With another day comes another excerpt from Bob Woodward and Robert Acosta’s book, Peril, that takes us inside the proverbial smoke-filled rooms of Washington, D.C.
The latest revelation from Woodward and Acosta is that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) not only doesn’t fear Donald Trump’s wrath; he doesn’t believe embracing Trump is a viable path out of the political wilderness.
Despite Trump’s hypnotic hold on the GOP base, the Republican Party’s loss of the House, presidency and Senate largely falls on the former president’s shoulders. Swing voters could overlook his uncouth behavior when running in 2016 against a lousy candidate who ran a terrible campaign—but they couldn’t do so repeatedly.
Millions of Trump supporters love what they might call his bold style. That makes sense from a psychological perspective. History is full of people who’ve gravitated towards leaders that talk a big game, tell us that only they can solve our problems and provide a healthy dose of nostalgia to those who feel left behind.
The problem, as McConnell realizes, is that after a half-decade in the political arena, Trump’s bullying (as a majority of Americans would categorize his behavior) has worn thin. Even his most loyal fans will likely admit there are occasions when he’s gone too far. They’d inevitably argue that the sins of Democrats are worse. When it comes to policy, McConnell nor I disagree. The problem is Trump’s rhetoric is far more offensive on a visceral level than any other contemporary politician to persuadable voters. So much so that even though Trump performed unusually well, for a Republican, with African Americans and Hispanics that he failed to win once-formidable GOP strongholds like Atlanta’s northern suburbs, metro Phoenix and Orange County, California. His underperformance in the first two localities is why he lost Georgia and Arizona to Joe Biden.
But widespread election fraud, not the truth, is a more convenient argument for a man who has a pathological aversion to losing anything. Still, it doesn’t do conservatives, libertarians or anyone who’s center-right any long-term good politically. Even if nothing will convince you that the disproven claims of Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell are absurd, no undecided voter cares. They take the same umbrage (rightfully) to those conspiracy theories as virtually everyone does with the nonsense spouted by 9/11 truthers. Outside of Republican primaries or races in an R+20 congressional district, voters won’t elect candidates who parrot Trump’s “Big Lie” in a general election.
McConnell’s status as one of Congress’ most influential political operators ever comes from his brilliant tactical skill at advancing the GOP’s agenda in the Senate and his attitude that electability outweighs all else in elections. Referring to the excerpt from Peril, Mediaite reports how those impulses have encouraged McConnell to challenge Trump’s browbeating of so-called “RINOs,” or Republicans not sufficiently loyal to the former president.
“There is a clear trend moving,” McConnell said. “Sucking up to Donald Trump is not a strategy that works.”
The excerpt comes amid recent reports that Trump is trying to devise a plan with his political allies to have McConnell removed from his Republican leadership position in the Senate. If Trump actually does organize a challenge against him, McConnell is apparently not concerned that this is a political threat.
“The only place I can see Trump and me actually at loggerheads would be if he gets behind some clown who clearly can’t win,” McConnell says in the book. “To have a chance of getting the Senate back, you have to have the most electable candidates possible.”
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AmericanActionNews.com
Patrick Houck
Patrick Houck is an avid political aficionado based out of the Washington, D.C. metro area. When not analyzing the latest news, you can find him enjoying the company of family and friends, trying out highly recommended hiking trails, or daydreaming about his next scuba diving trip.
Come-on Mac Trump has shown us the right and successful way tio run our country . . .GET ON BOARD OR GET OUT OF THE WAY ! ! !
AMERICA FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No Experience Needed, No Boss Over l Your Shoulder…I… Say Goodbye To Your Old Job! Limited Number Of Spots Open… 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀𝟰𝟳.𝘁𝗸
He’s going to meddle and cost us another election. Trump is holding the party together
Every body knows McConnell is a RINO . He flops around like a fish out of water .
What a nerve! The loss of presidency, house & senate falls excusively on the shoulders of many woeful traitors. Why doesn’t he go to visit his mother-in-law instead ?
We want Trump and you can retire. Your job wad not supposed to be a career. You have sucked off the national well way to long. Term limits are imperative.
That’s why there are Republicans that don’t like Trump, the man worked and got things done! It took Thomas Jefferson 17 days to write The Declaration of Independence, it takes members in Washington 17 days to load the toilet paper dispenser!
Mitch McConnell blows with the wind as well. We could debate he can be part of the problem(s) in Washington as well?
