Why Trump’s Feud With McConnell Matters for the Midterms
How much trouble are Republicans in? If Donald Trump’s feud with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is any indication, maybe quite a bit more than we think. McConnell told the New York Times that trump’s Feud had excessive expectations about how quickly things happen in the democratic process, and explained his statement by saying that Trump was new to this game, referring to being president as the art of the possible.
The history of Trump’s Feud With McConnell relationship
President Trump‘s Feud and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have a long history of cooperation and support.
At a Rotary Club meeting in Kentucky, then-Senate Minority Leader McConnell called then-presidential nominee Trump’s Feud a very good man and predicted that he would be easily our most conservative president. He also said that he was supporting him because we need somebody who can get things done.
A few months later, after President Obama had been sworn into office, President-elect Trump publicly endorsed McConnell to lead his party in Congress. They have remained friends ever since. In the 2016 election cycle, the two were seen together at a rally in Louisville and once again when they traveled to China together during the Asia trip last November.
But that bond is weakening by the day. Earlier today, President Trump’s Feud launched a direct attack on Majority Leader Mitch McConnell via Twitter, saying: Can you believe that Mitch McConnell, who has screamed Repeal & Replace for 7 years, couldn’t get it done? Can you believe that Mitch McConnell, who has screamed Repeal & Replace for 7 years, couldn’t get it done?
How it could hurt Republicans in the midterms
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been in his position since 2007. And while he may be admired by some, there are a lot of people who don’t like him.
A recent poll from CNN found that only 33% of Americans have a favorable view of him. Another 50% said they had an unfavorable view of the Republican Senator. This is significant because in 2014, when Republicans took control of both houses of Congress, 47% viewed him favorably and only 29% viewed him unfavorably.
And to make matters worse for Republicans, over half-a-dozen members are either considering or running for president in 2020 and President Donald Trump himself is one of them.
What would help Republicans
- Raising the stakes on their opponents, Republicans need to get their base fired up and actively engaged in turning out voters come November.
- Republicans should make a concerted effort to develop a platform that emphasizes their economic policies and accomplishments as well as pushes back against some of Democrats’ strongest lines of attack, like health care and immigration reform.
- Although it is an uphill battle, Republicans must create some distance from Trump’s Feud by emphasizing that they are different from his rhetoric and behavior to show voters that they represent a different choice than what we have seen so far from Washington.
- Republicans also need to find ways to separate themselves from Trump’s Feud on issues such as climate change. While the President may not be able to do much on this front given his track record, Republican candidates should still try and maintain a balance between acknowledging the importance of environmentalism while at the same time ensuring that those who work in mining or fossil fuel industries will not feel abandoned or threatened by them.
- They also need to be honest with themselves about just how high their odds are: recent polling suggests that Republicans have only a one-in-five chance of holding onto control of Congress this November.
- Most importantly, they need to start setting themselves up to win in 2020. This should begin now: Republicans will have to find and vet their next generation of candidates, mobilize their grassroots base and start developing policy platforms that can help them win over more voters who do not traditionally vote Republican or vote in midterm elections. For more info Visit Us
