Former President Trump said Sunday that he “hopes” Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will support his bid for the White House, despite frequent tensions between the two men. I heard it,” he claimed.
“Sunday Morning Futures” anchor Maria Bartiromo asked Trump in an interview how he would work with McConnell, whom she described as “extremely anti-Trump,” if the former president wins a second term. I asked him if he was planning on doing so.
Trump said, “I think Mitch McConnell wants to support me. That’s what I hear.”
“More than half of the Republicans have already supported me, and the rest are supporting me,” Trump said. “I don’t know if he will support me, but I just heard that he wants to support me.”
The Hill has reached out to McConnell’s office for comment.
Republicans in the House and Senate have strengthened their support for President Trump in recent weeks following back-to-back primary victories in Iowa and New Hampshire. Several Republicans have said their party should fully support Trump in a show of unity ahead of the November election.
Pressure on McConnell increased after Trump’s victory in New Hampshire, with Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), an ally of McConnell and a member of the Senate Republican leadership, to support the former president. urged.
Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), Mr. McConnell’s general counsel and another member of Mr. McConnell’s leadership team, also endorsed Mr. Trump, although she has not previously been involved in Republican elections.
McConnell’s relationship, or lack thereof, is no secret, with the former president consistently criticizing the Republican leader since his 2020 re-election loss, and McConnell occasionally taking jabs of his own.
The former president claimed Sunday that his primary Republican challenger, Nikki Haley, lacks support from the Senate.
“Everyone’s lined up, everyone’s on board,” President Trump said. “And they also recognize the fact that we have changed the Republican Party. The Republican Party under Trump was a huge success.”
Trump has a 57.2 point lead over the former South Carolina governor, according to national polling indexes from The Hill and Decision Desk, but Haley’s home state, where a primary is scheduled for later this month, has a 57.2-point lead over the former South Carolina governor. The former president has a 30.8 point lead.
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