My earlier post is under review because I used the term wet backs
My, is awaiting for approval ’cause I used the term bidet.
How convenient to totally not address the documented facts and testimony so evident that this 2020 election at most levels of government was rife with fraud. Fraud of such a level and of so many parts and players that the true outcomes were overcome. This author seems to rather blame the main target than address incontrovertible, inconvenient facts of election thefts. No one needs to “suck up” to DJT. It is put him and his wife Elaine Chao out to pasture time if not in prison. RINO and swamp creatures truly are fitting descriptions for these married partners and “public servants” feeding at the DC trough that represent Kentucky.
The author of this article “SMELLS” like a D.C. swamp dweller to me! Snif, snif, yep….a “swamper”!
That’s one fight Mitch would lose there’s no Republican Party with out Trump I know i would leave it
Remember, It was because of Hillery that I voted for Trump! I had my angst at first, but soon realized he was not deep state and exposed who the deep staters were in the government. Now I believe in him more than ever!
I’m sure you do Mitch! President Trump is a real American who actually loves and respects our great country and constitution! You know why we want him, especially to clean up the corrupt government as it has become the last 20 years! You cant get away with being a RINO if Trump is around….TRUMP or DESANTIS 2024! If not sooner!
Mitch is nothing but a FRAUD & RINO.
Is this article about what Mitch CCP McConnell thinks or Woodward says he thinks (which wouldn’t surprise me). It’s obviously a left right hook in the face against Trump. It’s poorly written and obviously a bunch of baloney.
Bob Woodward is a Democrat and “frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn” about him or what he says! If he was any closer to Hell-a-ry Clinton he would make a dandy “wiper” for her!
McConnell has conflict of interest issues with China as well. Swamps are populated not only with alligators but biting turtles as well. The most important issue of our time is how we manage the relationship with China and Mitch is not the guy for that challenge.
MItch… you are the reason that the Wepublicans will not get anymore of my money, till waffling representatives like you are purged from the system… all you seem to do is ask for money and when we really need you you side with the socialist left. You will now spend more time hating trump that dealing with the corruption in Washington … TERM LIMITS NOW … REMOVE THE FOSSIL FOOLS FROM OUR EXECUTIVE BRANCH!
Mc Connelly is wrong,most Americans that are true Americans will vote for Trump again. If there is no rigged elections he will win. Yes he has some actions or ways we might not like but he is for all true Americans and did a terrific job for our country. mcConnell is not a person to look up to
I think McConnell is the one to go. Our country needs Donald Trump. He is the only REAL Republican who is willing to put himself out there. As was shown earlier on FB, Trump is not a career politician but rather a successful business man. That is what our country needs. Look what he accomplished in four years despite the chaos the Democrats created to derail him.
Hey McConnell
You greatly deceive yourself and you will fearfully eat your damned hateful evil neverTRUMP words
and I’ll be very impressed when you choke on your BS criticism of our US President TRUMP
soon enough
🥰💥👍CHRISTrumpOwens and all their US TRUMPlican Lawmakers successfully US 2020-2036 Reelected Landslide
Amen & Amen👍❤️🥰
Time to remove McConnell from the GOP Kentucky Vote out McConnell
Republicans without President Trump is acceptable to me, because Trump has has his opportunity, but we need much more Trump policy. Trump policy was good conservative policy.
Term limits please. Lifetime politicians should all be flushed. They have no clue what it is like to put gas in a truck, go grocery shopping, support a family. I would love to have millions of my friends help me drag them through the streets. Let’s roll. God bless America.
Hey clown, how about you just go away and retire.
I a bid Trump fan, and I don’t think he went far enough. I would prefer Trump without McConnell
It’s obvious how Patrick Houck leans. How lopsided an article. Sounds like a McConnell and establishment supporter to me. Get your facts straight on the voter fraud and the irregularities that have happened across the country. Mitch only won last time because of Trumps support. I guess next time Mitch will win because the Dems cheat at the poles. Dems like RINOs. Glad McConnell was finally kicked off the Trump Train.
Mitch doesn’t have to worry, his wife is Chinese and his brother n law has given him multi millions for “ doing favors” for him. Mitche’s wife is a Shipping magnet along with her whole family. The Chinese OWN Mitch McConnell lock stock and barrel !
What has McConnell done for us lately…OR EVER?! Trump was the best person/President for America EVER!
McConnell may be the devil we know, but he’s still the devil.
