Indiana Senator Mike Braun suggested on Thursday that Mitch McConnell should end his feud with Donald Trump after the Senate minority leader announced his plans to step down from his role.
“If [McConnell] does decide to stick through November, I think he needs to come out strongly for Trump, even though he might have to bite his tongue to do that,” Braun said on Fox Business Network’s Mornings with Maria Bartiromo. “Don’t fight it; you gotta go along with it even if they don’t get along as personalities.
“He needs to come around fully, behind [Trump]. Nikki Haley needs to get out of the race,” Braun added.
Newsweek reached out to McConnell’s office via email for comment.
The context:
On Wednesday, Senate Minority Leader McConnell announced that he was planning to step down from the role in November, though he will continue to serve in the Senate until the end of his term in 2027.
“I stand before you today, Mr. President, my colleagues, to say this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate,” McConnell said while delivering a speech on the Senate floor. “I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, however. I’ll complete my job; my colleagues have given me until they select a new leader in November, and they take the head off next January. I’ll finish the job the people of Kentucky hired me to do as well, albeit from a different seat.”
What we Know:
Trump and McConnell’s relationship has soured over the past several months, with the Senate Minority Leader slamming the former president following the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
“There’s no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” McConnell said in 2021. “No question about it. The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president…the leader of the free world cannot spend weeks thundering that shadowy forces are stealing our country and then feign surprise when people believe him and do reckless things.”
In 2022, Trump called for McConnell to be replaced as the Republican Senate leader, calling him a “pawn for the Democrats to get whatever they want.”
Earlier this month, McConnell announced that Senate Republicans were not likely to vote in favor of a bipartisan border security deal following opposition from Trump.
“Only a fool, or a Radical Left Democrat, would vote for this horrendous Border Bill, which only gives Shutdown Authority after 5000 Encounters a day, when we already have the right to CLOSE THE BORDER NOW, which must be done,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
While speaking with The Hill, Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin said, “You’ve got two choices now. It’s clear that Trump is going to be our Republican nominee…I think it’s only smart for the Republicans to come together and say, ‘This is our nominee. This is who we’re going to support.'”
What’s next:
In November, Senate Republicans will hold a vote on who will replace McConnell. Some names that have been brought up as possible candidates include Senators John Cornyn of Texas and John Thune of South Dakota.
