Trump denies that he has made up with Mitch McConnell

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is still persona non grata with former President Donald Trump.

The former president was quizzed on the issue during a radio interview on the John Fredericks Show, during which Mr Fredericks brought up reports in various media outlets from April speculating that he may be mending ties with the GOP Senate leader. Mr Trump held Mr McConnell responsible for not whipping senators to vote in favour of objections to the counting of the Electoral College votes from several states due to the former president’s false claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.

“No, no,” the former president said dismissively when Mr Fredericks suggested their relationship was on the mend.

He went on to suggest that his endorsement was the reason that Mr McConnell won reelection against a well-funded Democratic challenger, Amy McGrath, who raised nearly $90 million in her losing Senate bid while barely coming within 20 points of Mr McConnell on Election Day.

“The only guys who win are the guys who embraced the MAGA movement,” Mr Trump said, referring to the “Make America Great Again” slogan as well as the phenomenon that has gripped the Republican Party where loyalty to the former president frequently trumps all other qualities in primary elections.

The Senate GOP leader’s campaign did not immediately respond to The Independent’s request for comment regarding Mr Trump’s comments.

Mr Trump also took aim at two GOP senators who supported his impeachment following the deadly riot at the US Capitol on 6 January, Mitt Romney of Utah and Ben Sasse of Nebraska. Their political opponents in the Democratic Party, the former president suggested, were more unified than the GOP caucus despite the very public feud currently ongoing between the Democrats’ conservative and progressive wings over President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill.

“The Democrats don’t have a Romney and a dumb little Ben Sasse,” he said, adding: “They stick together whether you like them or not.”

In April, several news outlets, including one in Mr McConnell’s home state, the Lexington Herald-Leader, suggested that the feud between the two men may be abating after the Senate GOP leader declined to attack the former president or even mention his name after Mr Trump called him a “dumb son of a bitch” and a “stone-cold loser” during a donor event.

At the time, allies of Mr McConnell suggested that the Kentucky senator did not hold Mr Trump in personal disregard despite his stinging criticism of Mr Trump for a “dereliction of duty” in a Senate floor speech while voting to acquit him at his second impeachment trial.

“Right now, it’s sort of a one-sided thing. The leader has no animosity and he’s made it very clear he wants to work with the president to get the majority back,” Sen John Thune told The Hill in April.

Mr Thune added that he was “hoping the president and leader at some point can come to an understanding”.