Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ) — a co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus, which was threatening a coup against House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) — said Friday that now that Boehner has announced his resignation, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is probably “the next guy in the crosshairs.”
“Mitch McConnell is infinitely worse as a leader than Boehner,” Salmon told reporters Friday. “He surrenders at the sight of battle every time.”
Boehner was under extreme pressure from the House Freedom Caucus, which was pushing for a government shutdown over Planned Parenthood funding. McConnell has put in motion a plan to avert the shutdown.
“I was texting back and forth with one of my friends on the Senate side, Mike Lee,” Salmon said, referring to the Utah senator. “And I said, the next guy in the crosshairs is probably going to be McConnell.”
He would not elaborate on Lee’s response.