Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters on Tuesday that he will attend a meeting with former President Trump and the Senate Republican Conference later this week, hosted by the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC).
McConnell told reporters from CNN and NBC News on Tuesday that he planned to attend the meeting despite his long-standing feud with Trump, who has repeatedly called on Republican senators to oust McConnell from his party leadership position.
This will be the first time the two leaders meet in person since 2020.
Trump and McConnell have not spoken to each other since December 2020, when they clashed over Trump’s plans to challenge President Biden’s victory in that year’s election.
McConnell confirmed Biden as the next president on Dec. 15, 2020, after Biden won the electoral vote.
He endorsed Trump for president in March, taking a step toward reconciliation with the president.
“It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has secured the support of the Republican Party necessary to be the nominee for president of the United States,” McConnell said in a statement after Trump secured the nomination on Super Tuesday.
McConnell has made a habit of not commenting on Trump or his numerous legal issues, and has frequently told reporters that he has decided to stay out of this year’s presidential election.
But the Senate Republican leader voiced his support for Trump after a Manhattan jury convicted him of 34 felony counts of falsifying business records.
“These charges should never have been filed in the first place and I am hopeful that the convictions will be overturned on appeal,” McConnell said in a post on the social platform X, criticizing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
