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Trump Sparks a GOP Civil War With SCATHING McConnell Rebuke; These 3 Republicans Have Broken With Mitch McConnell to Stand With Trump

By PJ Media. On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump released a scathing denunciation of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), launching a civil war in the Republican Party. In a speech after the Senate voted to acquit Trump on charges of impeachment related to the Capitol riot on January 6, McConnell had echoed Democratic talking points, explaining that he only voted to acquit Trump because he thought it unconstitutional to convict a former president who had already left office.

“Mitch is a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack, and if Republican Senators are going to stay with him, they will not win again. He will never do what needs to be done, or what is right for our Country,” Trump declared. “Where necessary and appropriate, I will back primary rivals who espouse Making America Great Again and our policy of America First.”

On Sunday, McConnell had condemned Trump for “false statements, conspiracy theories, and reckless hyperbole” after the 2020 election. He also condemned “the increasingly wild myths — myths — about a reversed landslide election.” McConnell acknowledged that Democrats have engaged in reckless remarks that may have incited violence, but he insisted that Trump’s rhetoric was worse. . .

“The Republican Party can never again be respected or strong with political ‘leaders’ like Sen. Mitch McConnell at its helm,” Trump declared. “McConnell’s dedication to business as usual, status quo policies, together with his lack of political insight, wisdom, skill, and personality, has rapidly driven him from Majority Leader to Minority Leader, and it will only get worse. The Democrats and Chuck Schumer play McConnell like a fiddle—they’ve never had it so good—and they want to keep it that way!” (Read more from “Trump Sparks a GOP Civil War With SCATHING McConnell Rebuke” HERE)

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These 3 Republicans Have Broken With Mitch McConnell to Stand With Trump

By Newsweek. Three Republican congress members have criticized Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for his February 13 speech blaming Donald Trump for inciting the January 6 insurrection at the Capitol. . .

On Monday, Florida Representative Matt Gaetz criticized McConnell in a Fox News interview, calling him part of the “new incarnations in the Republican party from those trying to purge Trumpism from our movement.” . . .

On Monday, Republican Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson also criticized McConnell’s remarks. . .

In a Sunday interview with Fox News, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said that McConnell’s speech “is an outlier regarding how Republicans feel about all this.” While McConnell “got a load off his chest,” Graham said, he “unfortunately he put a load on the back of Republicans.” (Read more from “These 3 Republicans Have Broken With Mitch McConnell to Stand With Trump” HERE)

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Trump Says GOP Won’t Win With McConnell, Plans to Back MAGA Primary Candidates

By The Epoch Times. Former President Donald Trump, in a strongly-worded statement, criticized Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) leadership and said the Republican Party won’t be successful in the future with McConnell at the helm.

The former president’s statement, which was released through his Save America PAC on Feb. 15, blamed McConnell for the GOP’s 2020 loss of the Senate majority. He asserted that McConnell’s move not to support calls from Democrats and Trump for $2,000 stimulus payments was weaponized by Democrats, who promised the checks to voters if they won the Jan. 5 runoff elections in Georgia.

“He will never do what needs to be done, or what is right for our Country. Where necessary and appropriate, I will back primary rivals who espouse Making America Great Again and our policy of America First. We want brilliant, strong, thoughtful, and compassionate leadership,” Trump said.

“Then came the Georgia disaster, where we should have won both U.S. Senate seats, but McConnell matched the Democrat offer of $2,000 stimulus checks with $600. How does that work?” the former president added. “It became the Democrats’ principal advertisement, and a big winner for them it was.” (Read more from “Trump Says GOP Won’t Win With McConnell, Plans to Back MAGA Primary Candidates” HERE)

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Mitch McConnell Has Proposed a Timeline for Trump’s Second Impeachment Trial

By Townhall. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) proposed a timeline on Thursday for the Senate to hold its second impeachment trial of now-former President Donald Trump. House Democrats and a handful of GOP members rushed through an eleventh-hour article of impeachment in a knee-jerk reaction to the riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month.

