Mitch McConnell faces an ‘autumn of discontent’: report

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky had a disastrous summer as President Joe Biden racked up wins and will be facing an "autumn of discontent" as Congress returns to D.C. after Labor Day weekend, according to a new report in The New York Times.

The newspaper reported McConnell's "party’s crop of candidate recruits has struggled to gain traction, threatening his chances of reclaiming the Senate majority. And this week, his dispute with the leader of the Republicans’ Senate campaign arm escalated into a public war."

On Thursday, Donald Trump said, "we'll have to do something" with McConnell.

"As the Senate prepares to return to Washington next week for a final stint before the midterm congressional elections, Mr. McConnell is entering an autumn of discontent, a reality that looks far different from where he was expecting to be at the start of President Biden’s term," The Times reported. "Back then, the top Senate Republican spoke of dedicating himself full time to 'stopping this new administration' and predicted that Democrats would struggle to wield their razor-thin majorities, giving Republicans an upper hand to win back both the House and the Senate. Instead, the man known best for his ability to block and kill legislation — he once proclaimed himself the 'grim reaper' — has felt the political ground shift under his feet.

Democrats have also been energized after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade.

"Anti-Trump conservatives argue that Mr. McConnell put himself in an untenable position by failing to fully repudiate Mr. Trump after the assault on the Capitol, when the Kentucky Republican could have engineered a conviction at Mr. Trump’s impeachment trial, removing him and barring him from holding office again," the newspaper reported. "Still, the troubles come at what was supposed to be a celebratory moment for Mr. McConnell, who has been in legacy-building mode, talking about eclipsing former Senator Mike Mansfield, Democrat of Montana, as history’s longest-serving leader of either party and participating in an authorized biography for which he has opened up his archives."

Republicans are struggling with Trump-anointed nominees Ted Budd in North Carolina, Blake Masters in Arizona, Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, J.D. Vance in Ohio, and Herschel Walker in Georgia.

Read the full report.