Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (left) and former President Trump. Photos: Al Drago/Bloomberg and Joe Raedle via Getty Images
Former President Trump insulted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, calling him a “loser to our nation” after McConnell appeared to criticize his decision to dine with white supremacist Nick Fuentes and anti-Semitic rapper Ye.
Why is this important: The dinner divided the GOP, with some downplaying it and others denouncing the move. McConnell said Tuesday that anyone who encounters anti-Semites or white supremacists is “highly unlikely to be elected president of the United States.”
What he says : “Mitch is a loser for our nation and for the Republican Party who would not have been re-elected in Kentucky without my approval, which he begged me to do because he was falling,” Trump told FoxNews.
- “His well-funded opponent had $93 million ready to spend when I led him from two points to 21 points in a matter of days.”
- Trump again claimed he had “never heard of Nick Fuentes” before dinner.
- “I had no idea what his opinions were, and they weren’t expressed at the table during our very quick dinner, otherwise it wouldn’t have been accepted.”
- “No one has to prove or be defensive towards me and Israel,” he added. “They recognized that I am Israel’s best friend and president.”
Yes, but: Axios’ Jonathan Swan reports that Trump “seemed very taken” and impressed with Fuentes at the dinner, which took place a week after declaring his 2024 candidacy.
- Fuentes has espoused several racist conspiracy theories and is a Holocaust denier.
- Ye, who Trump says brought Fuentes to dinner uninvited, has also come under fire in recent weeks for anti-Semitic remarks.
The big picture: McConnell is one of many Republicans to take a clear stand against the dinner party. Former Vice President Mike Pence also slammed Trump on Monday and said he should apologize, though he maintained the former president was not anti-Semitic.
- House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said Fuentes had no place in the GOP, but falsely claimed Trump condemned Fuentes after they met at Mar-a-Lago.
