OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Senate Minority Leader and Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell has taken the side of House Speaker and California Rep. Nancy Pelosi and her band of Democrats investigating the events at the Capitol on January 6.
“It’s a horrendous event and I think what they are seeking to find out is something the public needs to know,” he said in an interview with Spectrum News, The Daily Mail reported.
Since the January 6 insurrection, McConnell has walked a fine line, being both a critical Republican, but one who has been unhelpful to Democratic efforts to hold those responsible accountable.
After the House of Representatives impeached former President Donald Trump for inciting an insurrection seven days after the Capitol attack, McConnell refused to back a conviction in the Senate – which would have barred Trump from running for office again.
Without a nod from leadership, just seven Republicans voted with the 50 Democrats, meaning Trump was deemed not guilty by the February vote.
Sixty-seven votes in the Senate were needed for a conviction.
Afterward, however, McConnell gave a blistering floor speech.
“Former President Trump’s actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful dereliction of duty,” he said in his speech.
He said the 45th President of the United States was “practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day.”
“The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president,” he said. “And their having that belief was a foreseeable consequence of the growing crescendo of false statements, conspiracy theories, and reckless hyperbole which the defeated president kept shouting into the largest megaphone on planet Earth.”
But Pelosi’s “bi-partisan” commission only has the Republicans on it that she approved of, as she said no to the Republicans appointed by House Minority Leader and California Rep. Kevin McCarthy.
And this is likely not going to score McConnell any points with Trump, who recently shredded him again.
In an interview on Friday for Fox Business the 45th President of the United States took aim at his rival, accusing him of being clueless for helping President Joe Biden and the Democrats pass the infrastructure bill, Newsweek reported.
“It’s not infrastructure and we had 19 Republicans voting for it. What a shame. But Mitch McConnell gave this. That guy should resign as the leader,” he said.
McConnell and 18 other Senate Republicans joined Democrats in voting for the infrastructure bill in August. Then after months of tense negotiations and delay, the House passed the package largely along party lines in a 228-206 vote on November 5.
GOP House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy had warned caucus members against defecting, urging Republicans to vote against the legislation that would help Biden deliver on crucial elements of his domestic agenda.
Still, 13 House Republicans broke with their party to vote for the infrastructure plan. With six progressive lawmakers in revolt, the legislation would not have succeeded if it were not for the Republican support.
“He broke up the bills, and by breaking it up that was bad, but then he gave them two months to get their act together. They were ready to fold. We had them. And then Mitch McConnell gave them two months. This guy doesn’t have a clue,” the former president said.
But this is far from the first time he and McConnell have been at odds with each other. Earlier this month he mocked the fact that McConnell was skipping the Biden signing of the infrastructure law.
“Based on the fact that the Old Crow convinced many Republican Senators to vote for the Bill, greatly jeopardizing their chance of winning re-election, and that he led the way, he should go to the signing and put up with the scorn from Great Republican Patriots that are already lambasting him,” he said.
