President Joe Biden, in pleading with Republicans to support some kind of gun safety legislation, said on Monday that he hoped Republicans such as Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and John Cornyn (R-TX) would work on bipartisan compromises.
In particular, Biden singled those two out as "rational" Republicans and he added that "there's a recognition on their part that things can't continue like this" in the wake of last week's shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.
"Everyone's getting more rational about it," Biden claimed.
But Bill Kristol, a former Republican insider and current anti-Trump conservative, warned Biden to not believe that McConnell is really ready to do something constructive on gun violence.
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"I haven’t known Mitch as long as you have, Mr. President," Kristol wrote on Twitter. "But I used to be on his side of the aisle so perhaps I see this aspect of things more clearly? In any case: There’s no evidence Mitch “recognizes” things can’t continue like this, or is willing to take any risk for change."
In fact, McConnell was instrumental in killing a bipartisan deal on background checks forged by Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Pat Toomey (R-PA) in 2013, as he aggressively whipped against the bill that ultimately failed to garner the 60 votes needed to overcome a Senate filibuster.