WASHINGTON – Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell is criticizing President Trump, who is reportedly placing an “amateur isolationist” in charge of U.S. military policy.
McConnell, a previous Republican leader in the Senate, blocked the nominee for the Pentagon position while discussing the shootings involving National Security Advisor Timothy Howe.
“There isn't a sufficient amount of experience in uniform to lead the NSA. If amateur isolationists are capable of conducting senior policy work at the Pentagon, then what is the actual standard for being part of the national security staff in this administration?” McConnell expressed to the New York Times. “I just don't get it.”
McConnell, 83, disagrees with Trump’s selections of Michael Dimino as deputy secretary of defense for the Middle East and Andrew Byers as deputy secretary of defense for South and Southeast Asia.
Dimino, a previous CIA analyst, also worked as a member of the Pentagon Intelligence co-staff office. He has faced backlash for calling Iran’s largely intercepted missile tests targeting Israel as “very medium” compared to Israel’s secret activities against Iran. “Very medium”.
Dimino has previously minimized the significance of the area for U.S. security.
Byers, a former scholar at Duke University and Texas A&M, received criticism for stating, “The U.S. should abandon its aggressive military strategy directed at China and instead counter the Chinese threat by employing a ‘preparation’ strategy.”
Trump and McConnell, 78, collaborated on significant legislation and appointments during Trump’s initial term.
Nevertheless, their relationship deteriorated following the 2020 election and the January 6, 2020, Capitol riots.
McConnell’s spouse, former Transport Secretary Elaine Chao, resigned from Trump’s cabinet a day following his supporters stormed Congressional chambers to obstruct the certification of the 2020 election results.
McConnell voted to acquit Trump during the following Senate impeachment trial, but he denounced Trump for the violence, allowing Trump’s political comeback.
McConnell stated that the assault was “a totally expected result of the escalation of a series of false statements, conspiracy theories, and reckless exaggeration, all while the defeated president kept shouting from the biggest platform on earth.”
Afterwards, Trump began deriding McConnell with derogatory nicknames like “Cocochou” and “broken old crow.”
This year, McConnell opposed the confirmations of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses, Intelligence Director Tarsi Gabbard, and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
