individual shall be held at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in solitary confinement; provided no contact with foreign nationals; and provided no psychological treatment except that specifically authorized by medical authorities at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay; and shall not be transferred to the continental United States or any other country. 
</blockquote>
“Giving a plea deal to the terrorist masterminds behind 9/11 is disgraceful and an insult to the victims of the attacks, as well at those who served to avenge them,” Cotton <a href="https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-mcconnell-lawler-reintroduce-bill-to-stop-joe-biden-from-releasing-9/11-terrorists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>. “These monsters should have faced justice decades ago; instead, Joe Biden has set the stage to let them go free. My bill will stop this travesty and prevent the Biden administration from replenishing the ranks of our terrorist enemies any further on his way out the door.”
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“In the wake of terrorist savagery, our obligation is to deliver justice,” McConnell echoed. “However long it takes, those responsible for September 11 deserve nothing more, and the families of their victims deserve nothing less.”
“The court’s decision to uphold the plea deal for three 9/11 conspirators is alarming,” Moran added. “In addition to the plea deal, the Biden administration continues to use its final days in power to release some of the world&#8217;s most violent terrorists from Guantanamo Bay. These men should face trial for their crimes, and Congress must act quickly to pass this important legislation.”
“September 11th is a date that will forever be seared in our national memory, especially for New Yorkers,” Lawler stated. “For the Biden-Harris Administration to have offered a plea deal without the death penalty to the very people who planned the attacks that took the lives of almost 3,000 is a betrayal of our cops, firefighters, and 9/11 victims and their families. The Justice for 9/11 Act will nullify this horrendous plea deal and prevent any future ones from being offered to those who perpetrated this heinous attack.”
“A hearing is scheduled for later this week at Guantanomo Bay, where Mohammad and two other defendants could plead guilty in separate hearings, with the death penalty removed as a possible punishment,” Fox News <a href="//FE2DFBB2-BFEC-43AE-BAEC-9AFFDA6DD542/v" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>, adding, “The administration announced on Monday 11 Yemeni detainees, including two alleged bodyguards for Usama bin Laden, would be resettled in Oman, after being held for two decades without charges.”

US-ATTACKS-WORLD TRADE-SMOKE

Cotton, McConnell Push Act To Bar Biden From Giving Convicted 9/11 Terrorists Plea Deals

9/11

Courts

Guantanamo Bay

Joe Biden

Plea deal

Tom Cotton

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) appeared to warn President-elect Donald Trump&#8217;s nominee for secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., this week over a lawyer who is helping him select federal health officials for the incoming administration.
The warning from McConnell comes just weeks before Kennedy will undergo confirmation hearings in which he will have to win over the support of U.S. senators to lead the department.
Aaron Siri, the lawyer helping Kennedy, petitioned the federal government in 2022 to revoke its approval of the polio vaccine, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/13/health/aaron-siri-rfk-jr-vaccines.html">reported</a>.
McConnell, a polio survivor, made the warning over the polio vaccine after the report was published but did not mention Kennedy by name.
&#8220;Like millions of families before them, my parents knew the pain and fear of watching their child struggle with the life-altering diagnosis of polio,&#8221; McConnell said. &#8220;From the age of two, normal life without paralysis was only possible for me because of the miraculous combination of modern medicine and a mother’s love. But for millions who came after me, the real miracle was the saving power of the polio vaccine.&#8221;
&#8220;For decades, I have been proud to work with devoted advocates – from Rotary International to the Gates Foundation – and use my platform in public life to champion the pursuit of cures for further generations,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;I have never flinched from confronting specious disinformation that threatens the advance of lifesaving medical progress, and I will not today.&#8221;
The 82-year-old senator said that the polio vaccine saved &#8220;millions of lives and held out the promise of eradicating a terrible disease.&#8221;
&#8220;Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed – they’re dangerous,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;Anyone seeking the Senate’s consent to serve in the incoming Administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Mitch McConnell, polio survivor, warns RFK Jr. on the polio vaccine — without mentioning his name.
Full Statement from Leader McConnell:
“Like millions of families before them, my parents knew the pain and fear of watching their child struggle with the life-altering diagnosis…
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1867693869241946589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2024</a></blockquote>

