Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Tuesday said that he disagrees with former President Trump’s comments dangling pardons for the mob of his supporters who participated in the deadly Capitol insurrection last year.
Over the weekend, Trump boasted to his supporters at a rally in Conroe, Texas that he would treat Capitol insurrectionists “fairly” by giving them pardons if he runs for re-election and wins. The insurrection last year occurred hours after Trump urged his supporters at a “Stop the Steal” rally to “fight like hell” to overturn the election results. The rally happened hours before the joint session of Congress certifying Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
Days after the former president suggested that he may pardon insurrectionists who have been charged and sentenced, McConnell told reporters during a Senate GOP leaders press conference on Tuesday that he does not support pardoning insurrectionists.
“What we saw here on January 6th was an effort to prevent the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to another, which had never happened before in our country,” McConnell said.
“My view is, I would not be in favor of shortening any of the sentences for any of the people who pleaded guilty to crimes,” McConnell continued.
McConnell’s remarks come amid the former president’s grudge against the Senate minority leader since he condemned Trump for inciting the mob that stormed the Capitol — despite McConnell’s vote against convicting Trump in the former president’s second impeachment trial last year.
Trump’s attacks against McConnell for supposed insufficient loyalty have only increased since the deadly Capitol insurrection. The former president, who has mocked McConnell with the moniker “old broken crow,” has gone after the Senate minority leader for voting alongside 18 other GOP senators to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Trump also took issue for helping Democrats raise the debt ceiling last year.
Last month, McConnell announced his plans to run for leader again. Trump allies such as Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) have threatened to vote against McConnell if he doesn’t “effectively work” with Trump as the former president continues to hold sway over the GOP ahead of midterm elections.
Watch McConnell’s remarks below:
