The United States Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, on Wednesday (Mar 6) said he would support his party’s frontrunner Donald Trump in the upcoming presidential election. This comes more than three years after the Senator for the US state of Kentucky blamed the former president for the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
‘He will have my support’
“It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States,” said McConnell, in a statement.
He added, “It should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support.” The Senate minority leader also highlighted the “great things” he and Trump had accomplished during his presidency, including picking three conservative justices for the Supreme Court.
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“I look forward to the opportunity of switching from playing defense against the terrible policies the Biden administration has pursued to a sustained offense geared towards making a real difference in improving the lives of the American people,” said McConnell.
The Senate minority leader’s endorsement reportedly came minutes after Nikki Haley, the last remaining rival for the Republican nomination against Trump, announced that she was ending her campaign.
Over the past few months, when asked if he would back Trump, McConnell had dodged the question saying that would endorse the party’s eventual nominee.
On Super Tuesday (Mar 5), 15 states held their primaries which account for more than a third of the overall GOP primary delegate count. The former US president won in 14 of the 15 states, including California and Texas, with the most delegates.
Why now?
It is worth noting that even before the January 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol the relations between McConnell and Trump were not smooth, but they became worse after.
The Senate minority leader and the former president have not reportedly spoken since December 2020. The endorsement came after “lengthy discussions” over the past few months between Chris LaCivita from the Trump campaign and longtime McConnell confidant Josh Holmes, according to a report by CNN.
“There’s no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. No question about it,” McConnell had said during a speech on the Senate floor after Trump was acquitted in the Senate impeachment trial.
He added, “The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president.”
Last month, McConnell announced that he will step down as leader of the Republican Party in the Senate in November. The 82-year-old is the longest-serving Senate leader in history.
(With inputs from agencies)