We want GOP WITHOUT RINORAT MCCONNELL
Wow! Is this author trying to kiss RINO butt or what??! Only a small sliver of GOP voters revere McConnell so please peddle your propaganda somewhere else!
McConnell you have a problem. You didn’t support the correct thing regardless of Trump. I do think that trump is a narcissist individual but he does have the right agenda for America (mostly, I don’t agree with anyone all the time). But McConnell is in this for the money. He is a paid off waste of air. Saying that the little protest at the Capital (Jan. 6) was an attempt to take over the govt is ludicrous. Isn’t it McDonnell who has supported every judge Biden put up? McDonnell I think the GOP would be better off with out you. Your half of a decade is not only part of the problem but shows truely how you have been paid off to cave into the dems/libs/truely the super rich that are running this country and want to make us one more third world country so they can control us easily.McDonnell has done nothing but play his part in this big “dog and pony show” that has been going on for ever. I think he is one of these politicians thaat deserve to be hung.
Oh and Patrick trump bullies…orr is it he just answers in kind. Now I voted for tzrump fo a second term and I woulld have preferred if he didn’t do “some of his tweets” although I will also admit these ‘tweets” were true, but maybe just a bit off point but were deserved, yet not necessary. They were very ammusing and what many people were thinking. Trump tried to work with the dems but that was an impossibility, because of idiots like you for example.
You truely believe that Biden won and all of a sudden at the last minute somehow came up witht the votes. You think that biden, whose rallies were well deserted all of a sudden brought masses of people oiut to vote for him, again at the last moment. You believe that these voting machines, whom are owned by major contributors of the dems aare honest and can’t be programed to obtain desired results, nd that these machines aren’t hooked to the internet or some form of communication between servers that total voted and that even the servers changes could be made. If you believe thaat you are total idiot, which you are. Tell me why would the dems be so against the law, even to the point of diregarding the law, which has gone on for years and has done niothing but gotten worst, to aviod any kind iof true investigation iotn these voting places that showed alot of problems. You just another paid off media person, or a truly stupid person. I’ll let you choose.
Oh and the reps losing the senate and the house, well I haven’t done aany research into that so, just from the rest of you bad assertations in this article, I have to assume thise are wrong too.
McConnell or McDonnell?????
Mcconell needs to go
That’s funny I want a GOP with Trump and without McConnell, and you know what, I think 75% of the Republican Party agrees with my desire!
Trump won. We all know it. He resolved the immigration crisis, the economy was great, manufacturing came back, he had peace on the middle-east and formed alliances that used to be impossible, and I can go on and on. This article was written by a rino never-trumper. The future of the GOP is guys like Trump and DeSantis. We want fighters. If liberals aren’t crying then you aren’t doing your job right ! Get out of the way or we’ll steamroll you !
mitch the swish is a disgrace GO TRUMP
President Trump has done more for our country than any other president, he cares about us . Most establishment senators and representatives are out for themselves and to get rich. Most of them are corrupt! You talk about President Trump being gruff , you might be as well if you were lied about and trashed 24/7 for 5 years!! Liberal media and big tech are horrible and need to be stopped.
It’s time to thank McConnell for his service and the GOP to request he retire, not necessarily in that order.
Opinion pieces like this, which amounts to a lot of unsupported anti-Trump propaganda, make me want to block this “news service.”
Shut up!
RINOs=Never Trumpers one & same
McConnell with his 40 years of service , is one of the main players that got republicants in the woods
McConnell will not be elected dog catcher in any future election.
What the GOP needs is for this POS traitor to lose his position in the republican party. He needs to lose his re-election campaign next time around. Retire POS!
McConnell is NOT the man to lead the Republican party ANYWHERE!!!
Did Soros write this?
It is PAST TIME to get rid of mcconnel the rino and get someone in there with some guts!
the democrates need to put out of the usa and some republians also we need trump now more than ever i hope im still alive because my dr. in on a time bass to see pelosie biden andharris be assanated the 4 star gen of biden should be takin to were our people were left behind
You’re so full of crap! Trump voters know that #SLEEZYSLIMYJOE won by cheating and the #DEMODUMBASSESS helped.
Those of you who don’t like #PRESIDENTDONALDJTRUMP think blaming him for every wrong that is committed now is okay to do. How do you all sleep at night.
I hope like hell that Trump runs and I pray that he wins again and I hope he runs all of you dishonest swamp dwellers are sent slithering to your rocks and stay there!
DONALD J TRUMP for President 2024!!!!!