Here's why Mitch McConnell is likely encouraging the House investigation into Trump's riot

According to Washington Post political analyst Aaron Blake, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's sudden about-face on the work being done by the House select committee investigating the Jan 6th insurrection that forced lawmakers from both sides of the aisle to flee for their lives aisle shouldn't come as any surprise.

Earlier in the week the Kentucky Republican broke ranks with all but a few of his GOP colleagues and applauded the work of the bipartisan committee and admitted to reporters, “I do think we’re all watching, as you are, what is unfolding on the House side, and it will be interesting to reveal all of the participants who were involved.”

On Thursday he doubled down by elaborating, "I think the fact-finding is interesting; we’re all going to be watching it. It was a horrendous event, and I think what they are seeking to find out is something the public needs to know.”

McConnell's comments had some observers scratching their heads over what he might know that is not yet public, however, Blake explained that anyone who has observed the GOP leader over the years knows that he is both a survivor and has made it his life's work to hold onto power.

Writing that it is "quite interesting" that McConnell's comments are "legitimizing the House’s Jan. 6 committee," after he opposed its establishment, Blake elaborated by pointing out that McConnell, as always, is playing the long game by looking out for himself first and foremost.

"McConnell’s comments are particularly interesting in that, while he strongly criticized Trump’s role in Jan. 6 (while voting against impeachment), he was a leading force behind blocking a separate proposed effort to probe the Capitol riot: A bipartisan commission modeled on the 9/11 Commission," Blake reported before adding, "What seemed clear at the time — not just from McConnell’s comments but from many other Republicans — was that he and his party weren’t terribly interested in reliving that day and the factors that contributed to it for one main reason: political considerations. It would be nothing but bad news for a party bent on regaining power in 2022, when McConnell has a great shot at regaining his perch as Senate majority leader."

However, as the analyst wrote, that was then and this now -- particularly over new revelations about texts involving former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows with panicked Trump insiders.

According to Blake, McConnell is likely worried that the investigation and its revelations will dog the 2022 midterms and also that he is putting the twice-impeached former president on notice.

"Perhaps McConnell is sending a message to Trump, as Trump continues to attack him and to (unsuccessfully) push for Senate Republicans to cast McConnell aside as their leader," Blake explained. "Perhaps he truly believes that anti-democratic efforts to overturn the election were just that bad and would very much like for those involved to be publicly exposed, believing it won’t necessarily harm Republicans in general."

A second scenario, the analyst suggested, is that McConnell is playing both sides where he can possibly rid himself of Trump while at the same time nitpicking at how the House committee arrived at its conclusion.

"That brings up another potential read on the situation, which would seem to be validated by the revelations of recent days: This is all going to reflect quite poorly on those involved, and McConnell recognizes it will be difficult to dispute that. Maybe it’s better to express openness to the committee’s findings and then dispute the specifics and pin this on ne’er-do-well individuals later," Blake suggested.

Blake added that the senior Republican's recent comments most certainly will "hamstring" GOP critics of the committee, which the analyst claimed makes what happens next "certainly worth keeping an eye on."

You can read his whole column here.