Mitch McConnell's preemptive strike on GOP isolationism

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Axios

4 hours ago


Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is launching a preemptive strike against the isolationists in his own party, warning of the "price of American retreat" in a new essay for Foreign Affairs.

Why it matters: McConnell is putting Trump — and the entire Republican party — on notice that he plans to be an active combatant in the looming GOP civil war on foreign policy.

"America will not be made great again by those who simply want to manage its decline," McConnell writes in a 5,000-word piece posted this morning.

"Trump would be wise to build his foreign policy on the enduring cornerstone of U.S. leadership: hard power."

The big picture: McConnell has said he will feel "liberated" once he leaves leadership to criticize Democrats and Republicans alike. As the chair of the Defense appropriations subcommittee, he'll have a powerful perch to advance his agenda.

But his essay is full of appeals to Trump, who he once called "stupid" and "despicable." McConnell, a master negotiator, is leaving plenty of room for a productive relationship with the next president.

He is also unsparing in his criticism of the last two Democratic presidents.

"Donald Trump will inherit a world far more hostile to U.S. interests than the one he left behind four years ago," he writes. "But the response to four years of weakness must not be four years of isolation."

Driving the news: Congressional support for Ukraine will likely emerge as the first flashpoint between "American First" isolationists and more traditional Republican hawks.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/2024/12/16/mitch-mcconnell-trump-foreign-policy

[Walleye]

1. Just another Republican lying sack of shit. I wish the news wouldn't even repeat their lies.

I really don’t know what has happened to these men who bend over so willingly for Donald Trump

[BumRushDaShow]

2. "I really don't know what has happened to these men who bend over so willingly for Donald Trump"

They are all "opportunists".

Every. Single. One.

In their minds, "it's not personal". They have their own work/life "agendas" and "plans" mapped out and they believe they can "use" people like 45 to achieve their goals. Little do they know...

[Walleye]

4. I know they lost all self-respect, but you think at least some ego would keep them from being so subservient

[Irish_Dem]

8. They aren't just protecting Trump, they are protecting themselves.

They have committed crimes and wrong doing just like Trump.

Sold out their country to the Russians, helped J6, looked the other way when Putin installed
them into office, took bribe money, etc.

[Walleye]

10. They also protecting their greedy little fortunes

[Irish_Dem]

11. Much of it made illegally or unethically.

[Irish_Dem]

7. Exactly. It was always about money and power.

They did whatever it took to achieve those goals.
Even selling their country, democracy, and Americans to the highest bidder, our enemies.
And installing a ruthless psychopath into the WH.

Mitch McConnell knows full well the Russians helped Trump last time and this time get the WH.

[bucolic_frolic]

3. Senile old F can't even remember 2016.

And Mitch was praising Biden for standing up to Putin. Don't remember that either.

[Macrophylla]

5. So the guy....

Who did his best to break the system now says he will fight for the system.

But hey in a country as collectively stupid as America why not hire wreck it Ralph to fix what he himself took part in wrecking.

The American Ignoratti did re-elect Donnie Dipshit so.......

[Irish_Dem]

6. Exactly, he helped Trump's rise to power and knew exactly what that meant.

Now he is crying crocodile tears.

[DENVERPOPS]

13. Bingo!

They all helped Trump rise to power......Every hour, Every day, Every week, Every month, for FOUR YEARS, and ever since, for the past four years.

They ALL created a Frankenstein's Monster and now don't know what to do with him..... They are all now living in Fear daily, that Trump will throw them under the bus on a whim, despite what they have done for him all this time........They all well know that that is his M.O. FOR HIS ENTIRE LIFE, and even more so in his administration and in his CABAL......

McConnell is the worst, or close to it. He had a chance, more than anyone else to end Trump. Not just once, but twice....during each impeachment. The second impeachment being the most egregious....I can only believe that with every day that passes, McConnell and every other RepubliCON Senator, wishes they had voted FOR impeachment knowing full well that there was not one thing that the
U.S. Supreme Court could do to save his ass........

[Irish_Dem]

15. Yes. McConnell had the power to end Trump's reign of terror.

But he chose to keep it going.

And now he has a tiger by the tail and is feeling sorry for himself.

[DENVERPOPS]

19. In my thinking

there is only one thing the RepubliCONs can do at this point:

The day after inauguration, assemble the House and Senate in the morning and have them execute the 25th amendment, blaming the display of the rapid deterioration of Trump caused by Dementia. They can tell the Trump voters, it was for the good of the nation, as well as being a matter of National Security..... However, before doing that, they need to tell the commanders of the military to NOT allow him access to the "football" under any circumstances....

Vance will become President, and the RepubliCONs can already have chosen someone THEY want installed as VP. Trump is just too much of a revengeful, psychopathic, loose cannon, with not a single care for the well being of the Republican Party, only himself. He is way beyond being an out of control rogue force.

They can control Vance, and he won't be blabbering daily about all that the Republican Party is doing in the shadows......Trump has more than proven he is beyond his usefulness as President.....

Vance will appeal to them, because in reality, in oh so many ways, actually worse than Trump.....

[Irish_Dem]

24. They are too terrified of Trump to try this.

If they try this and fail, their jobs are toast, and their lives are in danger.

