Donald Trump, in an interview with Vanity Fair published Monday, slammed Mitch McConnell for not doing away with the filibuster during his presidency, going so far as to call him “a stupid person.”
The comments may come as a surprise, as Republicans desperately aim to protect the filibuster from Democrat attempts to get rid of it.
The former President claimed he tried to convince McConnell that as Senate Majority Leader during his tenure, he should have abolished the filibuster.
“He’s a stupid person,” Trump said of McConnell. “I don’t think he’s smart enough.”
“I tried to convince Mitch McConnell to get rid of the filibuster, to terminate it, so that we would get everything, and he was a knucklehead and he didn’t do it,” he continued.
During Trump’s first two years in office, Republicans held slim majorities in both Houses of Congress, a situation similar to what Democrats find themselves in now as they push to abolish the filibuster.
Trump also took issue with McConnell’s inability to persuade Senator Joe Manchin to join the Republican Party. https://t.co/RydOQwKkCX
— Newsweek (@Newsweek) July 20, 2021
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Trump: Mitch McConnell A ‘Stupid Person’ For Not Eliminating The Filibuster
The filibuster is designed to prolong debate and delay or prevent a vote on a bill. Ending debate requires the agreement of three-fifths (60) of Senators, or in today’s Congressional makeup – 10 Republicans would have to join the majority party.
On the one hand, Trump’s argument would seem hypocritical in today’s setting, knowing full-well the Democrats are trying to stake a power grab by eliminating the filibuster.
On the other hand, it’s emblematic of the fact that Trump is a more proactive political fighter when it comes to defeating the Democrat agenda.
Sure, Mitch McConnell triggered the so-called ‘nuclear option’ after Democrats filibustered the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.
Doing so abolished the 60-vote requirement for Supreme Court nominees, something the Democrats themselves instituted for other judicial nominees under the leadership of Harry Reid in 2013.
And McConnell warned Reid not to do it …
“You’ll regret this, and you may regret this a lot sooner than you think,” McConnell warned from the Senate floor at the time.
McConnell triggered the ‘nuclear option’ for three of Trump’s Supreme Court nominees. But it was reactionary. Reid did what he did first because the Democrats are always willing to play dirty, always willing to pull the trigger.
If Mitch had done as Trump says he instructed while Republicans were in power, they wouldn’t be teetering on the brink as a vast majority of the resistance party, with the exception of Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), push to abolish the filibuster today.
Democrats used the filibuster a record 327 times during Trump’s presidency.
“He’s a stupid person,” Trump reportedly said of Sen. Mitch McConnell. “I don’t think he’s smart enough.”
Trump also referred to the senator as a “knucklehead” for not eliminating the filibuster, and said he has “no personality.”https://t.co/z2BUTbsr1t
— The Week (@TheWeek) July 19, 2021
RELATED: Anti-Trump Author Brutally Exposes CNN’s Brian Stelter And The Liberal Media In Incredible Video
Trump Continues To Rip McConnell
Throughout the Vanity Fair interview, which is part of an upcoming book, former President Trump continued to hammer McConnell and the Republican Party.
He compared Mitch to Meade Esposito, a corrupt Democratic Party boss in Brooklyn from the 1960s through the 1980s, suggesting the former didn’t have the same level of intestinal fortitude.
“Mitch McConnell compared to Meade Esposito, it’s like a baby compared to a grownup football player with brains on top of everything else,” he blasted.
A NYC deep cut as Trump shouts out Meade Esposito pic.twitter.com/zGLukfzGlx
— Harry Siegel (@harrysiegel) July 14, 2021
Wikipedia describes Esposito as being “respected and feared for his street-style management, intimidation tactics, and criminal connections.”
Trump also managed to call Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) a “RINO,” Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) a “lightweight,” and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey a “terrible Republican.”
In the interview, the former President also took aim at his nemesis, the late Senator John McCain.
“John McCain was a bad guy,” he said. “He was a bully and a nasty guy, bad guy. A lot of people disliked him. Last in his class in Annapolis. All that stuff, but he was a bad guy.”
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Kool-ade.
Good, you do that, you short-sighted moron. Cut off your nose to spite your face !
If speaking ones mind is being stupid, then there are 85 million Trump supporters that fit the bill…I look at the results he did in 4 years that no other president was able to accomplish. I give a s–t what he tweets, or what he says ..The democrat Marxist party will feed the useful idiots here horse dung and they will swallow it, and ask for more.
