Mitch McConnell knocks White House ‘drama’ as distraction from GOP agenda

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that the “drama” from the White House takes the focus away from Republicans’ policy goals.

Mr. McConnell, responding to a Washington Post story that President Trump may have leaked information to Russian officials, told Bloomberg, “I think we could do with a little less drama from the White House on a lot of things so that we can focus on our agenda which is that deregulations, tax reform and repealing and replacing Obamacare.”

Mr. McConnell also recommended Merrick Garland to the president as a possible successor for former FBI Director James Comey, which he acknowledged is a surprising choice given his refusal to hold hearings for Judge Garland as Antonin Scalia’s replacement on the Supreme Court last year.

“[Judge Garland] has a deep background in criminal law, and I think it will make it clear that Mr. Trump will continue the tradition at the FBI of having an apolitical professional,” he said.

Mr. McConnell also briefly mentioned health care, saying that the Senate “can’t take forever” but that all members are engaged on the issue.

“We’re in intense meetings in the Senate,” he said. “It finally passed the House. It wasn’t easy and it won’t be any easier in the Senate. Three days a week we are in conversations with virtually all 52 members of the Senate.

“We can’t take forever,” Mr. McConnell said. “But I’m not going to put a strict timeline on it.”