'We've Been Liberated': McConnell Allies Say Former Top GOP Senator Is Now A Wild Card In Tanking Trump's Appointments

Source: MEDIAite

Nov 15th, 2024, 6:05 pm


Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is no longer a member of the GOP leadership in the U.S. Senate – for the first time since 2003. Punchbowl News asked on Friday if this means that McConnell is “finally a free agent?” and speculated as to whether or not the Kentucky senator would try and scuttle some of President-elect Donald Trump’s more shocking cabinet picks.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who is also out of senate leadership having lost the race to replace McConnell, told Punchbowl, “He and I both agree we’ve been liberated.”

“But I know how strongly [McConnell] feels about foreign policy and national security matters. I agree with him on that,” Cornyn said when asked about McConnell’s vow to continue to vocally oppose Trump’s more isolationist rhetoric on foreign policy. Punchbowl’s Andrew Desiderio and Max Cohen reported:

There’s a belief that if McConnell opposes [Tulsi] Gabbard’s nomination, it could provide cover to other Senate Republicans who align with his foreign policy views. With a 53-47 margin, Trump can only afford to lose three Republican votes, assuming there’s full attendance.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), a close ally of McConnell who has already come out against Matt Gaetz for AG, told Punchbowl, “I’m sure he won’t try to second-guess the new leader or undermine Sen. Thune in any way. But it’s just natural that he will have well-developed ideas and strategies on a host of issues and that members want to hear that.”

Read more: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/weve-been-liberated-mcconnell-allies-say-former-top-gop-senator-is-now-a-wild-card-in-tanking-trumps-appointments/