McConnell has proposed taking up the president’s latest impeachment in February to give the former president time to mount a defense. McConnell said in a statement that he has sent the proposed timeline to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

McConnell is asking for the article of impeachment to arrive at the Senate on Thursday, January 28, at which time the article would be read before the Senate by House Managers. Former President Trump would have one week from that day, so Feb. 4, to answer the article against him, and the House’s pre-trail brief would also be due on this day. Trump would have one week from then, till Feb. 11, to submit his pre-trial brief, and the House’s replication would be due at the same time. Two days later, Feb. 13, the House’s rebuttal pre-trial brief would be due. (Read more from “Mitch McConnell Has Proposed a Timeline for Trump’s Second Impeachment Trial” HERE)

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Trump Hires Defense Lawyer for Second Senate Impeachment Trial

By NBC News. Former President Donald Trump has started putting together the defense team for his historic second Senate impeachment trial, starting with hiring South Carolina-based lawyer Butch Bowers.

Trump adviser Jason Miller, who announced the hiring on Twitter, said Bowers “is well respected by both Republicans and Democrats and will do an excellent job defending President Trump.” Miller would not say whether others had signed on or whether Bowers would be the sole lawyer representing Trump.

Republican senators were briefed about Bowers’ involvement on a GOP conference call Thursday afternoon, two people familiar with the discussions said. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., mentioned that he had recommended Bowers to Trump, the sources said.

Asked later about Trump’s legal team, Graham told reporters: “Well, I think he’s going to have a good one. Butch Bowers, I think, will be the sort of anchor tenant. But I’ve known Butch for a long time, solid guy. And I think over time, they’ll put the team together.” (Read more from “Trump Hires Defense Lawyer for Second Senate Impeachment Trial” HERE)

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Mitch McConnell Introduces Bill that Gives $2K Stimulus Checks

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Tuesday introduced a bill that meets President Donald Trump’s three requests tied to signing the $2.3 trillion coronavirus relief and government spending bill — increasing the amount of individual stimulus checks to $2,000, addressing Section 230, and creating a commission to examine voter fraud.

In doing so, McConnell blocked Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) call for quick approval for increasing stimulus checks but promised the Senate would work to bring three of President Trump’s priorities “into focus” this week.

Upon announcing he would sign the multitrillion-dollar bill on Sunday, President Trump called on lawmakers to increase payments from $600 to $2,000, review Section 230, and begin an investigation into voter fraud. . .

Indeed, that same day, the Kentucky Republican introduced a bill that addressed all three issues:

(Read more from “Mitch McConnell Introduces Bill That Gives $2K Stimulus Checks” HERE)

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Mitch McConnell Blocks $2,000 Stimulus Checks

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday blocked unanimous passage of the $2,000 COVID-19 stimulus checks requested by President Trump.

McConnell (R-Ky.) objected after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) asked for a unanimous vote on a five-page bill that passed the House on Monday with 44 Republican votes.

Trump requested the $2,000 checks last week, saying the $600 checks approved as part of a $2.3 trillion pandemic relief and government funding bill was too small.

McConnell blocked unanimous passage after scheduling a Wednesday vote to override Trump’s veto of a $740 billion defense bill.

It’s unclear if enough Senate Democrats will rally behind an attempted filibuster, or if the override vote will proceed without McConnell agreeing to a deal on $2,000 checks. (Read more from “Mitch McConnell Blocks $2,000 Stimulus Checks” HERE)

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What’s Wrong With Mitch? McConnell Mum on Mangled Face and Hands

By New York Post. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he has no health issues of concern — despite sporting bruises and bandages on his hands this week.

The 78-year-old Kentucky senator dodged questions about his health from reporters in the Capitol Thursday, CNN reported.

Asked whether he had any health issues, McConnell answered, “of course not,” and then didn’t respond when asked if he was being treated by a doctor. (Read more from “What’s Wrong With Mitch? McConnell Mum on Mangled Face and Hands” HERE)

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Questions Swirl About Sen. Mcconnell’s Health After He’s Seen With Badly Bruised Hands, Lip

By New York Daily News. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s health is becoming a topic of concern after the powerful Kentucky Republican was seen on Capitol Hill this week with a badly bruised hand and what appeared to be a fat lip. . .

