Mitch McConnell endorses Donald Trump, whom he once blamed for ‘disgraceful’ January 6 attack
- The senator was the last Republican leader to fall in line, declaring his support in a short statement after the ex-US president’s Super Tuesday wins
- He and Trump had not spoken since 2020, when McConnell declared Joe Biden the winner of that year’s election
US Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell endorsed Donald Trump for president on Wednesday, a remarkable turnaround from the one-time critic who blamed the then-president for “disgraceful” acts in the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack but now supports his bid to return to the White House.
McConnell, who was the last top Republican leader in Congress to fall in line with Trump, declared his support in a short statement after Super Tuesday wins pushed the front runner closer to the party nomination.
The two men had not spoken since 2020 when McConnell declared Democrat Joe Biden the winner of that year’s presidential election. But more recently, their teams had reopened talks about an endorsement.
“It is abundantly clear that former president Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States,” McConnell said in the statement. McConnell said: “It should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support.”
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US Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell finally acknowledges Biden and Harris’ election victory
The nod from McConnell, who has criticised Trump as “morally responsible” for the 2021 mob siege of the Capitol, lends an imprimatur of institutional legitimacy to the indicted former president’s bid to return to the White House.
