McConnell Blames Trump For ‘Candidate Quality’ Problems In Disappointing Midterms

Topline

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) pointed the finger Tuesday at former President Donald Trump for poor Republican midterm election results, saying Trump “proved to be very decisive” in the outcome, as the rift between Trump and the top Senate Republican grows wider.

Key Facts

McConnell at his weekly press briefing named contests in Arizona and Georgia as ones where Republicans had trouble in particular, referring to Herschel Walker’s Senate candidacy in Georgia as a “challenging situation.”

McConnell said Trump’s outsized influence over the GOP left Senate Republicans with little control over the nominating process, allowing for more extreme candidates running on Trump-backed culture war issues like false claims of fraud in the 2020 election to make it to general elections.

The Republican Senate leader lamented the “candidate quality” of Senate nominees heading into the election, tempering Republican expectations of a so-called “red wave” in August by saying, “I think there’s probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate.”

Republicans did not flip any Democratic-controlled Senate seats in the midterms, making President Joe Biden the first president since Franklin Delano Roosevelt whose party did not lose any Senate seats in a midterm election (Sen. Krysten Simena (I-Ariz.) left the Democratic Party last week but indicated she will still caucus with Democrats).

Crucial Quote

“My view was do the best you can with the cards you’re dealt,” McConnell said. “Now hopefully in the next cycle we’ll have quality candidates everywhere and a better outcome.”

Key Background

Republicans performed well below expectations in the midterms, failing to win the Senate and capturing control of the House by a very slim majority. The disappointing results for the GOP have sharpened divisions within the party, with McConnell among those blaming Trump while the former president’s backers have doubled down, calling for essentially a complete replacement of the party’s congressional leadership. Trump announced a 2024 presidential bid shortly after the midterms, but it doesn’t seem to be generating as much hype as his first two runs, as big money GOP donors turn their attention to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who won reelection in a landslide and is expected to challenge Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

Surprising Fact

Trump-endorsed candidates have taken different approaches to blaming their losses on fraud. Walker in a speech last week acknowledged “the numbers don’t look like they’re going to add up,” while Arizona gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake (R) has repeatedly claimed fraud kept her from winning—without supplying evidence. A federal judge sanctioned Lake earlier this month over a fraud-related lawsuit she filed, calling her claims “false, misleading and unsupported” by facts.

Further Reading

Mitch McConnell Reelected GOP Senate Leader—Surviving Hard-Right Challenge (Forbes)

Georgia Senate Race: Raphael Warnock Defeats Herschel Walker, Expanding Democrats’ Senate Majority (Forbes)

‘False, Misleading’ Accusations: Federal Judge Sanctions Kari Lake For Challenging Arizona’s Voting Procedures (Forbes)

Trump Launches 2024 Presidential Bid (Forbes)

Arizona Sen. Sinema Leaving Democratic Party, Becoming An Independent (Forbes)

Not A Red Wave But A Ripple: Biggest Surprises From Election Night (Forbes)

Miami-Dade Goes Red: GOP Scores Massive Midterm Election Wins In Once-Democratic Stronghold (Forbes)