McConnell takes a veiled shot at GOP Senate 'candidate quality' as polls show Trump's picks struggling

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Thursday took a veiled shot at some of the candidates his party is running for the United States Senate.

According to NBC News' Frank Thorp, McConnell was asked by reporters how he was feeling about his party's prospects in the upcoming midterm elections.

"I think there's probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate," McConnell said. "Senate races are just different, they're statewide, candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome."

McConnell's comments on the Senate being less likely to flip are particularly striking given that the GOP only needs a net gain of one seat to retake control of the chamber.

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That said, polls have shown Republican candidates struggling to gain traction even as President Joe Biden's approval rating remains stuck in the low 40s.

Of particular concern for Republicans are three candidates that were hand-selected by former President Donald Trump: In Pennsylvania, Mehmet Oz has been repeatedly attacked by rival John Fetterman as a rich carpetbagger and is now trailing in many polls by double-digit margins; in Georgia, Herschel Walker has been dogged by revelations that he fathered multiple secret children and allegedly threatened to kill his ex-wife; and in Arizona, Blake Masters has taken criticism for praising the Unabomber's manifesto.

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