His right hand looked particularly bad, having turned a blueish-black color. The right side of McConnell’s lip also appeared to sport a bluish bruise. . .

He has maintained a regular schedule this week and spoke on the Senate floor at the outset of Thursday’s session as is customary.

McConnell, who survived polio as a boy, has had some health issues in the past, including breaking his shoulder after falling at his Kentucky home last year. He also had triple bypass heart surgery in 2003. (Read more from “Questions Swirl About Sen. Mcconnell’s Health After He’s Seen With Badly Bruised Hands, Lip” HERE)

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Is this what it is?

By Laura Itialono. Dermatologists say the 78-year-old Senate majority leader’s black-and-blue bruises and bandaged hands are likely a common condition called senile purpura.

“Your skin just naturally becomes more fragile as you age,” Dr. Doris Day, a Manhattan-based dermatologist, told The Post.

“I think it’s just a bruise — a solid good bruise,” she said.

Older skin loses its elasticity and its cushioning layer of collagen, doctors say.

That naturally occurring fragility of the skin can also be complicated by prior chronic sun exposure. (Read more about McConnell Mum on his Condition HERE)

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WATCH: McConnell UNLOADS on Dems Criticizing Senate ‘Obamagate’ Inquiry; Next Coronavirus Package Not Too Far Off; Dems Trying to ‘Incentivize Unemployment’ in Latest Relief Bill

By Breitbart. Thursday on Fox News Channel’s “The Story,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) responded to criticism from his House of Representatives counterpart Speaker Nancy Pelosi regarding the House Homeland Security Committee’s use of subpoena power in the lead-up to the 2017 investigation of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. . .

“I’d say to the speaker, after the impeachment, you — you’re not in a position to be lecturing us about what the appropriate use of Senate time is,” he said. “The House of Representatives is arguing before the Supreme Court that they’re still looking at yet another impeachment. They’re arguing that before the Supreme Court this week. Look, this is the legitimate oversight responsibility of the Senate.” (Read more from “WATCH: McConnell Unloads on Dems Criticizing Senate ‘Obamagate’ Inquiry” HERE)

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Next U.S. Coronavirus Rescue Package Not Too Far Off, McConnell Says

By Yahoo News. U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on Thursday another stimulus package to deal with the impact of the coronavirus was “not too far off.”

“I think there is a high likelihood we will do another rescue package,” McConnell told Fox News Channel in an interview.

“But we need to be able to measure the impact of what we’ve already done, what we did right, what we did wrong … We’re not quite ready to intelligently lay down the next step, but it’s not too far off.” (Read more from “Next U.S. Coronavirus Rescue Package Not Too Far Off, McConnell Says” HERE)

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McConnell: Dems Trying to ‘Incentivize’ Unemployment in Latest Coronavirus Relief Bill

By Breitbart. Thursday on Fox News Channel’s “The Story,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) rejected congressional Democrats’ calls for passage of the HEROES Act, the latest measure promoted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Well, we know these are desperate times as a result of the pandemic,” he said. “The CARES Act, which we passed a few — a month or so ago, on a bipartisan basis, only about half of that money has gone out yet. I think there’s a high likelihood we will do another rescue package. But we need to be able to measure the impact of what we have already done, what we did right, what we did wrong, correct that. And we’re not quite ready to intelligently lay down the next step, but it’s not too far off. Let me tell you what it won’t be. It won’t be a $3 trillion left-wing wish list that passed the House that they almost — couldn’t get all the Democrats to vote for, that Senator Schumer is in favor of. That’s not going to pass the Senate. It’s not going to become law.” . . .

“The problem was, by paying people more not to work than to work, it’s making it difficult to get people back to work,” he explained. “You can understand that. We do need to continue unemployment insurance. It’s extremely important at a time like this. But to pay people more not to work than to work doesn’t encourage resuming your job. And that will end in July. And we think that, in order to create jobs, we need to incentivize people to go back to work, not encourage them to stay home.” (Read more from “McConnell: Dems Trying to ‘Incentivize’ Unemployment in Latest Coronavirus Relief Bill” HERE)

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REPORT: GOP Has Votes to Block Witnesses in Impeachment Trial; Senators Pose Questions Over Evidence

