Tag: mitch mcconnell
Mitch McConnell

'I Said I Would': Craven McConnell Defends Support Of 'Disgraceful' Trump

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.

Senate GOP Memo: Candidates Must 'Clearly' Reject Alabama IVF Ruling

Senate GOP Memo: Candidates Must 'Clearly' Reject Alabama IVF Ruling

The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) — the main campaign arm for GOP candidates for the US Senate — is urging Republicans to distance themselves from the Alabama Supreme Court's recent controversial ruling that frozen embryos are equivalent to human children.

Since the ruling, three in-vitro fertilization (IVF) providers in Alabama have ceased fertility treatments for people hoping to become pregnant in the Yellowhammer State in order to avoid prosecution. In response to the ruling, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has had to publicly state that his office will not prosecute people who are either receiving or providing IVF treatments.

CNN congressional correspondent Lauren Fox tweeted the memo on Friday, which stated that the Alabama ruling was being exploited as "fodder for Democrats hoping to manipulate the abortion issue for electoral gain," and emphasized that there are "zero Republican Senate candidates who support efforts to restrict fertility treatments."

"NRSC encourages Republican senate candidates to clearly and concisely reject efforts by the government to restrict IVF," the memo read, citing research by Kellyanne Conway that found 85 percent of respondents — including 86% of women — support "increasing access to fertility-related procedures and services."

"When responding to the Alabama Supreme Court ruling, it is imperative that our candidates align with the public's overwhelming support for IVF and fertility treatments," the memo continued.

The Alabama decision has also proven divisive for Republican presidential candidates. Former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, who is hoping for a strong showing in her home state of South Carolina tomorrow, agreed with the ruling and stated that frozen embryos were indeed "babies." However, former President Donald Trump took a different stance, and called on the Alabama legislature to "act quickly to find an immediate solution to preserve the availability of IVF."

"Like the OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of Americans, including the VAST MAJORITY of Republicans, Conservatives, Christians, and Pro-Life Americans, I strongly support the availability of IVF for couples who are trying to have a precious baby," Trump wrote on his Truth Social account.

Reprinted with permission from Alternet.

Sam Brown

Hilarious Republican Mud Bath In Nevada Senate Primary

A new ad in Nevada’s GOP senate primary features a photoshopped image of Republican Sam Brown dancing on a stripper pole while Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) throws money at him. It is the latest example of how Republican in-fighting is consuming a crucial 2024 race.

Brown launched his campaign in July. He is an election denier and anti-abortion extremist, but support from McConnell and other Washington, D.C. insiders has made him a target for his competitors in the Republican primary. Brown and his opponents are hoping to take on incumbent Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen in the 2024 election.

The ad is from the campaign of Dr. Jeff Gunter, a dermatologist who served as former President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Iceland from 2019 to 2021. In the spot, Gunter boasts that he is “110% pro-Trump.” For months, Gunter has been hitting Brown for not endorsing Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Gunter posted the following on the social media platform X: “Nevada Republicans take notice: nowhere on Scam Brown’s website does he endorse President Trump or even mention the America First movement. This McConnell-backed puppet can’t even say who he’s supporting for president in 2024.”

On Jan. 12, Brown seemingly caved to this pressure and endorsed Trump’s White House bid. A spokesperson for Brown’s campaign did not immediately respond to questions for this story.

Trump is extremely popular amongst Nevada Republicans. A recent Emerson College poll found 73% of likey Nevada GOP caucus voters support Trump. In recent weeks, Gunter has teased that Trump may soon endorse his campaign.

Brown previously ran for senate in 2022 but failed to advance past the Republican primary. At that time, Brown attacked his opponent Nevada Attorney General Adam Laxalt for having McConnell’s support.

“Guess who else has endorsed Adam? Mitch McConnell,” Brown said in a campaign event with the Republican Men’s Club of Northern Nevada on Nov. 21, 2021. “So it’s, you know, if we trust Mitch McConnell, well then, well I’m sorry for you but I don’t.”

