Former President Donald Trump says he regrets his endorsement of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for reelection in 2020 and thinks the Senate GOP should “impeach” him.
“I made a mistake, I endorsed him,” Mr. Trump said Thursday in an interview on Real America’s Voice. “He came to me — he was so nice to me and asked for my endorsement.”
Mr. Trump, who was impeached by the House and acquitted by the Senate twice, said Mr. McConnell should be ousted. He may have been referring to powers that allow the Senate to expel a member with a two-thirds vote — something that hasn’t happened since the Civil War era.
Mr. Trump has criticized Mr. McConnell for not taking a hard enough line in negotiations with Democrats, including the regular practice of lifting the debt ceiling to authorize federal borrowing.
“It’s crazy what’s happening with this debt ceiling. They ought to impeach Mitch McConnell,” Mr. Trump said. “They [Democrats] must have something on him — how he approves this thing is incredible.”
Failing to raise the debt ceiling is viewed as risky since the nation could default on its debts and see its credit rating suffer.
Mr. McConnell has warned the Biden administration that he plans to play hardball after a debt-limit increase last December, saying he “will not be a party to any future effort to mitigate the consequences of Democratic mismanagement.”
Mr. Trump has insulted Mr. McConnell and his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, in the past. He often calls the senator “Old Crow,” something Mr. McConnell has laughed off.
“The only time I’ve responded to the president, I think, since he left office is when he gave me my favorite nickname — Old Crow — which I considered a compliment,” Mr. McConnell said recently. “After all, it was Henry Clay’s favorite bourbon.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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