If they are serious about taking out Trump it will have to be a sure thing.

Also they don't know if Vance will be any better or not.
He appears drug addicted and/or mentally ill too.
So I am not sure how controllable he is either.

[DENVERPOPS]

26. Good points

Regardless, we are past the point of no return...."Katie Bar The Door"...... won't be of any help at this point.......

[Irish_Dem]

27. Yes. Soon Trump will have his MAGA deep state deeply embedded across the US gov't.

Then it doesn't matter if he is taken out of the equation.

All the US checks and balances have completely folded.
Now he takes over the rest of the gov't.

[2naSalit]

9. Fuck off, MM...

You over-aged sack of shit that's been around for so long, peddling slime, that you have a thick rind.

[AverageOldGuy]

12. Bullshit

McConnell is toothless. Trump does not give a damn about McConnell. Every single Republican senator is bowing to Trump and ignoring Mc.

Mc is no longer majority leader. He is running for re-election in 2026.

I watched Romney on CNN this morning an I almost puked. Romney has joined the chorus of spineless wimps who are cowed by Trump who have given their souls to him.

We are the only ones who can save us, don’t count on a single Republican and don’t count on most elected Democrats.

[Autumn]

14. Fuck Mitch McConnell and his whole fucking party.

[Mr. Mustard 2023]

16. If a Republican and so Trump were POTUS

the last four years, Russia would occupy Ukraine, Russia would be threatening NATO, China, Canada & the EU would have retaliatory tariffs on their exported goods to us, making inflation much worse and our military would be hollowed out, run by KKK sympathizers and Trump loons.

We'd be much weaker without President Biden's policies, but Mitch has to get his shots at Dems in no matter how dangerous to the country. Good grief, Mitch McConnell is largely responsible for Trump being re-elected and now he wants to pretend to be fighting against the fascists.

Typical Republican claiming to be strong, when what they are is willing to sell to the highest bidder, like Putin and his planet killing oil.

[relayerbob]

17. Fuck McConnell

This hypocrite is the #1 reason we are where we are, not Trump. SCOTUS is what it is because of him. Trump is able to be President, because of him. Period. I despise him more than I despise Trump, at least Trump is open about being a traitor and a criminal.

[cstanleytech]

18. Trying to position himself in a positive light for history when the only thing that will be is his obituary.

[karin_sj]

20. We'll see if he does anything at all to stop or slow down the monster...

But I don't hold out a lot of hope. He could have single handedly stopped this disaster by voting to impeach the orange traitor the first or second time (especially the second time). And he could have swayed a lot of his fellow republican senators to do the same. Too little too late, but if by some miracle, he finally steps up, I'm all for it. Not holding my breath though.

[AllaN01Bear]

21. we have done this before multiple times and china and russia took advantage of it hem

[Grumpy Old Guy]

22. I will never...

...give a rat's ass about anything Mitch McConnell thinks or says.

[Miguelito Loveless]

23. Puh-leaze!

This is theatrics.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

25. Why Mitch McConnell's latest clashes with Trump matter

Despite his recent partisan history, Mitch McConnell has thrown a lot of brushback pitches in Donald Trump's direction lately.
https://bsky.app/profile/stevebenen.com/post/3ldgr2fa5v22m

I'm not getting my hopes up, but Mitch McConnell really has thrown a surprising number of brushback pitches in Trump's direction lately.

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/mitch-mcconnells-latest-clashes-trump-matter-rcna184354

In a statement to NBC News, the Kentucky Republican — who’ll soon step down from his GOP leadership post — didn’t mention Kennedy by name, but the longtime senator said anyone seeking a confirmation vote must be specific about their intentions related to the polio vaccine.

“Anyone seeking the Senate’s consent to serve in the incoming Administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts,” McConnell wrote. He added that “efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed — they’re dangerous.”

It was a notable brushback pitch from a key GOP official, but it was also part of a recent pattern: McConnell has thrown a lot of these pitches at Trump and his team lately.

In an interview with the Financial Times, published last week, McConnell warned about the dangers of isolationism, which he seemed to tie directly to his party’s incoming president. “We’re in a very, very dangerous world right now, reminiscent of before World War II,” the senator said, adding, “Even the slogan is the same. ‘America First’ — that was what they said in the ’30s.”
McConnell has a newly published essay in Foreign Affairs magazine, warning against the “right-wing flirtation with isolation and decline.” Referencing a signature phrase from Trump, the Kentucky Republican added, “America will not be made great again by those who simply want to manage its decline.”
The senator’s written piece echoed a speech he delivered earlier this month, rejecting his party’s isolationist wing.
In Congress last month, Matt Gaetz’s bid to become the next attorney general collapsed in the face of opposition from GOP senators. While there was no official tally on the scope of the Republican opposition to the former Florida congressman, The New York Times reported that McConnell was among those staunchly opposed to his prospective nomination.

When political observers take stock on Capitol Hill, looking for Republicans who might be a thorn in the president-elect’s side, they tend to focus on members such as Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski and Maine’s Susan Collins. But what if McConnell — who’s expected to retire at the end of his term, and who doesn’t appear to have anything to lose by standing up to Trump — unexpectedly joins the faction of Trump skeptics?