Senate Luncheon Press Conferences

McConnell Warns RFK Jr. To ‘Steer Clear’ Of ‘Dangerous’ Polio Vaccine Skeptics

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Outgoing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mitch-mcconnell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitch McConnell</a> (R-KY) received medical attention on Capitol Hill after he suffered another fall on Tuesday.
POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/12/10/congress/mcconnell-attended-by-medical-personnel-00193528" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that McConnell, 82, walked out of a Senate GOP lunch with a cut on his face and medical personnel followed the lawmaker into his office.
Sen. John Thune (R-SD), who has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-thune-elected-senate-majority-leader" target="_blank" rel="noopener">elected</a> to serve as the next Republican leader in the upper chamber, assured reporters afterwards that McConnell was alright.
“He is fine. He&#8217;s in his office. And any other questions about Sen. McConnell, I’ll refer to staff,&#8221; Thune said at a press conference.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SenJohnThune?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenJohnThune</a> about reports that <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderMcConnell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LeaderMcConnell</a> fell: &quot;He is fine, he is in his office.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/5FA0QWeCoy">pic.twitter.com/5FA0QWeCoy</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1866565206500896827?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
McConnell&#8217;s office later shared a brief statement with The Daily Wire on the senator&#8217;s condition.
&#8220;Leader McConnell tripped following lunch. He sustained a minor cut to the face and sprained his wrist. He has been cleared to resume his schedule,&#8221; a spokesperson said.
McConnell, a childhood Polio survivor, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcconnell-to-step-down-as-senate-republican-leader" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> in February that he would not seek another term as GOP leader in the Senate following a couple of health scares in the preceding months.
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The senator was briefly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-senate-minority-leader-mitch-mcconnell-discharged-from-hospital" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hospitalized</a> in March 2023 with a concussion after falling at a D.C. hotel, and in the months that followed, he appeared to freeze and struggled to answer questions from the press.
After revealing his plans to step aside from leadership, McConnell indicated that he planned to serve out the remainder of his current term in the upper chamber, which ends in January 2027.
&#8220;I still have enough gas in my tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm with which they&#8217;ve become accustomed,&#8221; he said in Senate floor remarks.
During a radio interview that followed, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcconnell-says-hes-not-leaving-the-senate-aims-to-fight-isolationist-movement-within-gop" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, &#8220;I’m not leaving the Senate. And I’m particularly involved in actually fighting back against the isolationist movement in my own party and so many others as well.&#8221;
McConnell is the Senate’s longest-serving party leader with more than 15 years under his belt.
He is slated to be replaced in the role next month after Thune beat out Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Rick Scott (R-FL) in an internal election that took place in November.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R)

McConnell Falls Again, Gets Medical Attention

John Thune

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) slammed Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday for echoing the words of a man who has been charged with attempting to assassinate former President Donald Trump.
“This summer, after the first attempted assassination of a presidential candidate in more than a century, President Biden insisted that ‘we cannot allow this violence to be normalized,’&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;In September, after President Trump escaped yet another close call, Vice President Harris acknowledged that ‘we all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence.’&#8221;
The statement said that Biden&#8217;s and Harris&#8217; words &#8220;have proven hollow&#8221; as Harris, as the Democrat Party&#8217;s presidential nominee, has &#8220;only fanned the flames beneath a boiling cauldron of political animus.&#8221;
&#8220;Her most recent and most reckless invocations of the darkest evil of the 20th century seem to dare it to boil over,&#8221; they wrote. &#8220;The Vice President&#8217;s words more closely resemble those of President Trump&#8217;s second would-be assassin than her own earlier appeal to civility.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEWS 
The Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, and Republican Senate Leader, Mitch McConnell, have issued a statement slamming Vice President Harris for what they call her “dangerous rhetoric” when speaking about former President Trump.
Johnson and McConnell say that Harris has… <a href="https://t.co/TKOYs4qWDR">pic.twitter.com/TKOYs4qWDR</a>
&mdash; Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1849843642019741862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The statement from the top Republican leaders in Washington, D.C., comes after Harris promoted a widely disputed report this week that claimed Trump said he wanted the same generals as Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.
Harris said during a CNN town hall on Wednesday night that Trump was a &#8220;fascist,&#8221; the same type of rhetoric used by Democrat donor Ryan Routh, who was <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/ryan-wesley-routh-indicted-attempted-assassination-former-president-trump">charged</a> for allegedly attempting to assassinate Trump at a golf course in September. Routh had even written a book where he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/would-be-trump-assassin-was-pro-iran-urged-them-to-kill-trump">called</a> for Trump&#8217;s assassination.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1729077615157000&amp;usg=AOvVaw17Kprl74oE9DYOLREdiBPU">MATT WALSH’S ‘AM I RACIST?’ COMING TO DAILYWIRE+ OCT. 28</a>
McConnell and Johnson said that Routh had called on others to &#8220;finish the job&#8221; in a letter since he was unsuccessful.
They said that Harris &#8220;must abandon the base and irresponsible rhetoric that endangers both American lives and institutions.&#8221;
&#8220;We have both been briefed on the ongoing and persistent threats to former President Donald Trump by adversaries to the United States, and we call on the Vice President to take these threats seriously, stop escalating the threat environment, and help ensure President Trump has the necessary resources to be protected from those threats,&#8221; they concluded.

