Former President Donald Trump is blasting Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as a “dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack” and says Republicans will “not win again” if they keep him as a party leader.
CNN’s Manu Raju reports that McConnell read Trump’s statement and laughed.
A source close to the Kentucky senator told Raju, “You probably are not going to hear him utter the name Donald Trump ever again.”
“He’s moving on,” the source added.
After voting to acquit Trump on Saturday on the charge of “incitement of insurrection,” McConnell blasted Trump for his behavior as he said, “There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day.”
“The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president,” he added.
Finally, the Republican leader said, “President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he was in office as an ordinary citizen. He didn’t get away with anything. Yet.”
Trump fired back with a scathing statement as he wrote, “The Republican Party can never again be respected or strong with political ‘leaders’ like Sen. Mitch McConnell at its helm… Mitch is a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack, and if Republican Senators are going to stay with him, they will not win again.”
“We will never do what needs to be done, or what is right for our Country. Where necessary and appropriate, I will back primary rivals who espouse Making America Great Again and our policy of America First. We want brilliant, strong, thoughtful, and compassionate leadership,” he added.
Trump also claimed that without his help, McConnell would have lost his reelection bid.
McConnell’s speech on Saturday also drew the ire of Don Thrasher, chairman of the Nelson County Republican Party in Kentucky, who called on McConnell to resign, as IJR reported.
