Former President Donald Trump echoed calls from Kentucky residents for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to retire, continuing the long-standing feud between two of the most high-profile GOP leaders.
McConnell appeared before the crowd in his home state on Saturday and was met with boos and jeers, with several people chanting “retire” and “lost the Senate.” Trump posted a similar jab at McConnell on Truth Social.
RON DESANTIS ACKNOWLEDGES TRUMP’S 2020 ELECTION DEFEAT: ‘OF COURSE HE LOST’
“I AGREE! BOOOOO — RETIRE, RETIRE, RETIRE — BOOOOO!!!” Trump wrote on Sunday night.
His comments also provided a link to a widely circulated video showing the crowd booing McConnell, who has been a longtime target of the right wing of the Republican Party after the GOP had a smaller-than-expected performance in the 2022 midterm elections. Trump has blamed McConnell’s leadership for the losses.
However, McConnell and other GOP lawmakers have hit back at Trump since last November, blaming him for endorsing candidates who were too extreme to appeal to established Republicans in the midterm elections. Several Trump-endorsed Republicans — such as Kari Lake and Blake Masters in Arizona, Adam Laxalt in Nevada, and Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania — defeated centrist Republicans in the primary but lost handily to Democrats.
Despite the chants, McConnell has been quick to quiet speculation that he will retire at the end of his term after he froze up at a podium last week for about 19 seconds during a news conference. He later returned, and his office said he felt lightheaded.
He said he plans to serve a full term as Republican leader, which ends in January 2025. He is the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history. When elections roll around after the 2024 election, other Senate Republicans could make a bid to succeed McConnell as party leader, depending on the outcome of the race.
Sen. John Thune (R-SD), who serves as Senate minority whip, could be next in line to become party leader. However, he has taken considerable steps away from Trump, the GOP front-runner for the 2024 election. If Trump secures the GOP presidential nomination and reclaims the White House next November, Thune’s odds at becoming party leader could shift in favor of other options, such as Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) or Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX).
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
McConnell has not endorsed a presidential candidate but will likely throw his support behind the former president to beat President Joe Biden in 2024, regardless of their battle.
In Kentucky, voters are leaning heavily toward Trump over Biden. A May poll shows Trump with a 24-point lead over Biden, 57% to 33%. Trump also soars above Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in the polls, leading 70% to 14% as of May.