By Townhall. The witness aspect of the impeachment trial for President Trump has been the controversy on Capitol Hill this week, especially after Former National Security Advisor John Bolton’s book preview insinuated he may have relevant information. Democrats, who have historically demonized Bolton, immediately pounced and demanded Bolton testify. Most Republicans have united against a hypothetical Bolton testimony, on account of national security, and dragging the taxpayer funded impeachment charade on longer than necessary. As multiple GOP senators pointed out, the timing of the leak of Bolton’s memo to the New York Times is suspicious, at best.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has thus far indicated that his majority does not yet have the votes to block witness testimony. Some Republicans have floated the idea of allowing Bolton to testify if the Democrats will concede former Vice President Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden or Rep. Adam Schiff (R-CA). Democrats insist that the Bidens are completely vindicated, and have no place in this impeachment trial.

It appears that the game may be shifting. Senate Republicans are optimistic that witnesses will be blocked. Republicans in the upper chamber met with Leader McConnell this morning. (Read more from “REPORT: GOP Has Votes to Block Witnesses in Impeachment Trial” HERE)

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Trump Impeachment Trial: Senators Pose Questions Over Evidence

By New York Post. In a dramatic opening to the questioning phase of President Trump’s impeachment trial Wednesday, three Republican senators asked Trump’s lawyers what effect it would have on their decision if the president had multiple reasons for his actions regarding Ukraine.

“If President Trump had more than one motive for his alleged conduct, such as the pursuit of personal political advantage, rooting out corruption and the promotion of national interests, how should the Senate consider more than one motive in its assessment of Article I?” said the written query from GOP Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah.

All three are moderates who are considered possible defectors from the Republican caucus.

One of Trump’s lawyers, Patrick Philbin, responded by arguing that even if Trump acted out of personal interest, it was not an impeachable offense in asking Ukraine to probe Joe Biden.

“There are really two layers to my answer. I’d like to point out first, even if there was only one motive, the theory of abuse of power the House have presented for an impeachable offense we believe is constitutionally defective. It is not a permissible way to claim a claim of impeachable offense under the Constitution,” he said. (Read more from “Trump Impeachment Trial: Senators Pose Questions Over Evidence” HERE)

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McConnell Mandates Unity, Senate GOP ‘United’ Behind No-Witness Impeachment Trial

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has effectively marshaled the Senate Republican caucus, according to a new report in the New York Post, and the GOP is united behind a no-witness impeachment trial — if the House ever transmits the articles of impeachment they voted on before their holiday recess.

Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have been looking to drive a wedge between Senate Republicans by suggesting that any impeachment trial that doesn’t feature witnesses additional to those who testified in front of Rep. Adam Schiff’s (D-CA) House Intelligence Committee — the committee actually charged with gathering evidence and testimony in support of the House’s articles of impeachment — would be a show trial, and that Republicans who supported McConnell’s decision to bar witnesses would be “complicit” in the White House’s treachery.

The “wedge” doesn’t seem to have worked. The New York Post reports McConnell believes he has his entire caucus united: “After weeks of behind-the-scenes debate, Senate Republicans have hit on their strategy for handling President Trump’s impeachment: a brief trial — with no witness testimony — and a fast acquittal.”

That doesn’t mean the trial will be swift. Republicans still plan on examining the evidence presented at the House hearings and will allow the White House to mount a defense.

McConnell’s achievement comes just as President Donald Trump warmed to the idea of witness testimony, telling reporters late last week that he would call former Vice President Joe Biden to the stand if Democrats were successful in their bid, so that his lawyers could ask him about his dealings in Ukraine — and, specifically, about whether he wielded the influence of the Obama White House with Ukrainian officials in order to wave them off of investigating an oil and gas company that employed his son, Hunter. (Read more from “McConnell Mandates Unity, Senate GOP ‘United’ Behind No-Witness Impeachment Trial” HERE)

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WATCH: Far-Left Protesters Call for McConnell’s Death Outside His Home

Far-left demonstrators appeared at Mitch McConnell’s home in Louisville on Monday night and protested the 77-year-old who is recovering from a broken shoulder after he fell.

