Trump pushes for primary challenges against McConnell and others who ‘vote with him’
Cami Mondeaux
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Former President Donald Trump issued his latest attack against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), encouraging Republicans to pose primary challenges against the Kentucky Republican and any GOP lawmaker who votes with him.
In a Truth Social post on Monday, Trump criticized McConnell for his vote to pass the government omnibus spending bill late last year, repeating previous accusations that the Senate minority leader allowed Democrats to push through several of their agenda items along with the annual budget. Trump also repeated racist comments he has previously made toward McConnell’s wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
TRUMP TELLS REPUBLICANS TO VOTE AGAINST ‘DISASTER’ OMNIBUS SPENDING BILL AS DEAL STRUCK
“It’s as though [McConnell] just doesn’t care anymore, he pushes through anything the Democrats want. The $1.7 TRILLION quickly approved Bill of the week before was HORRIBLE. Zero for USA Border Security,” Trump wrote. “If he waited just ten days, the now ‘United Republican Congress’ could have made it MUCH BETTER, or KILLED IT. Something is wrong with McConnell, and those Republican Senators that Vote with him. PRIMARY THEM ALL!!!”
Congress passed the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill on Dec. 23, just hours before the deadline to avert a government shutdown. The bill includes a number of provisions to keep the government funded through the next fiscal year, as well as a handful of earmark measures that lawmakers have sought to include for passage, such as additional military aid to Ukraine, renaming federal buildings after top lawmakers, and more.
Trump called on Republicans to vote against the measure, criticizing Democrats for failing to include a measure that adequately addressed the lack of protections at the southern border. Other Republican leaders criticized the omnibus bill for similar reasons, arguing Democrats used the midnight deadline to push the 4,155-page legislation through Congress without giving lawmakers adequate time to read it through.
However, the spending bill was ultimately able to make its way through Congress, with 18 Senate Republicans joining Democrats to back the bill — including McConnell. The bill passed the House with a 225-201 vote, with nine Republicans joining Democrats.
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Trump has repeatedly taken shots at McConnell and Chao since leaving the White House, particularly after the Senate minority leader rebuked the former president’s actions during the Capitol riot and rejected efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election.
McConnell was reelected to a seventh Senate term in 2020 after defeating Democratic challenger Amy McGrath. The senior Kentucky senator has not indicated whether he plans to run for another term, but if he does, it would not be until 2026 — making Trump’s primary threats largely symbolic.