by Aseahawkfan » Mon Oct 26, 2020 5:45 pm
This is from MItch McConnels's wiki page. Sounds like Mitch is doing his job as a Republican Senate leader, but it does not sound like he likes Trump much at all. I think he is holding up stimulus on purpose to get rid of Trump. I think more than a few Republicans are doing this including Romney. It's a way to revolt, while not publically doing so. In the modern era, you have to be careful how you take out a president popular with Republicans. I know a lot of powerful Republicans like Romney, likely McConnel, the Bush Family, Paul Ryan, Colin Powell, and quite a few others. Most don't publically do much given Trump's popularity within the party, but privately I would get money they want to see this guy fall. This is Senate Republicans private little way of helping usher his sorry ass out.
Relationship with Trump administration
McConnell initially endorsed fellow Kentucky senator Rand Paul during the 2016 presidential campaign. Following Paul's withdrawal from the race in February 2016, McConnell endorsed presumptive nominee Donald Trump on February 4, 2016.[114] However, McConnell disagreed with Trump on multiple subsequent occasions. In May 2016, after Trump suggested that federal judge Gonzalo P. Curiel was biased against Trump because of his Mexican heritage, McConnell responded, "I don't agree with what he (Trump) had to say. This is a man who was born in Indiana. All of us came here from somewhere else." In July 2016, after Trump had criticized the parents of Capt. Humayun Khan, a Muslim-American soldier who was killed in Iraq, McConnell stated, "All Americans should value the patriotic service of the patriots who volunteer to selflessly defend us in the armed services." On October 7, 2016, following the Donald Trump Access Hollywood controversy, McConnell stated: "As the father of three daughters, I strongly believe that Trump needs to apologize directly to women and girls everywhere, and take full responsibility for the utter lack of respect for women shown in his comments on that tape."[115] In private, McConnell reportedly expresses disdain for Trump[116] and "abhors" his behavior.[117]
In October 2017, White House chief strategist Stephen Bannon and other Trump allies blamed McConnell for stalling the Trump administration's legislation. In response, McConnell cited the confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court to show that the Senate was supportive of Trump's agenda.[118]
On November 5, 2019, as the House of Representatives began public hearings on the impeachment of President Trump, McConnell stated "I will say I'm pretty sure how [an impeachment trial is] likely to end. (...) If it were today, I don't think there's any question―it would not lead to” the removal of President Trump from office.[119]
On December 14, 2019, McConnell met with White House counsel Pat Cipollone and White House legislative affairs director Eric Ueland. Later that day, McConnell declared that for Trump's impeachment trial, he would be in "total coordination with the White House counsel's office" and Trump's representatives.[74][120] He also declared that there was "no chance" that the Senate would convict Trump and remove him from office.[121]
On December 17, 2019, McConnell rejected a request to call four witnesses for Trump's impeachment trial, because according to McConnell, the Senate's role was to "act as judge and jury", not investigate. Later that day, McConnell told the media: "I'm not an impartial juror [in this impeachment trial]. This is a political process. There's not anything judicial about it."[122][123]
After Trump’s acquittal, McConnell was noted for his ability to block witnesses, to secure Trump’s acquittal, and to maintain party unity during the impeachment process. Commentators noted that McConnell had kept Republican senators “marching in lockstep” throughout the process.[124][125][126]
Coronavirus response
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, McConnell initially opposed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, calling it a Democratic "ideological wish list".[127][128] He subsequently reversed his position when Trump endorsed the proposed package.[129] The bill passed in the Senate by a vote of 90–8.
McConnell also directed Senate Republicans in negotiations for two other coronavirus response packages: the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020, and the CARES Act. The CARES Act was the largest economic stimulus package in U.S. history,[130] amounting to 10% of total U.S. gross domestic product.[131] It passed both houses of Congress with bipartisan support.
Speaking on the Hugh Hewitt radio show on April 22, 2020, McConnell suggested that states should be able to declare bankruptcy instead of receiving additional coronavirus aid funds – funds which he implied would be used to save insolvent state pension funds, instead of coronavirus relief as intended. His comments were met with sharp criticism from various state and local officials. States currently cannot declare bankruptcy.[132]
After the passage of the CARES Act, McConnell waited several months before advancing any additional coronavirus relief measures in the Senate, saying in May that "I don't think we have yet felt the urgency of acting immediately," and stating that Congress should "[hit] pause" to evaluate how the allocated funds were working before approving more.[133] In negotiations between congressional Democrats and White House officials for an additional aid package, McConnell was absent from the talks.[134][135][136]
On September 10, a pared down coronavirus relief bill crafted by McConnell failed to advance the Senate past a Democratic filibuster.[137] Democrats panned the bill as "completely inadequate" given the scope of the crisis brought on by the coronavirus[138] – and as a partisan maneuver to help Republican senators up for reelection.[139] McConnell called the bill a choice between "do[ing] something" and "do[ing] nothing",[140] and said he was holding the procedural vote to get lawmakers on the record about their willingness to compromise on coronavirus legislation.[141]
In October, McConnell revealed he has actively avoided the White House since early August over concerns the Trump administration is not taking enough precautions against COVID-19. He stated “I personally didn’t feel that they were approaching protection from this illness in the same way that I thought was appropriate for the Senate, and the Senate has been operating in a way that I think has largely prevented contraction of this disease.” At the time of his remarks, three GOP senators had recently tested positive, as had numerous White House employees and residents, including President Trump. McConnell has advocated mask wearing and social distancing, although neither are required in the Senate.[142]