President Donald Trump slammed former Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell after the Kentucky senator cast the sole Republican votes against Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services and Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation as Director of National Intelligence.
“Mitch McConnell never really had it. He had an ability to raise money because of his position as leader, which anybody could do,” Trump told reporters.
The president added that McConnell is “not equipped mentally” and said he “let the Republican party go to hell.”
McConnell, who stepped down as Republican Conference leader in November, cited his personal experience with polio in his opposition to Kennedy, who has questioned the safety of some vaccines.
“In my lifetime, I’ve watched vaccines save millions of lives from devastating diseases across America and around the world,” McConnell said. “I will not condone the re-litigation of proven cures, and neither will millions of Americans who credit their survival and quality of life to scientific miracles.”
When asked about McConnell’s history, Trump questioned the senator’s fitness.
“I have no idea if he had polio,” Trump said. “All I can tell you about him is that he shouldn’t have been leader.”
The Senate confirmed Kennedy in a 52-48 vote Thursday, and he was sworn in hours later.
“The Senate’s power of advice and consent is not an option; it is an obligation, and one we cannot pretend to misunderstand,” McConnell said in a statement regarding Gabbard’s nomination. “When a nominee’s record proves them unworthy of the highest public trust, and when their command of relevant policy falls short of the requirements of their office, the Senate should withhold its consent.”
The conflict marks a further deterioration in the relationship between Trump and McConnell.
During Trump’s first term, the two clashed in a “profane shouting match” over legislative priorities. After Trump’s 2020 election defeat, he called McConnell a corrupt “hack” and told The New York Times the senator was “a piece of s—.”
McConnell’s recent opposition comes amid questions about his own health.
The 82-year-old senator fell twice in the Senate chamber earlier this month, requiring wheelchair assistance afterward. He is not expected to run for re-election next year.
The tensions highlight growing divisions within the Republican Party as Trump’s second administration moves to fill out key cabinet positions. Despite McConnell’s opposition, all three of Trump’s most contested nominees – Kennedy, Gabbard, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth – secured confirmation through broad Republican support and limited Democratic crossover votes.
🚨 BREAKING: TRUMP lays the HAMMER on MITCH MCCONNELL
TRUMP: I feel sorry for Mitch. He's not equipped to be leader, mentally. He never was. Under him, the Republican Party was going to H*ll. McConnell never really had it. He had votes because he gave money to senators. I was… pic.twitter.com/uOS3Ul4mAN
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) February 13, 2025