Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had nothing to say to reporters who asked for his reaction Monday to former President Donald Trump calling him a “dumb son of a b——.”
Mr. McConnell, Kentucky Republican, didn’t respond to a question at the Capitol about Mr. Trump’s criticism of him, which was delivered during a Republican National Committee donor retreat in Florida over the weekend.
Senate Minority Whip John Thune, South Dakota Republican, said he hopes eventually Mr. Trump and Mr. McConnell will reach “some sort of truce.”
“It’s in everybody’s best interest, I think, including the former President if he wants to continue to stay viable politically to help us win the majority in 2022,” Mr. Thune told reporters. “And that means working with Senate Republicans and not against them.”
Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, tweeted of the dust-up: “President Trump is reported to have referred to Senator McConnell on Saturday as a ’dumb SOB.’ As all of my colleagues in the Senate know, this is not true. He’s a very smart SOB.”
Mr. Trump took credit for Mr. McConnell’s margin of victory in his reelection last fall.
“Did he ever say thank you to me?” the former president said “No. I hired his wife [as transportation secretary]. Did he ever say thank you to me? No.”
The former president also said of Mr. McConnell that “a real leader” would not have accepted the results of the 2020 election. Mr. Trump has alleged widespread election irregularities.
Mr. Trump referred to Mr. McConnell as a “stone-cold loser.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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