President Donald Trump has made clear his frustrations with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) following a series of high-profile confirmation votes in which McConnell broke ranks with the Republican majority.
Trump, who secured victory in November by winning all seven swing states, the electoral vote, and the popular vote with over 77 million votes, has been swiftly implementing his policy agenda.
With Cabinet confirmations moving at record speed, a wave of executive orders coming out of the White House, and border security significantly tightened, Trump’s administration is gaining momentum.
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However, McConnell has positioned himself as an obstacle, voting against multiple Trump Cabinet nominees, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and most recently, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
On Thursday, McConnell was the only Republican senator to vote against Kennedy’s confirmation, citing concerns over what he called “dangerous conspiracy theories” and an erosion of public trust in health institutions. Despite his opposition, Kennedy was confirmed to lead HHS.
McConnell:
I’m a survivor of childhood polio. In my lifetime, I’ve watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world. I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their…— Chad Pergram (@ChadPergram) February 13, 2025
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McConnell’s stance on Kennedy follows a pattern, as he was also one of only three Republicans who opposed Hegseth’s nomination and the sole GOP senator to vote against Gabbard.
During an Oval Office press briefing, Trump responded to McConnell’s opposition with sharp criticism, suggesting that the Kentucky senator is out of step with the party and holds little influence.
“He let the Republican Party go to h*ll,” Trump said. “If I didn’t come along, the Republican Party wouldn’t even exist right now. Mitch McConnell never really had it.”
Trump dismissed McConnell’s ability to raise funds as a function of his leadership position rather than personal effectiveness.
“He had an ability to raise money because of his position as leader, which anybody could do. You could do it even, and that’s saying a lot,” Trump added.
Trump also suggested that McConnell’s votes against his nominees were more about personal animosity than policy disagreements.
“I was the one that got him to drop out of the leadership position, so he can’t love me, but he’s not voting against Bobby. He’s voting against me, but that’s all right,” Trump said.
“He endorsed me, you know—do you know that Mitch endorsed me, right? You think that was easy?”
McConnell and Trump have had a contentious relationship for years, with both frequently criticizing one another.
However, Trump’s latest remarks suggest he sees McConnell as an increasingly irrelevant figure within the party.
“All I can tell you about him is that he shouldn’t have been leader, he knows that,” Trump said.
“He voted against Bobby, he votes against almost everything now, he’s, you know, a very bitter guy. And we have a very strong party, and he’s almost not even really a very powerful member, and [they] say he’s lost his power, and it’s affected his vote.”
🚨 BREAKING: TRUMP lays the HAMMER on MITCH MCCONNELL
TRUMP: I feel sorry for Mitch. He’s not equipped to be leader, mentally. He never was. Under him, the Republican Party was going to H*ll. McConnell never really had it. He had votes because he gave money to senators. I was… pic.twitter.com/uOS3Ul4mAN
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 13, 2025
McConnell, who recently stepped down as Senate Republican leader, has faced questions about his political future and health challenges in recent months.
With Trump cementing his leadership over the GOP, McConnell’s influence appears to be diminishing, raising speculation about the remaining days of his legislative career.
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Time for McConnel to retire. He is not a Republican! He is a bitter old man because his friend Biden lost. He is living proof that limits to serving in Congress are required. Numerous congressional members of both parties approaching senility need to go in spite of their constituents automatic reelection efforts.
‘The Turtle’ is owned by the ChiComs. His wife is a Chinese spy. He is one of those ‘useful idiots’ that sold out his country.
Mitch McConnell is politically irrelevant. He has now relegated himself to a junior Senate position in Congress. President Trump has all the political power in Washington DC because of his overwhelming support by the American people. While simultaneously, Mitch McConnell is overwhelmingly reviled by the Republican rank, and file. Other members of the Senate see, and realize that fact, and their not going to follow a politically weakened Senator against an overwhelmingly popular President. McConnell’s time in politics is just about at it’s end, and his recent votes in the Senate are going to be his political obituary for his failed legacy in the Senate.