Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said Sunday whether Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will run for re-election if former President Trump retakes the White House in November. The man said he doesn’t know, given the frequent tensions between the two.
Asked by “Sunday Morning Futures” host Maria Bartiromo if he thought McConnell wouldn’t run if Trump won the general election, Cruz replied, “I don’t know.” That’s Mitch’s decision to make. ”
“Obviously there’s a lot of rocky relationship between Mitch McConnell and Donald Trump. Mitch is going to have to make that decision,” he continued. What I would like to see is Senate Republicans standing up and leading the charge. I believe there will be a very good election in November. I think we’re going to see Donald Trump re-elected as President of the United States. ”
McConnell’s current term is six years, ending in 2026.
The Hill has reached out to McConnell’s office for further comment.
McConnell’s relationship, or lack thereof, is well known on Capitol Hill, with the former president repeatedly criticizing Republican leaders since his 2020 re-election loss. The Kentucky Republican has occasionally fired back at the former president with jabs of his own.
In an interview with The Hill last week, McConnell acknowledged that Trump is the most prominent Republican in today’s political climate, but defended his decision to stand up to the former president on certain issues.
Earlier this month, President Trump voiced staunch opposition to both the Senate’s bipartisan border security deal, which collapsed over Republican opposition, and the Senate’s emergency defense spending bill, which includes aid to Ukraine and Israel.
The bill was approved last Tuesday on a 70-29 vote, with 22 Republicans, including McConnell, joining the Democratic majority in the Senate. The Senate minority leader told The Hill that it was impressive that 22 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, given President Trump’s opposition and influence within the Republican Party.
The Republican senator is one of the few who has not yet endorsed the former president’s re-election bid and has remained silent on the matter.
Earlier this month, Trump claimed he had “heard” that McConnell “wanted” to support him, a claim neither the lawmaker nor his office confirmed at the time.
Trump maintains a significant lead in the Republican primary field. National polls show her trailing Haley by nearly 63 points, according to polling compiled by The Hill and Decision Desk. In Haley’s home state of South Carolina, which will hold a primary election later this month, the former president leads the former governor by more than 31 points.
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