In a candid reflection on the state of the Republican Party, outgoing Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) declared that former President Donald Trump has significantly harmed the party’s competitiveness and criticized the MAGA movement as “completely wrong.”
These remarks were revealed in excerpts from a new biography by Michael Tackett of The Associated Press as reported by CNN.
McConnell’s comments highlight his view that Trump’s influence has reshaped the GOP away from its traditional values. He described the events of January 6, 2021, as a “shocking occurrence” that underscores Trump’s unfitness for office. “I think Trump was the biggest factor in changing the Republican Party from what Ronald Reagan viewed, and he wouldn’t recognize it today,” McConnell stated.
As he approaches the end of his 18-year tenure as Senate Republican leader, McConnell expressed concern over Trump’s appeal, suggesting that the former president provides a false narrative for those who feel disadvantaged.
Trump is appealing to people who haven’t been as successful as other people and providing an excuse for that, that these more successful people have somehow … cheated and you don’t deserve to think of yourself as less successful because things haven’t been fair,” he said.
McConnell lamented that approximately half of Republican voters now align with Trump’s views, moving away from foundational party principles like free trade and immigration reform. “Unfortunately, about half of the Republicans in the country believe whatever he says,” he noted.
Reflecting on the aftermath of the 2020 election, McConnell characterized Trump as “erratic” and criticized his intelligence and temperament. “He’s not very smart, irascible, nasty—just about every quality you would not want somebody to have,” he remarked.
The biography, titled The Price of Power: How Mitch McConnell Mastered the Senate, Changed America, and Lost His Party, also reveals McConnell’s emotional response to the January 6 Capitol attack. He reportedly wept while addressing his staff, expressing sorrow over the traumatic events they experienced. “You are my family, and I hate the fact that you had to go through this,” he told them.
As McConnell prepares to step down, his reflections offer a stark critique of a party grappling with its identity amid Trump’s enduring influence.
