McConnell endorses Trump three years after calling him responsible for ‘violent insurrection’ on Jan 6

After Nikki Haley’s departure from the 2024 Republican presidential primary, outgoing Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell endorsed former President Donald Trump for a second term.

“It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States,” he said.

While Mr McConnell’s relationship with Mr Trump has deteriorated significantly, the senate leader was always expected to back the eventual Republican nominee.

Mr Trump now has no challengers left for the nomination, with only his legal woes standing in his way.

He faces 91 criminal counts across four indictments and significant civil damages stemming from trials against New York state and writer E Jean Carroll, who accused the former president of defamation after he forcefully rejected her allegations that he sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990s.

“It should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support,” Mr McConnell said of Mr Trump. “During his Presidency, we worked together to accomplish great things for the American people including tax reform that supercharged our economy and a generational change of our federal judiciary — most importantly, the Supreme Court.”

Mr McConnell declined to give then-President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court pick, now-Attorney General Merrick Garland, a hearing following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

Mr Trump managed to put three justices on the court during his four years in office. The remaking of the judiciary is one of the main things of Mr McConnell’s legacy. He’s the longest-serving senate leader in US history, having held the post since 2007.

“I look forward to the opportunity of switching from playing