The Senate GOP has prevailed in getting Trump’s picks for his cabinet thus far, but there is one man who continues to vote like a Democrat, side with the Democrats, and has been a thorn in the side of the Trump movement and the Republican Party for far too long. That man is former Senate Majority Leader and current Chair of the Senate Rules Committee, Kentucky US Senator Mitch McConnell. For the last six years of his term, especially during Trump’s bid for a second term and his seeking to accomplish his mandate, McConnell has consistently been on the exact opposite side of the current base of the GOP.
His actions, such as his criticism of Trump and the Make America Great Again movement, his support for interventionist foreign policies, and his alignment with Democrats on key legislation, all go against the core values of the Republican Party. McConnell’s anti-Trump stance has had far-reaching consequences. His criticism of Trump and the Make America Great Again movement, his support for interventionist foreign policies, and his backing of anti-Trump Biden cabinet members have all worked against our party’s interests.
We must acknowledge the damage these actions have caused and take a stand.
Even before the start of Trump’s second term, McConnell had opposed some of Trump’s most common-sense ideas to enrich America, such as his support for repealing Obamacare and tariffs on countries that had been taking advantage of the United States for far too long. As Leader, McConnell’s legislative ignorance showed that either he was unwilling to work with Trump on his agenda or was too incompetent to usher in his colleagues to vote in line with his agenda to give the administration the accomplishments it needed to be successful.
Any logical guess would conclude that McConnell could land Trump victories, as the Senate did on the President’s Supreme Court nominations of Justices Amy Comey Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh. Still, he was too anti-Trump to help him accomplish legislative needs like the ones Senator Chuck Schumer landed former President Joe Biden in his time as Majority Leader. Even worse, he aligned with Democrats in the Senate in support of then-President Joe Biden’s 2021 infrastructure bill, landing Biden one of the essential pieces of legislation he accomplished during his time in office that he could use against Republicans in both the midterm elections and the 2024 general election.
If it was not intentional enough to not be strong as a Majority Leader for Trump during his first term, the unwillingness to defend Trump amidst the deep state’s attack on him is even worse. On January 6th, McConnell claimed Trump was “practically and morally responsible” for the riots and continued to paint Trump as the threat to democracy that the Democrats, mainstream media, and the deep state wanted to describe him as being.
At every single turn possible, Senator McConnell has continued to stab his party in the back without any repercussion, and now he is seeking to downplay Trump’s second term by opposing any pick that has the slightest bit of pushback against it. McConnell’s opposition to Trump’s cabinet nominees, such as current Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and the just-confirmed Robert F Kennedy Jr, must be the final straw in his long career in the United States Senate. McConnell’s stranglehold on the Senate chamber must die, and it is time for the Senate GOP Conference to act.
Not only has McConnell and his staff opposed the Trump mandate, but they continue to prop him up like the Democrats did Joe Biden over the last four years. The senior US Senator from Kentucky has had several health scares over the last few months, from minute-long pauses at press conferences, falls that have made him wheelchair-bound for votes in the chamber, and conditions that have prevented him from communicating with his constituency. Not only is it past time for McConnell to be challenged on his incompetency by his colleagues, but it is time for him to be called out for becoming Joe Biden 2.0.
Per Article I, section 5 of the United States Constitution, the Senate can condemn its members if they violate the chamber’s rules and standards. With the GOP now having fifty-three members and the majority of the chamber, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the rest of the Senate Republican Conference need to censure Mitch McConnell for his behavior.
A censure would prove to the American people that this is a different, unified party than in years past. Republicans, Democrats, and independents universally despise McConnell, and it is time for Republicans to step up and hold him accountable for what he has done to stop Trump and to halt America First policies. Failure to censure McConnell could lead to further division within the party and a loss of trust from the American people.
The American people voted for a mandate that rejects the kind of politics and legislative actions that Senator McConnell aspires to. It is time for the US Senate GOP Conference to move to censure McConnell. By doing so, we can demonstrate our commitment to the Republican Party’s values and principles and show the American people that we are a united front, ready to work towards a better future for our country.
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