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Donald Trump lashed out at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Saturday night after the Kentucky Republican suggested the ‘quality’ of certain GOP candidates could prevent his party from retaking the majority in the November midterm elections.
It comes amid Republican concerns about how a wave of Trump-backed celebrity candidates will fare in the general races after defeating more experienced establishment candidates in key primaries.
‘Why do Republicans(sic) Senators allow a broken down hack politician, Mitch McConnell, to openly disparage hard working Republican candidates for the United States Senate,’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social app.
‘This is such an affront of honor and to leadership.’
The former president also lashed out at McConnell’s wife Elaine Chao, who served as the Secretary of Transportation under Trump’s administration.
‘He should spend more time (and money!) helping them get elected, and less time helping his crazy wife and family get rich on China!’ he wrote.
It comes after McConnell expressed reservations about how certain candidates would fare in the upcoming state-wide races during an event at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce on Thursday.
‘I think there’s probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate,’ McConnell said.
‘Senate races are just different, they’re statewide. Candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome.’
Donald Trump’s relationship with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell permanently soured when the Kentucky Republican voted to certify President Joe Biden’s electoral victory
He explained, ‘Right now, we have a 50-50 Senate and a 50-50 country, but I think when all is said and done this fall, we’re likely to have an extremely close Senate. Either our side up slightly or their side up slightly.’
Trump’s picks, such as TV physician Dr. Oz and former sports star Herschel Walker, are struggling to build momentum with less than three months until the midterms.
Parties that control the White House, Senate and House usually face a drubbing in midterm elections.
Add in President Joe Biden’s historic unpopularity and Democrats had assumed that 2022 would follow that pattern.
But in recent weeks they have claimed a handful of legislative victories, while watching Republican primaries deliver wins to candidates backed by Trump, but opposed by other GOP heavy hitters.
In some cases, Trump’s endorsement was enough to put them over the top. But they are generally untested, first time candidates.
In Pennsylvania’s open Senate race, Dr. Oz is trailing far behind Democratic candidate John Fetterman, who has found his opponent to be an easy target for social media burns.
Trump took to Truth Social to disparage his rival, who he has long called to be removed from his Senate leadership role
As a result, on Thursday the nonpartisan Cook Political Report changed its rating from ‘toss up’ to ‘lean Democrat.’
Fetterman’s campaign has successfully branded Oz an out-of-state carpetbagger, and raised money from a video in which the TV celebrity muddled the name of a grocery store while shopping for crudité.
‘Fancy French appetizer plates aside, a simple glance at Oz compared to the hoodie-and-shorts clad tattooed Fetterman, and it’s not surprising to discern who comes across as more authentic and relatable to voters,’ the Cook Political Report concluded.
And in Georgia, a recent poll shows Democratic reverend Warnock in a near-tie with former NFL star Walker, despite Republican confidence in flipping the seat back to red earlier in the year.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/University of Georgia survey has Walker trailing Warnock by three points, within the margin of error.
‘We’ve got some strong candidates. Some that, I think, are less strong,’ Utah GOP Senator Mitt Romney told Politico last month. ‘Let’s just say Herschel Walker, I think, is having a hard time getting his running legs back.’