Washington, DC  – November 3 : House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La

McConnell, Johnson Blast Kamala For Echoing Rhetoric Of Would-Be Trump Assassin

assassination attempt

Kamala Harris

Mike Johnson

Senator Mike Lee sharply criticized Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Thursday for reportedly offering &#8220;scathing&#8221; remarks about former President Donald Trump and the &#8220;MAGA movement.&#8221;
McConnell slams Trump as a &#8220;narcissist&#8221; and a &#8220;sleazeball&#8221; in his forthcoming biography, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/23/politics/mcconnell-trump-gop-new-book/index.html">according to CNN</a>, adding that Trump has “done a lot of damage to our party’s image and our ability to compete.” Speaking to The Daily Wire Thursday, Lee slammed the Kentucky Republican for his comments.
&#8220;Openly hurting him, it&#8217;s just baffling to me,&#8221; Lee said. &#8220;I cannot figure it out&#8230; number one, he&#8217;s a Republican senator. Number two, he&#8217;s the Senate Republican leader. Number three, we are less than two weeks away from a general election in which these guys are in tight races.&#8221;
McConnell reportedly also says that “Trump is appealing to people who haven’t been as successful as other people and providing an excuse for that, that these more successful people have somehow been cheated, and you don’t deserve to think of yourself as less successful because things haven’t been fair.&#8221;
&#8220;If senate Republican leaders are going to come out and do these sorts of things, we need to have a conversation about it,&#8221; Lee said. &#8220;And we especially need to have a conversation between those who are running for Senate Republican leadership posts.&#8221;
The Utah Republican <a href="https://x.com/BasedMikeLee/status/1849490264399982805">reiterated</a> his criticism in an X thread Thursday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🧵 1. McConnell’s attacks on Donald Trump &amp; Rick Scott are indefensible
Those running for Senate GOP leadership posts need to weigh in on this &amp; commit never to sabotage Republican candidates &amp; colleagues—particularly those who are less than two weeks away from a close election <a href="https://t.co/wMWxjvMwHC">pic.twitter.com/wMWxjvMwHC</a>
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) <a href="https://twitter.com/BasedMikeLee/status/1849490264399982805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
&#8220;We must have clarity from the candidates running to replace McConnell on where they stand on these attacks,&#8221; Lee said in the thread. &#8220;They must be clear on how they plan to lead the conference, and on the role of its members.&#8221;
&#8220;The Senate Republican leader is supposed to help Republicans, not undermine them Sadly, we’ve had too much of the latter. That must end now,&#8221; he added.
McConnell&#8217;s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-CONGRESS-TAX

Mike Lee Slams Mitch McConnell For Attacking Trump, ‘MAGA Movement’

Mike Lee

Utah

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-senate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senate</a> Minority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mitch-mcconnell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mitch McConnell</a> (R-KY) said on Tuesday that it would be &#8220;politically beyond stupid&#8221; if a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/government-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">government shutdown</a> is allowed to happen before the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/2024-election" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2024 election</a>, suggesting that Republicans would suffer more than Democrats when voters head to the polls.
With a deadline coming up at the end of the month, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-johnson" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Johnson</a> (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chuck-schumer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chuck Schumer</a> (D-NY) appear to be at odds on what form a continuing resolution (CR) takes, but McConnell refused to make a stand when pressed by a reporter.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderMcConnell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LeaderMcConnell</a>: &quot;The one you cannot have is a government shutdown. It would be politically beyond stupid for us to do that right before the election because certainly we&#39;d get the blame.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/Al0yD8ztLM">pic.twitter.com/Al0yD8ztLM</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1836129009836404954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;My only observation about this whole discussion is the one thing you cannot have is a government shutdown,&#8221; McConnell said at the U.S. Capitol. &#8220;It would be politically beyond stupid for us to do that right before the election, because certainly we&#8217;d get the blame.&#8221;
Democrats narrowly control the Senate while Republicans have a small House majority. Either side could emerge from the November election with voters giving them command of one, both, or none of the chambers of Congress. A shutdown could quickly become a new political cudgel.
&#8220;We&#8217;ve been here before,&#8221; McConnell went on to say. &#8220;I&#8217;m for whatever avoids a government shutdown, and that&#8217;ll ultimately end up obviously being a discussion between the Democratic leader and the speaker of the House as to how to process avoiding government shutdown.&#8221;
Johnson said earlier the House would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-presses-on-with-funding-stopgap-linked-to-non-citizen-voting-crackdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">proceed</a> with a vote on Wednesday for a six-month CR plus the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/8281" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(SAVE) Act</a>, which includes reforms meant to help prevent non-citizens from voting in federal elections. It&#8217;s not clear whether the measure will pass.
President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> already threatened to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-to-ax-gop-proposal-tying-spending-to-bill-requiring-voters-prove-citizenship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">veto</a> the proposal while former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a>, who is again the GOP presidential nominee, has urged Republicans <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-calls-for-govt-shutdown-if-gop-cant-secure-election-integrity-reforms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to allow a shutdown</a> if they cannot secure a short-term spending measure in addition to &#8220;election security&#8221; reforms.
Schumer <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/news/press-releases/majority-leader-schumer-floor-remarks-on-the-need-to-pass-bipartisan-legislation-to-avoid-an-unnecessary-and-harmful-republican-government-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> Johnson against proceeding with a six-month CR, suggesting that &#8220;critical programs&#8221; such as the military would suffer under such a lengthy funding patch, and suggested the plan to include the SAVE Act with a stopgap measure would make it &#8220;<a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/news/press-releases/majority-leader-schumer-floor-remarks-urging-speaker-johnson-to-work-on-a-bipartisan-basis-to-avoid-a-harmful-government-shutdown" target="_blank" rel="noopener">too unworkable</a>.&#8221;

