Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is less popular than Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), the latter of whom has faced serious corruption charges as some of those on his own side have called on him to resign.
The results stem from Morning Consult data, which shows McConnell, 81, standing as the least popular U.S. senator, as 29 percent approve of him, and 65 percent disapprove, resulting in a net approval of -36.
McConnell has beaten out every other senator in terms of having a negative approval rating — even Sen. Menendez, who also is included in the top ten least popular senators, as 36 percent approve of him, and 46 percent do not, giving him a net rating of -10. This comes despite the fact that Menendez was indicted for allegedly accepting what has been described as “hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes” from New Jersey businessmen.
“In exchange, he is accused of wielding his ‘power and influence’ as a senator not only to ‘protect and enrich’ the men but to ‘benefit the Arab Republic of Egypt,'” as Breitbart News reported.
Morning Consult - America’s Most Popular Senators (August - October)
— InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) November 28, 2023
Approve/Disapprove
1. Barrasso (R-WY): 73/16 (+57)
2. Schatz (D-HI): 66/19 (+47)
3. Lummis (R-WY): 65/22 (+43)
4. Hoeven (R-ND): 57/26 (+31)
5. Reed (D-RI): 57/26 (+31)
6. Britt (R-AL): 53/22 (+31)
7.… pic.twitter.com/MyGUc4AnBj
McConnell, however, has also faced calls to step down following his two health scares, or “freeze-ups,” which occurred in front of the press.
WATCH — Mitch McConnell Freezes Mid-Speech, Led Away from Podium
C-SPANNevertheless, McConnell has insisted that he will finish his term as leader as he maintains his status as the longest-serving party leader in Senate history. In October, following his two public freezes, the octogenarian said he was “completely recovered and back on the job,” as doctors publicly ruled out Parkinson’s disease, a stroke, or seizures as causes of the episodes.
Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) inexplicably froze during a press gaggle on Wednesday in Covington, Kentucky, just over a month after a similar incident at the U.S. Capitol. https://t.co/zWDIr1Kexe
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) August 30, 2023
Meanwhile, McConnell has used his position to continue to advocate for more U.S. aid to Ukraine.
A September Rasmussen Reports survey found that 74 percent of Republican voters believe McConnell should resign as GOP Senate minority leader.