Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) just fired a warning shot at President-elect Donald Trump's nominees, a Republican strategist opined on CNN late Friday.
McConnell has taken swipes at President-elect Donald Trump in recent days, and Friday, blasted an aide to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has pushed to revoke approval for the polio vaccine.
McConnell contracted the disease as a young child and still suffers from stiffness in his legs, which makes it hard for him to walk. He sent a thinly veiled warning to Kennedy in a statement.
"For decades, I have been proud to work with devoted advocates — from Rotary International to the Gates Foundation — and use my platform in public life to champion the pursuit of cures for further generations," he continued. "I have never flinched from confronting specious disinformation that threatens the advance of lifesaving medical progress, and I will not today."
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"The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives and held out the promise of eradicating a terrible disease," McConnell added. "Efforts to undermine public confidence in proven cures are not just uninformed — they're dangerous. Anyone seeking the Senate's consent to serve in the incoming Administration would do well to steer clear of even the appearance of association with such efforts."
Doug Heye, who served as a communications director for the Republican National Committee, told anchor Kaitlan Collins on Friday night that McConnell often utilizes "hieroglyphics" in his statements — readers must pay close attention to who he mentions and doesn't.
"One word can mean everything and an omitted word can mean even more," said Heye. "And what McConnell is saying very clearly here is I can be a block to this nominee. RFK Jr. or any of these nominees that we've talked about over the past few weeks have a narrow path to victory because there's a narrow Senate majority."
Heye added: "If all of a sudden, somebody who should be an automatic layup, a conservative Republican like Mitch McConnell to a Trump nominee, your nominee has problems, because it's not just one vote. That gives permission for other senators to vote no as well."
Heye noted that Kennedy doesn't have a large loyal following among Republicans "his last name is part of why" — and McConnell's words were "very, very interesting."
Fellow commentator and Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons warned Kennedy this stance could be a "dragon killer," as parents give their children vaccines early in life, and don't want their children subjected to "life-altering diseases" — or even death.
"That's something that parents know," he said.
Watch the clip below or at this link.