Mitch McConnell's 'Revealing' Remarks About His Moral Red Lines Stun Commentators
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) gave a telling nonanswer to a question about his moral boundaries that circulated widely on social media Thursday.
“You are known for playing a ruthless style of politics. Where do you draw your moral red lines?” Axios’ Jonathan Swan asked the Kentucky Republican in an interview.
McConnell joked that “my wife thinks I’m a really nice guy” and then said he was “shocked to hear such a comment.”
“I’m perfectly comfortable with the way I’ve conducted my political career,” he added when Swan pressed again, saying he’d be happy to respond to specific examples.
Swan then cited McConnell’s speech in February 2021 following the second impeachment vote over former President Donald Trump’s role in the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“You said Donald Trump’s actions preceding the Jan. 6 insurrection were ‘a disgraceful dereliction of duty’ and that he was ‘practically and morally responsible’ ― your words ― ‘for provoking the events of that day,’” Swan told the senator.
“How do you go from saying that to, two weeks later, saying you’d absolutely support Donald Trump if he’s the Republican nominee in 2024?”
.@jonathanvswan asks Mitch McConnell where he draws his moral redlines pic.twitter.com/is7WZqSuhx
— Axios (@axios) April 7, 2022
McConnell said it should not be surprising that he would support the nominee of his party and that he feels an obligation to do so.
Swan then wondered if there was anything a Republican nominee could do to lose McConnell’s support.
The senator avoided answering, responding only: “I say many things I’m sure many people don’t understand.”
Wow, what a revealing exchange. When @jonathanvswan asks McConnell where his "moral red lines are," McConnell stumbles, stalls for time and simply cannot come up with an answer. https://t.co/BVbO1tezNz
— Adam Jentleson 🎈 (@AJentleson) April 7, 2022
The exchange drew sharp rebukes from commentators online, many of whom interpreted McConnell’s response as an indicator of his fealty to his party over the country.
See more of the reactions below.
Jaw-dropping. Appalling. https://t.co/ObG7Yp7FNr
— George Conway🇺🇦 (@gtconway3d) April 7, 2022
Translation: Party over country https://t.co/vdMv3TrTlN
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) April 7, 2022
McConnell can’t understand the premise that there might be any higher imperative than party loyalty. Very telling. https://t.co/Pj7tiMBBfW
— Max Boot 🇺🇦 (@MaxBoot) April 7, 2022
The best part of this exchange is that @LeaderMcConnell seems to be genuinely befuddled that one might expect him to have a moral red line. He literally can't come up with anything. Acts as if that's a gotcha question. Because for him it is, since he has none. https://t.co/H2yBAuxd6u
— Tim Miller (@Timodc) April 7, 2022
That little chuckle at the beginning before he starts to answer says it all. The banality of the relinquishment of moral leadership. https://t.co/pnNL2erJtl
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) April 7, 2022
It really could not be more clear. McConnell has no moral redlines. He admits it, but he doesn't want to spend too much time talking about it. If the DC press corps is worth anything, they'll keep up this line of questioning, particularly as it pertains to his Senate candidates. https://t.co/gqvBT2TJaJ
— Joan McCarter 🌻 (@joanmccarter) April 7, 2022
The funny thing about this great line of questioning from Swan is the assumption that Mitch McConnell has any moral redlines at all. He clearly doesn't ... as his answer shows. He's not only completely amoral; he revels in his amorality. https://t.co/dLREapYLp9
— Michael Cohen (@speechboy71) April 7, 2022
I’d say this is incredible, but it’s not. @LeaderMcConnell has no “moral red lines” because he doesn’t care about anything other than his power and position. He is a leader of the GOP and a reflection of it. https://t.co/36SyxsWRa9
— Reed Galen (@reedgalen) April 7, 2022
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
