Mitch McConnell is undermining 'incompetent' Trump as his grip on the GOP slips: conservative
In his column for the Daily Beast, conservative commentator Matt Lewis explained that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is successfully trolling Donald Trump and keeping him on edge with his comments about the House Jan 6th committee with the full knowledge that the former president can't touch him.
Linking events of the week together, Lewis suggested that Trump's broadsides at McConnell -- urging Senate Republicans to drop him as their leader -- are falling on deaf ears, while McConnell is making Trump's life more difficult.
Admitting that the former president is still the odds-on favorite for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, Lewis stated that Trump's influence over McConnell and members of the Senate is withering away.
Citing a Politico article that was headlined “GOP blows off Trump’s bid to oust McConnell,” Lewis wrote, "Trump is the obvious frontrunner to win the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, and he clearly lacks the authority to persuade or impose his will in other ways. He is powerful and talented, but also lazy and incompetent. Put otherwise, he is formidable but not unbeatable. Seeing his enemies prosper is a potent reminder of this."
According to the conservative columnist, McConnell appears to feel free to undermine Trump by giving his approval of the work being done investigating the Jan 6th Capitol riot that could ultimately cripple his political future.
Suggesting that "McConnell is ending his year on a high note," Lewis wrote, "In a political environment where such feats of longevity seem unthinkable, McConnell (who has been unanimously elected leader by his caucus every two years since 2006) is as good at the inside game of politics as Trump is at gaslighting Republican voters."
Writing "... while McConnell may not be looking to start a direct fight with Trump, he’s clearly not above trolling him," Lewis then ticked off the Kentucky Republican's comments on the Jan 6th riot committee that have, in turn, incurred Trump's wrath.
That said, Lewis suggested Trump will likely give up on his attacks on McConnell and go after other GOP targets where he might have more success.
As Lewis wrote, "...Trump is playing a numbers game. You miss all the shots you don’t take. Trump’s targets for defeat within the GOP also include Rep. Liz Cheney and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. He won’t miss them all."
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