McConnell Re-Elected as U.S. Senate Republican Minority Leader – 11/16/2022

Mitch McConnell, the leader of the Republican Party in the US Senate, was re-elected this Wednesday (16) by his colleagues for the next term that begins in January, despite signs to the contrary and attempts to postpone the process.

The veteran 80-year-old politician, a senator from the rural state of Kentucky, is the head of the Republican Caucus, a position he has held since 2014.

Democrats’ strong performance in the midterm elections, traditionally unfavorable to the president’s party, once again cost McConnell the lead in the Senate.

Former US President Donald Trump, who retains considerable influence over the Republican Party, blamed him for the defeat.

The two remained allies during the billionaire’s tenure, but McConnell distanced himself from Trump after the January 6, 2021 Capitol invasion by supporters of the then-president.

“He rigged the election and everybody despises him,” Trump said on his social network, Truth Social. For his part, before the election, McConnell was concerned about the “quality” of the candidates promoted by the former Republican president.

McConnell, who was first elected to the Senate in Washington politics in 1984, easily defeated the nomination of another Republican senator, former Florida governor Rick Scott.

He also held off a Senate vote for this Wednesday, even though many ‘Trumpist’ senators wanted to delay it until after the Dec. 6 runoff election in Georgia, when the final Senate seat is decided. .

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