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY)

McConnell Warns: ‘Politically Beyond Stupid’ To Allow Shutdown Before Election

McConnell Warns: 'Politically Beyond Stupid’ To Allow Shutdown Before Election

2024 Election

Chuck Schumer

Government Shutdown

Republicans

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said he had a &#8220;positive meeting&#8221; with former President Donald Trump on Thursday after Trump traveled to Capitol Hill to talk with Republican lawmakers.
The presumptive Republican presidential nominee praised the GOP Senate leader during his comments at the D.C. meeting, POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/06/13/congress/mcconnell-and-trump-speak-00163236" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
“We had a really positive meeting, he and I got a chance to talk a little bit, we shook hands a few times, he got a lot of standing ovations, it was an entirely positive meeting. Mitt Romney was there, as well, and I can’t think of anything to tell you about it that was negative,” McConnell said.
Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) added that Trump &#8220;immediately went in to address Mitch McConnell and said he&#8217;s done his best while he was here. He understands elections. And he understands how important two seats are and we need to be focused on those.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> is greeted by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., as he enters the room to meet with Senate GOP members at the National Republican Senatorial Committee. <a href="https://t.co/tnzE3bbpFA">pic.twitter.com/tnzE3bbpFA</a>
— Doug Mills (@dougmillsnyt) <a href="https://twitter.com/dougmillsnyt/status/1801319803678077271?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
Trump and McConnell have had a rocky relationship over the past four years, and Thursday&#8217;s private meeting marked the first time the two had spoken in person since a month after the contentious 2020 election, according to POLITICO. Trump has slammed McConnell for approving Democrat legislation in the Senate, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-intensifies-attacks-mcconnell-death-wish-remark-social-media-pla-rcna50293" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> in 2022 that the Kentuckian has a &#8220;death wish,&#8221; which a Trump spokesman said was in reference to &#8220;killing the Republican Party through weakness and cowardice.&#8221;
McConnell has also blasted Trump, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/13/mcconnell-condemns-trump-acquitted-469002" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a> he was &#8220;practically and morally responsible for provoking&#8221; the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
On Thursday at the Republican meeting, however, there was nothing but solidarity, according to some of the senators who attended.
“There was a lot of unity. A lot of people think we’re going in the wrong direction now,” McConnell&#8217;s fellow Kentucky senator, Rand Paul said, adding that most of the discussions centered on policy.
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“I haven’t seen that Republican group as strongly united on all of those policy issues in a long, long time,” said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), who has also <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/gop-senator-spars-trump-after-calling-out-stolen-election-lie-n1287279" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> Trump over the former president&#8217;s allegations that the 2020 election was &#8220;rigged&#8221; and &#8220;stolen.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
HAPPENING NOW: President Trump begins remarks in D.C. flanked by Republican Senators <a href="https://t.co/kgcBkwO31C">pic.twitter.com/kgcBkwO31C</a>
— RSBN 🇺🇸 (@RSBNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/RSBNetwork/status/1801309386691789172?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In February, the 82-year-old McConnell <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcconnell-to-step-down-as-senate-republican-leader" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that he would be stepping down from his Senate leadership after Republicans select a new leader in November. He added that he still plans to serve the remainder of his term as senator, which ends in 2027.

Mitch McConnell/Donald Trump

McConnell Had ‘Entirely Positive Meeting’ With Trump During Capitol Hill Visit

McConnell Had 'Entirely Positive Meeting' With Trump During Capitol Hill Visit

Capitol Hill

Senate

Washington D.C.

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