UPDATE BELOW
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Mostly, I’m fond of ‘Cocaine Mitch,’ who helped alter the composition of the judiciary under the Trump presidency. The Kentucky Republican helped get critical portions of the Trump agenda through Congress, which brought about an unprecedented surge in economic growth, marked by record highs in consumer and small business confidence. McConnell was unwavering in some of the most vicious fights regarding Trump’s judicial nominees, especially with the Supreme Court. His long career is marked as one of the top legislative strategists for Senate Republicans [See: Last Note Below].
And yet, the number one rule here is that Congress remains a snake pit and that these people will disappoint: they’re human. In one of the most brazen acts of prosecutorial overreach and harassment, the FBI raided the home of Donald Trump, looking for documents he reportedly absconded with in the final days of his presidency. The liberal media says this was executed to ensure compliance with the Presidential Record Act overseen by the National Archives. We all know this is rooted in the Russian collusion circus, which McConnell himself never took seriously and prompted some liberal writers to accuse the then-Senate Majority Leader of being a Russian asset.
Flashforward to now; it’s disappointing, to say the least, watching Mitch dodge questions about the FBI’s Trump raid when this one is an easy layup. McConnell said he was focused on the flood damage that ravaged his state recently (via Fox News):
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell Tuesday dodged a question about the FBI's Monday search of former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home during a Kentucky press conference.
"I'm here to talk about the flood and recovery from the flood," McConnell, R-Ky., said when asked about the raid.
McConnell was in his home state after floods recently hit the eastern part of his state, killing dozens. President Biden and Jill Biden even visited the state Monday in the wake of the natural disaster.
Mr. Leader, you can survey the flood damage in Kentucky and eviscerate the Department of Justice for their gross abuse of power with this search warrant on the home of the former president, an unprecedented event. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), with whom you serve to represent the Bluegrass State, was able to post a tweet about the FBI running amok at Mar-a-Lago.
“The FBI raid on President Trump was approved by Director Wray, who also claimed that the illegal FISA warrants used to spy on Trump were constitutional,” said Paul.
“Today’s raid is outrageous and unjust, but predictable.”
You’re in the Republican leadership and have the staff to hash out something about the Department of Justice’s covert war on Trump. The statement doesn’t need to be a novel, like your recent press release about the dismal state of the economy. We only wanted a few paragraphs, two at most—simple. Mr. Leader, your input is not just necessary but required.
The @FBI raid on President Trump was approved by Director Wray, who also claimed that the illegal FISA warrants used to spy on Trump were constitutional.
— Rand Paul (@RandPaul) August 9, 2022
Today’s raid is outrageous and unjust, but predictable.
UPDATE: McConnell finally responds:
.@LeaderMcConnell: The country deserves a thorough and immediate explanation of what led to the events of Monday. Attorney General Garland and the Department of Justice should already have provided answers to the American people and must do so immediately. https://t.co/5hDWEds0PL
— Senator McConnell Press (@McConnellPress) August 10, 2022
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called on the Justice Department to explain itself on Tuesday evening, about 24 hours after a team of FBI agents raided former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida.
"The country deserves a thorough and immediate explanation of what led to the events of Monday," McConnell said in a statement. "Attorney General Garland and the Department of Justice should already have provided answers to the American people and must do so immediately."
Last Note:
Yes, Mitch backing the recent anti-gun bill and trashing Donald Trump for the January 6 riot was not an intelligent maneuver and a significant point deduction by the Kentucky Republican. The rumors that he was trying to join the crusade to purge Trump supporters from the party, which lasted a hot second, was another eye-roll-worthy move. Still, McConnell has a way to go before he’s as bad as Romney, Murkowski, or Collins. But he had the guts to block Garland, which triggered the Left to no end, and he completed his decades-long revenge plan against Democrats after the failed Bork nomination. McConnell won’t bat .1000, but he’s not the worst Republican in the Senate.
Hence, I’m “mostly” still fond of him but will call him out when he screws up.
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