According to New York Times journalists Jonathan Martin and Alexander Burns, who interviewed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for their book, This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden and the Battle for American Democracy, McConnell was “exhilarated” by the potential damage of the January 6 insurrection on former President Donald Trump.
McConnell felt “exhilarated by the fact that this fellow finally, totally discredited himself,” according to the book. The exchange was reported by multiple news outlets ahead of the book’s publication next month.
“He put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger,” McConnell said, according to the book. “Couldn’t have happened at a better time.” In fact, McConnell “seemed almost buoyant” and that he said Trump was “pretty thoroughly discredited.”
McConnell has criticized the former president more than once and has indicated he is looking to move on to ensuring Republicans regain their majority in the Senate after experiencing significant setbacks under the Trump administration.
The relationship between Trump and McConnell has been largely strained since McConnell acknowledged President Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 general election even as Trump mounted a failed campaign to overturn the election results that culminated in the Capitol riot of January 6.
Trump has been vocal about his distaste for McConnell as he makes public appearances to support Republicans in the midterms and drum up support for a potential presidential run in 2024.
Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.