A short clip of the protesters was posted to Twitter by Ben Goldey, a life-long Kentuckian.

[Warning: video contains explicit language]

(Read more from “Far-Left Protesters Call for McConnell’s Death Outside His Home” HERE)

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McConnell Surrenders the Most Important Budget Fight of Trump’s Presidency Before It Begins

The upcoming September budget fight is everything. It will determine whether under Trump’s presidency we will even return to Obama levels of illegal immigration and debt or whether it will be much worse. It’s that simple. Yet Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pre-emptively surrendering the fight on both issues before it even begins, as he has done with every budget battle even when Republicans controlled the House.

Despite the president’s promise in his budget blueprint to hold the line on the spending caps and not increase spending yet again, the Washington Post reported that Mitch McConnell convinced the president that “no politician had ever lost office for spending more money.” According to two of the Post’s sources, McConnell delivered that message to the president in June. McConnell wants to join with Democrats in increasing the spending caps.

I wrote last month about McConnell chewing out Trump’s budget chief over the spending caps. Now it is clear that McConnell wants to blow up Trump’s final remaining leverage point. Both national security conservatism and fiscal conservatism are dead as a doorknob in the GOP-controlled Senate, and there is no sign that will change with the upcoming election.

Let’s review how we got here.

After refusing to fight on a single budget or debt ceiling when Republicans held trifecta control of government, Trump finally fought his way to a standstill in the beginning of this year. The budget bill Trump signed in February and the subsequent supplement bills were supposed to be Trump’s leverage point to go on offense on the border issue, change policies incentivizing the invasion, and fund more detention space and deportations for ICE.

Yet instead, Republicans allowed Democrats to move the Overton window of expectations and shift the landscape of the political debate far to the left. The February budget bill included a bar on building a border wall in the most critical cartel smuggling corridors, a provision inviting illegal immigrants to get amnesty in return for sponsoring more illegal aliens, and limiting, instead of expanding, ICE detention space.

Then Republicans completely surrendered on the disaster aid bill. Next, they requested a border bill from Democrats that had no funding for enforcement, detention space, or deportations and only had funding for humanitarian aid for illegal immigrants, refugee resettlement for self-trafficked Central American teens, and legal aid so they can sue for more extra-constitutional rights. Democrats moved the Overton window even further to the Left by having their House leaders balk at the bill and propose an even more radical bill that would have gone backwards on the border and would have essentially shut down a large amount of immigration enforcement through new policy changes.

Ultimately, Democrats knew the House bill would never pass, but because Republicans started negotiations with the Senate bill that was, in some ways, worse than current law, they allowed Democrats to both look like they were giving in but also moving expectations further to the Left.

This is where we stand with the September budget bill. Let’s face it: There is no way the White House aides will allow the president to engage in a budget fight right before next year’s election. So this is the last chance for him to enact his priorities or expose the Democrats for their extremism. But Democrats are beginning negotiations by setting their goalpost for the budget with their original House bill. They are also demanding a busting of the budget cap and a free extension of the debt limit. Republicans already agree on the two latter points.

This will allow Democrats to once again win everything they want on immigration and spending, while also showing how they “gave ground” by not responding to the border crisis with even more limitation on deportations than current law.

Illegal immigration is more than double the levels of Obama’s final year, and spending is 18 percent higher. The budget bill is Trump’s final opportunity to fight on both. If Republicans plan to surrender on spending and the debt ceiling, at least use that as a bargaining chip to get more ICE funding. After all, if we are going to bankrupt ourselves on Democrat welfare programs, at least spend more money on getting rid of criminal aliens so we don’t have to pay for their lifetimes of trouble as well.

What are we left with if Trump does not fight for us, beginning now, for the September budget bill? The deficit has grown 23 percent in the first nine months of this fiscal year, even though revenue is up three percent. The government has now spent more money this fiscal year (to date) than even in 2009, when we were suffering from the worst recession in decades.

If McConnell is allowed to convince Trump to throw away his presidency with this budget bill, we will be left with nothing but debt and illegal immigration. And the American taxpayer paying for both. (For more from the author of “McConnell Surrenders the Most Important Budget Fight of Trump’s Presidency Before It Begins” please click HERE)

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