Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (R-N.Y.) said in an interview published Monday that Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will be remembered in a “bad light,” but noted that he could salvage some of his own reputation by bringing back the “old Republican Party.”
Schumer He told Punchbowl News Schumer said he has been “friendlier” with McConnell recently, given the Republican's efforts to solidify GOP votes for bipartisan legislation under President Biden, including the recent Ukraine aid package. But Schumer added that this may not have been enough to change McConnell's legacy.
“[McConnell’s] “McConnell's role in history, in my opinion, is going to be bad,” Schumer said, noting that McConnell has long pushed the Supreme Court to the right.
“Not just on Roe, but on issue after issue, they are out of touch with the American people,” he added, referring to the landmark ruling that ended the constitutional right to abortion. “McConnell has gone along with Trump too many times, even though he thought he was wrong.”
McConnell's relationship with former President Trump was often strained during the Trump administration. It's no secret that the two have been tense, with McConnell frequently criticizing Republican leaders and, at times, himself since losing his 2020 reelection bid. McConnell ultimately supported Trump's reelection, saying it was “abundantly clear” that the former president had the majority of the GOP's support.
According to Punchbowl, Schumer argued that McConnell, who steps down as Senate Republican leader in November, can still “restore” his reputation.
“He could restore some of that reputation by trying to bring back the old Republican Party. I'm not going to tell him what to do,” Schumer said. “He's going to ally with us to not become isolationist. He feels passionately about that.”
Schumer argued that if Trump loses “significantly,” it could pave the way for the “old” Republican Party, noting that he could work with Republicans in 2021 and 2022.
“I know from my experience as a senator and my friendships with my fellow senators that many of them, even if they align with Trump, don't like him and don't think he's good for their party or what they believe in. A great example of that is Mitch McConnell,” Schumer said.
McConnell said last month that deterring America's adversaries should be the next president's “top priority,” and called for maintaining a strong military and support for allies.
The Hill has reached out to McConnell's office for comment on Schumer's remarks.
