'Can you believe he endorsed me?' Trump asked a North Carolina crowd
Trump mocks McConnell endorsement ahead of new GOP leader election
Former President Donald Trump made fun of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., for endorsing him but expressed hope for the upcoming GOP leader election.
Former President Trump taunted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., during a rally in Kinston, North Carolina, on Sunday, calling him a "disgrace," despite receiving his endorsement for president in 2024.
"Hopefully we get rid of Mitch McConnell pretty soon ‘cause he helped them, that guy," he said, claiming the Kentucky Republican assisted President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris’ administration.
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McConnell's disparaging remarks about Trump over the years were revealed in excerpts of a new book. (Reuters)
McConnell, the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, notably announced in February that he would not seek the role of leader again after the 2024 elections.
"Can you believe he endorsed me?" Trump asked the crowd Sunday. "Boy, that must have been a painful day in his life."
In March, once it became clear that Trump would go on to win the Republican nomination for president, McConnell gave him his backing. "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," he said in a statement at the time.
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Former President Trump takes the stage during a campaign rally at the J.S. Dorton Arena on Nov. 4, 2024, in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
The endorsement came as a surprise to some, given the contentious relationship between the two men. But McConnell insisted it should not be considered at all unusual. "It should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support," he said.
Remarking on the early 2024 endorsement from McConnell, Trump said on Sunday, "Every time I think of it, he didn't have to do that."
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McConnell slammed Trump as "despicable," according to a new book. (Reuters)
"He provided the necessary votes," Trump claimed, presumably referring to votes he disagreed with in Congress. "What a disgrace."
McConnell's office did not provide comment to Fox News Digital in time for publication.
The former president's mocking of both McConnell and his endorsement comes after the minority leader's own thoughts on him over the years were revealed in a new book.
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell arrives to a news conference after a lunch meeting with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol in 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
In "The Price of Power," by Michael Tackett, deputy Washington bureau chief of The Associated Press, it was reported that McConnell referred to Trump at times as a "sleazeball," "stupid," "erratic," a "despicable human being," and a "narcissist."
The secret ballot election for the next leader, who will succeed McConnell, is slated for Nov. 13, just after the general elections. In the running to replace him are Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., and Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Rick Scott, R-Fla.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.
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