McConnell and McCarthy hate themselves for licking Trump’s boots: report

Republican leaders are filled with self-contempt for the way they have grovelled before Donald Trump in the year since his supporters sought to overturn the election on Jan. 6, according to a conservative columnist.

"Here in the bad, red place, hardly anyone gets along. Especially after January 6th. Why? Consider this a simple question: Whom does Donald Trump actually like? In the old days, all a Republican had to do to make Trump happy was kiss his ass with some cheap flattery. Say he’s the biggest, strongest, handsomest, smartest, richest dude in history and that would be enough. But today, being on Trump’s good side requires accepting his 2020 election lie and endorsing his various schemes to overturn the results," conservative strategist Amanda Carpenter wrote for The Bulwark.

She went on to detail how Mike Pence stood by Trump for years but is persona non grata with the MAGA faithful after refusing to overturn the election. She noted how a similar fate had been suffered by former Attorney General William Barr, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

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"Heck, the number of Trump’s own cabinet officials whom the former president can’t stand—and who can’tstand him in return—is remarkable. Because here’s the rub: To the former president, being 'Trump’s friend' means never saying no to him. Even when it comes to acting on lies that caused an insurrection," she wrote. "It’s the friendship of the mob boss: Do what he tells you and there won’t be any trouble. Which explains a lot of the behind-the-scenes grumbling in Republican politics. The guys paying protection money never actually like the mob boss."

She went on to note Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) have already announced they would back Trump in the 2024 election.

"Republican leadership—who are functionally MAGA sheeple with taxpayer-funded Washington office suites—have stood aside, unwilling or incapable of holding Trump accountable," Carpenter wrote. "If McConnell and McCarthy hate anyone more than Trump, it might be themselves for licking the boots of the man they know was responsible for an attack on their own house."

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