It’s standard protocol for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to say a little bit in order to say a lot, and without actually having to say the thing you know he’s actually saying. But this little remark from this afternoon is worth noting, even though he is typically evasive.
During a press briefing with Republicans today, McConnell was asked for his response to Donald Trump potentially launching another bid for president in 2024. Trump recently spoke to New York Magazine about his ambitions. He’s been weird and cryptic ever since it was reported not too far into Biden’s presidency that he was privately weighing running again in 2024. He’s done nothing to shut down those reports and has done plenty of winking and nodding and elbow nudging and general flirting in the 2024 direction for months in public.
Even during the New York Magazine interview, Trump was cartoonishly mystifying. He repeated the word “decision” about 20 times. He claimed that he’s made up his mind about running, made it pretty clear what his decision was (running) and said he was still mulling whether he should announce that decision before or after the Midterms.
“Look,” he said, “I feel very confident that, if I decide to run, I’ll win.”
That was the clearest remark in the interview.
Back to McConnell. McConnell had an equally ambiguous response to the reporter’s question about how he would respond to a potential 2024 bid. He instead focused on the impending presidential primaries:
“I think we’re going to have a crowded field for president,” he said. “I assume that most of that will unfold later and people will be picking their candidates during a crowded primary field.”
It’s not a lot, but it’s notable that he chose to envision a crowded primary field instead of responding directly to the Trump question. It’s not surprising: Trump’s been publicly yelling at McConnell for what feels like years at this point.
Trump was irked by McConnell calling him out over the insurrection and he has spent the last year or so coming up with bunch of nicknames for the top Republican. The two have also been, essentially, fighting head to head with Trump’s primary endorsements — McConnell pushing more traditional, electable Republicans in the face of Trump’s endorsement of extremists and randos and TV celebrities — whoever will help keep his grievances alive.
But McConnell is not easily moved by Trump’s pettiness and he said back in April that he has “an obligation to support the nominee of my party.” That line of thinking likely hasn’t changed for McConnell, so why not repeat it?
There have been a few massively consequential events since April that may or may not contribute to the squirming — the overturning of Roe, the loosening of gun laws, the Jan. 6 Select Committee hearings. One of these is not like the others.
The Best Of TPM Today
Here’s what you should read this evening:
On that bipartisan Senate bill: Is This The Election Safeguard Legislation We’ve Been Waiting For?
More in Fulton County news today: Giuliani Ordered To Appear Before Fulton County Grand Jury
Read this before tomorrow’s hearing: What Sarah Matthews And Matthew Pottinger Might Tell The Jan. 6 Committee
And this: What Was Trump Doing For 187 Minutes During The Capitol Attack?
Arizona GOP Censures Bowers After His Jan. 6 Testimony, Claims It’s About Legislation
Secret Service Provided One (1) Text Exchange In Response To DHS IG’s Sweeping Request
From ProPublica: Texas Officials Celebrated End of Abortion Rights After Cutting Back Postpartum Medicaid Extension
Yesterday’s Most Read Story
Doc In Child Rape Case Moves To Sue Indiana AG For Defamation — Cristina Cabrera
What We Are Reading
A floating abortion clinic is in the planning stage, and people are already on board — Rachel Treisman
Indiana Republicans propose banning abortion with exceptions — Tom Davies
A Running List of John Fetterman’s Very Best Burns of Dr. Oz — Susan Rinkunas
