In an interview with Jonathan Swan of Axios, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he had an obligation to support Donald Trump if Republicans nominated him in 2024.
McConnell told Swan, "I think I have an obligation to support the nominee of my party. That will mean that whoever the nominee is has gone out and earned the nomination.”
Sure, McConnell didn't mention Trump by name but the odds of someone other than Donald Trump being the GOP nominee are practically nil.
McConnell seems to feel an obligation to Trump, but does not feel the same obligation to the U.S. Constitution. Although McConnell opposed Trump's impeachment, he readily acknowledged that Trump was "practically and morally responsible" for the events of January 6, 2021. As recently as February, McConnell said, "It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election from one administration to the next."
Despite McConnell acknowledging Trump is "practically and morally responsible" for "a violent insurrection" he is more than happy to welcome him back to the White House.
In this respect, McConnell is simply another Bill Barr instead of a Liz Cheney. Anything short of the Cheney Standard must be a non-starter. The Cheney Standard being that Trump is unfit to hold any office and should not be permitted to run for any elected position, much less President.
While McConnell feels obligated to Trump, Trump feels absolutely no obligation to McConnell and wants him ousted from the Senate Republican leadership.
McConnell knows what Trump is, but is too much of a coward to disavow him. It is a cowardice which breeds authoritarianism. Should the United States become an authoritarian country, McConnell will bear a great deal of responsibility for it by putting cult of personality and party before constitution and country.
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