Get Ready for fireworks: Trump launches direct attack on McConnell a month out from midterm elections
President Trump has unleashed his first direct attack on Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, following McConnell’s bleak warning that the GOP could lose control of the House of Representatives in November’s mid-term elections. In two tweets, Mr. Trump called Mr. McConnell weak and ineffective. The president also targeted Republicans who have been reluctant to pass his legislative agenda, singling out Senators John McCain of Arizona and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska for voting against Obamacare repeal in July.
Republicans are in deep trouble
The President’s latest tirade against the Senate Majority Leader is just the latest in his recent attacks against Republicans who are facing tough races this November. It’s unsurprising that he would go after someone with as much clout as McConnell, but it has to be frustrating for Republican leaders like him who want to make sure their majorities stick around. This also shows how deeply entrenched Trump is in his America-First agenda, which could mean that the GOP will have to deal with him post-election.
The midterms are usually about the president
The Congressional midterms are typically seen as a referendum on the president. With President Trump’s approval rating at an all-time low, it is no surprise that the Republicans are in jeopardy of losing their majorities in both chambers. The Democrats need to take back 23 seats to gain control of the House and if they retake the Senate, they would have the power to block Mr. Trump’s agenda and nominees.
Mr. Trump’s approval rating is only 42 percent and it stands to fall further if he continues his battle against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. A majority of Republicans support Mr. McConnell over President Trump, in large part because of their frustration with his inability to pass legislation and low approval ratings among Democrats mean they will be able to make gains no matter who is in control.
With that said, there are some districts where President Trump remains popular so it isn’t yet clear how much impact his attacks will have in November. It certainly doesn’t help but even if Democrats take back both chambers of Congress, it’s doubtful that they would pursue impeachment as many members recognize how politically costly such a move would be for them in 2020.
Republicans face a storm of bad news
Republicans are already starting to feel the pressure as they face tough races in November. This week, President Donald Trump launched his most personal and scathing attack yet against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, calling him weak and claiming that he failed.
As if this news wasn’t bad enough, both Senator John McCain and Senator Bob Corker, two of the most influential members of the Republican party, announced their retirement. Republicans’ chances of retaining control of Congress look increasingly slim.
Doomed to fail
Trump’s latest antics are likely to backfire. His approval rating has been historically low in his first term, and he does not have the support of his own party. Plus, he has been attacking the Senate Majority Leader, who is an ally of the president’s, just weeks before the November midterms. With this latest move, it is clear that Trump will continue to go after anyone standing in his way.
The Russia probe is turning up the heat
As the Russia probe heats up, President Trump is going to have to make some tough decisions. The Senate Intelligence Committee (SSCI) has been looking into Russian interference in US elections since January 2017 and they are getting close to finding answers. In the last three months, they’ve interviewed over 100 people and reviewed thousands of pages of documents.
They’ve issued several subpoenas and seem ready to subpoena Donald Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Paul Manafort, or any other person who might provide evidence against President Trump. If this happens, it’ll be the first time that the president’s son would be required by law to testify before Congress about anything related to Russia.
Democrats are energized to vote
If there was any doubt that Democrats are energized to vote in the upcoming midterm elections, the latest battle between President Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell should put that to rest.
The President’s tweet makes clear he has no interest in being part of the solution and would rather position himself as part of the problem, said Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., after Trump tweeted his criticism of McConnell. It’s time for Republicans to stand up to this reckless president before he does even more damage.
All those times you said you would repeal ObamaCare weren’t true.
President Donald Trump is not one to let go of an insult, but the latest volley in his battle with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell came back to hurt him.
After Mr. Trump called Sen. Mitch McConnell’s handling of the Supreme Court vacancy a disgrace, the Kentucky Republican fired back by telling reporters that the president had given up on health care and other top legislative priorities. It seems pretty obvious that our leader has not been able to achieve his goals, Senator McConnell said of Mr. Trump during a news conference in Louisville.
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