Ethics
Mitch McConnell
Sen. Mitch McConnell

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is defending his decision to endorse Donald Trump, despite having blamed him for the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, calling it an “impeachable offense,” and describing the ex-president as a “son of a bitch,” according to reports.

“The mob was fed lies. They were provoked by the president and other powerful people, and they tried to use fear and violence to stop a specific proceeding of the first branch of the federal government, which they did not like,” McConnell said on the Senate floor on January 19, just 13 days after the insurrection, and just one day before Joe Biden would be sworn in as the 46th President.

Less than four weeks later, Minority Leader McConnell again struck out at Trump.

“He said Trump is ‘practically and morally responsible’ for the insurrection on January 6. He said Trump’s supporters were ‘assaulting the Capitol in his name’ and ‘carried his banners’ while ‘screaming their loyalties to him,'” as USA Todayreported February 14 of that year.

“This was an intensifying crescendo of conspiracy theories orchestrated by an outgoing president who seemed determined to either overturn the voters’ decision or else torch our institutions on the way out,” McConnell continued. “Former President Trump’s actions that preceded the riot were a disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty.”

Days after the insurrection, McConnell told several associates, “The Democrats are going to take care of the son of a bitch for us,” according to New York Times reporters Alex Burns and Jonathan Martin, in their book, This Will Not Pass. McConnell was “referring to the effort to impeach Trump in the Democratic-led House, according to the Times’ reporters,” CNN‘s Chris Cillizza reported.

“And of Trump’s guilt, McConnell was equally clear-eyed: ‘If this isn’t impeachable, I don’t know what is,’ he said.”

Cillizza offered up “a quick reminder of what happened at the Capitol on January 6: An armed mob stormed the building with the express purpose of disrupting the counting of the Electoral College votes. They did so because the sitting President of the United States at the time had, repeatedly and without any proof, told them that the 2020 election had been stolen.”

On Wednesday, CNN’s Manu Raju confronted McConnell on why he endorsed Donald Trump for President.

The Republican Minority Leader responded by essentially saying he endorsed him because he said he would.

“How do you reconcile your Trump endorsement with the fact that you called him practically and morally responsible for January 6, and the fact that he insulted you and your wife repeatedly?” Raju asked McConnell.

The Minority Leader appeared prepared for the question.

He replied, “On February the 25th, 2021, shortly after the attack on the Capitol, I was asked a similar question. And I said I would support the nominee for president. Even if it were the former president.”

“In April of last year,” another reporter told McConnell, “you indicated didn’t really directly answered the question as to whether or not you were comfortable with Mr. Trump, if he was in the middle of criminal trials and indictments, he was the nominee. I presume that means you’re comfortable with him?”

“I don’t have anything to add to what I just said,” McConnell replied. “I said in February of 2021, shortly after the attack on the Capitol that I would support President Trump if he were the nominee of our party, and he obviously is going to be the nominee of our party.”

Watch below or at this link.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

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Lara Trump
Lara Trump

Friday, March 8 will mark the end of Ronna Romney McDaniel's time as chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), and former President Donald Trump is recommending Michael Whatley (who chairs the North Carolina GOP) as McDaniel's replacement and Lara Trump (his daughter-in-law) as RNC co-chair.

Lara Trump has drawn criticism from some conservatives for vowing, during an interview with Newsmax's Rob Schmitt in February, that "every single penny" of RNC money "will go to the number one and the only job of the RNC — that is electing Donald J. Trump as president of the United States and saving this country."

Lara Trump, according to former RNC Chairman Michael Steele and other critics, is doing Republicans in down-ballot races a major disservice.

But the MAGA activist isn't backing down from her promise to prioritize her father-in-law's 2024 campaign over everything else. And she is threatening to disown any Republicans who aren't on board.

During an early March appearance on Real America's Voice, Lara Trump warned, "I can assure you, there will be no funny business. Anyone who is not on board with seeing Donald Trump as the 47th president and America-loving patriots all the way down the ticket being supported by the RNC is welcome to leave, because we are not playing games. And we have no time to waste."

Lara Trump continued, "So, we have to ensure that every single penny of every dollar donated goes to causes people care about. That's part of the reason that I think I'm such a great fit for this: There's no one more loyal to Donald Trump and the Make America Great Again movement than this person you’re looking at right here — than me."

Steele has been arguing that Lara Trump fails to understand the duties of being an RNC co-chair.

On MSNBC's The Weekend in February, Steele told host Alicia Menendez, "The number one responsibility of the RNC (is not) to elect Donald Trump. The number one responsibility is to elect every candidate who's on the ballot on behalf of the party. It is to raise money for those candidates who are on the ballot."

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.