MSNBC’s Jen Psaki criticized the “true legacy” of Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) as a “power-focused cynic.”
Psaki discussed McConnell’s announcement last week that he would step down from his leadership role at the Senate Republican conference next November. She said on “Inside with Jen Psaki” that his latest news was the “perfect moment” to talk about his accomplishments, “especially his unwavering dedication to winning and winning at all costs.”
In her fiery remarks, Psaki suggested that McConnell’s support or opposition to an issue is based on how politically useful it is to him.
“He was in favor of campaign finance reform until he realized that opposing it meant raising more unrestricted funds, which could be politically beneficial. “He was in favor of voting rights until he realized that suppressing the vote might help Republicans win elections,” she said.
She further pointed out that in 2016, McConnell held up former President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court for 11 months, at the time saying it should be the American people’s choice in November. said.
“But that didn’t last long. If you go back just a few years ago, in 2020, he overturned his own McConnell rule against Russia’s Amy Coney Barrett in court weeks before the election. “Because for him it was never about upholding principles. It was about power,” she added.
He also said McConnell sees Trump as a “means to an end” because Trump can nominate conservatives to the federal courts. He also noted that Trump voted to acquit in the second impeachment case, even though McConnell said Trump was responsible for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. .
“And Mitch McConnell, perhaps the most influential figure in the Republican Party, is leaving office due to a decline in his position as Senate Republican leader. “This is evidenced by the lack of action on aid for Ukraine and the failure to unite Congress to pass a bipartisan border bill that was stalled at the behest of Donald Trump,” she said.
“And yet, despite all this, we know that Mr. McConnell cares about Mr. Trump and has already said he would support Mr. Trump if he were the Republican nominee. “That’s the true legacy of Mitch McConnell, a cynical man focused on power, yet consumed by the monsters who could have access to it,” she concluded.
The Hill has reached out to McConnell’s office for comment.
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