In Dec. 2023, McConnell appeared at a campaign fundraiser for Brown. Gunter says this about face makes Brown a hypocrite.

Nevada’s Republican primary for senate is scheduled for June 11, 2024. According to personal finance disclosures, Gunter’s net worth exceeds $25 million, more than enough to self-finance his campaign.
Also competing is Jim Marchant, a former member of the Nevada Assembly who is aligned with QAnon conspiracy theorists.

Reprinted with permission from American Journal News.

Chip Roy

House Republicans Forcing A Ruinous Government Shutdown

House Republicans are determined to pass funding bills that have no chance of becoming law as the U.S. Senate seeks a bipartisan agreement to avert a government shutdown.

Congress has not passed annual spending bills, meaning the federal government will partially shut down at the end of September unless the House, Senate, and president can agree on legislation.

On Tuesday, House Republicans voted to begin debate on four partisan bills to slash spending below agreed levels, though those bills stand no chance in the Democratic-led Senate.

On the same day, the Senate advanced a bipartisan plan to fund the federal government’s operations for six weeks, extend disaster relief funding, and support Ukraine’s defense in its war against Russia.

The Senate voted 77-19 to begin consideration of the temporary funding package, which is backed by both Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

But House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) reportedly told his caucus that the bill will not get a vote on the House floor. McCarthy faces threats from far-right Congress members that he will lose his speakership if he agrees to a bipartisan plan.

Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) told the Wall Street Journal that because the bipartisan bill does not include new border security funding, it would not come up in the House.

Florida Republican Rep. Byron Donalds called the bill a “non-starter,” with an Axios reporter tweeting on Wednesday that he said, “That thing is dead over here.”

“We’re going to work hard to do the work for the American people, while the Senate can preen and posture with yet another swamp game by putting forward another continuing resolution of the status quo, rather than trying to change this place,” said Texas Republican Rep. Chip Roy in a floor speech Tuesday.

Rather than consider the Senate package or any temporary funding legislation, nearly every House Republican voted on Tuesday to consider a series of four appropriations bills that include steep spending cuts to education, health care, child care, and nutrition programs. Even if all four proposals pass the House this week, they stand no chance of passing in the Senate and would not avert a partial shutdown.

Debate on the bills will eat up several hours of House floor time with just four days left before a shutdown.

Some members of the Republican Main Street Caucus, which claims to back “common sense, pragmatic legislation,” have been critical of their House Republican colleagues for bringing the nation to the brink of a shutdown and have suggested that they might join with Democrats on a bipartisan deal.

“When you’re trying to pass something through the House, you want to work as a conference,” New York Rep. Mike Lawler told CNN on Tuesday, “And some of my colleagues have frankly been stuck on stupid and refuse to do what we were elected to do against the vast majority of the conference, who have been working to avoid a shutdown.”

On September 22, Lawler slammed Republican colleagues such as Matt Gaetz of Florida, tweeting: “Create a crisis. Blame others. Pretend to solve.”

But Lawler and the rest of the Main Street Caucus still voted with their party to advance the four-bill package.

“The choice facing Congress: pretty straightforward. We can take the standard approach and fund the government for six weeks at the current rate of operations, or we can shut the government down in exchange for zero meaningful progress on policy,” McConnell said in a Wednesday floor speech.

If the government shuts down, it will continue to provide only essential functions, and no federal employees will receive pay.

In that scenario, families will lose food aid through the Women, Infants and Children nutrition program, food safety inspection will be halted, no one will be able to file new Social Security claims, and veterans will be unable to access services.

Recent shutdowns have done billions of dollars in damage to the nation’s economy, reducing its gross domestic product. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that the longer a shutdown lasts, the more economic damage it will do.

Still, some House Republicans and former President Donald Trump see a shutdown as a good thing.

“We should not fear a government shutdown. Most of what we do up here is bad anyway. Most of what we do up here hurts the American people,” Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) said in July.

Reprinted with permission from American Independent.