Mitch McConnell reportedly mulling endorsing Trump for presidency

Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the US Senate, will “look past a load of shit” to endorse Donald Trump for president, a GOP colleague said.

“He’ll look past a load of shit to improve the path to the majority,” the senator said, speaking anonymously to the Hill. “That’d be the one reason why Mitch would rise above principle and do the politically expedient thing … because he is hell-bent on getting the majority, and he’ll make personal sacrifices for that.”

McConnell is the only top leadership figure among Senate Republicans not to have endorsed Trump in his probable rematch with Joe Biden. He is reportedly negotiating how and when to do so.

John Thune, McConnell’s number two, attracted criticism when he endorsed Trump, who he previously said was “inexcusable” for his attempt to overturn the 2020 election and incitement of the deadly January 6 attack on Congress in 2021.

Like Thune, McConnell voted to acquit Trump at his impeachment trial over January 6. But McConnell did excoriate Trump immediately afterwards.

Calling Trump “practically and morally responsible” for the attack, McConnell said the mob had “been fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on Earth because he was angry he lost an election”.

“President Trump is still liable for everything he did while he’s in office,” McConnell added. “He didn’t get away with anything yet.”

But Trump has so far evaded accountability for January 6 – or for other election subversion, retaining classified information and paying hush money to an adult film star, the subjects of 91 criminal charges.

Nor have multimillion-dollar penalties in civil cases involving Trump’s business affairs and a rape allegation a judge called “substantially true” significantly dented his standing.