Less than two weeks ahead of Election Day, U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell deflected questions of his support for former President Donald Trump at a Kentucky Chamber of Commerce event Wednesday.
McConnell responded to reports that former Chief of Staff John Kelly said Trump is a fascist, and at times admired Adolf Hitler, who Trump said “did some good things.” Instead of directly addressing the claims, McConnell said people should vote based on their feelings on Joe Biden’s presidency.
“I think the election is pretty clear. If you're satisfied with the Biden years, you're going to vote for the Democrat,” McConnell said, referring to Vice President Kamala Harris. “If you think we can do better, support the Republicans.”
McConnell said he believes the presidential election would be a nail-biter, and did not venture a guess on who would win the White House. McConnell has endorsed Trump, but a biography on the long-time Republican leader coming out this month claims McConnell called Trump “stupid” and “despicable” after he won office in 2020.
“I think it's a cliffhanger,” McConnell said. “Looks like in the seven or eight states that are going to determine who wins, that's where both candidates are spending all of their time, which is smart, and I don't have a clue how it's going to come out.”
Regardless of who wins, McConnell has said he will step down from his leadership role in November. He is the longest-serving U.S. Senate leader in history, and spoke on some of his accomplishments, like reshaping the Supreme Court.
The senator also emphasized his disappointment at some unnamed members within his own party.
“There's a growing tendency among some in my party to be anti-business, which I found stunning,” McConnell said. “I don't think we get anywhere by acting like Democrats.”
McConnell also talked about his disdain for tariffs and his frustration that the U.S. isn’t pursuing more trade deals with other countries.
The senator said when he is no longer in leadership, he’ll be “free at last” to focus on his own priorities, including fighting isolationism and encouraging commerce.
“Look, isolationism is not a new thing. It was rampant in the '30s. They even called it America First. Sound familiar?” McConnell said.
Democratic President Woodrow Wilson popularized the term, referring to a set of nationalist policies that emphasize non-interventionism and protectionist trade policy (including tariffs). Trump has since co-opted the phrase to describe his approach to foreign policy, although he denies being an isolationist.
State government and politics reporting is supported in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