The truth is McConnel is weak and a sell out, how much proof do you need? D0 try t0 t@ke your head out 0f y0ur (.)
McKonnel is weak and a tra!tor, d0 try to take y0ur O 0ut 0f y0ur (.)
Bologna! Mitch sabotaged trump and Trump voters.
I’m out!
A minority party would have no power at all if we get rid of the filibuster. We must listen to the minority party. Removing the filibuster will in effect make the United States a one party system.
All of these procedures and rules have allow the corrupted dems to become bold. The dems are lawless and do not respect our laws and Constitution.
Harrison is right about McConnel, it time to get y0ur O 0ut 0f the (.)
McConnel is weak and a loser, he needs to go.
McSt@in was a tr@itor to the very end!
President Trump is out spoken, he tells the truth, nothing wrong with that! He is no loser but the rest of the weak Republicans are, they stand for nothing and allow these corrupted democrats to get away with crimes against the Constitution! and our civil liberties and open borders allowing millions of illegals to come here and rape the country at the expense of American taxpayers.
I'm just sitting back with plenty of popcorn and lemonade…
I can at times understand "overbearing" and "unprofessional." Not seeing or getting the untruthful part. I mean anythings you claim he seems to be untruthful about is nothing compared with the Deep, Wide, Dark State.
This is the anti-Trump message that you will hear over, and over, and over… well you get the idea.
Facts are facts.When McConnell told the other senators,..actually ordered them to basically stab Trump in the back, How dare he order other states to do this…But we know why…He's a RINO, too, and his Chinese shipping contract in business with his Chinese wife is big bucks….so why would he support a president that is working for us and putting the screws to the Chi-coms? McConnell has to go, and he will..bet on it..
This is one time I do disagree with President Trump, I also dislike that he uses street language to members of his party who are maybe not doing it his way but still they continue to hold the power for the GOP in both houses. One can express his views without insulting those who are continuing to try to work for the President Trump at the legislator.
"Can we inject disinfectant "— Donald John Trump , I agree voted for him twice but he is his own worst enemy, (too much mouth).
Then your vote is one more for the communist democrats, great job mate.
Proof some things Trump did was stupid, I voted for him twice, but he ain't God and he ain't that smart.
Strong words from someone who doesn't understand procedures, rules, etc. for both house.
I believe the only stupid person in this post is Trump. I supported Trump in 2016 and 2020 over Biden, I can not support Trump any longer as he has continued to be overbearing, untruthful, and unprofessional. I will support another republican if Biden and/or Harris run in 2024.
Not only should the filibuster rule in the Senate be retained, I think something similar should be instituted in the house.
M. McConnell is the definition of the "Swamp" along with Romney, L. Graham, and most of the rest.
This is why Trump should not run in 2024, he just cannot control his speech. He calls McConnell, who I am no fan of stupid, but look at the timing of Trump saying this playing right into the Dems hands. Tell me who is stupid and I support him, but man he can make some stupid comments and stupid times.
I voted for Trump and probably would vote for him again but he needs to get over McCain.
This writer sounds like he has an ax to grind against the real President Trump. Everything the President said about McTurtle, Willard "Mittens" Romney, and John "Song Bird" McCain is right on the mark. Two of them (Romney and McCain) just were vindictive and jealous losers who acted like jilted brides at the alter, and McTurtle has proven himself to be a traitorous, backstabbing pansy.
mcconnel and his red commie wife are sellouts to america and lazy to beat all
Congratulations on swallowing the mainstream media narrative. That's exactly what they want you to think and do. Why do you think they carry on the way they do? To discourage your voting for a strong candidate that opposes them. Go ahead—vote for somebody like Romney. Somebody easy for the Dems to beat.
I am a conservative, but Trump is toxic and as he says s loser. If this narcissist becomes the GOP candidate, I will stay home on elections day.
Unless the Republicans are willing to get down in the dirt and go toe-to-toe with the conniving Demmunists, they will always lose! "Mr. Nice Guy" tactics simply DO NOT WORK against power-mad sociopaths like the Demmunist "elites!" THEY just see your attempts at "niceness" as a WEAKNESS they can exploit! Sadly, most of the time, the Republicans don't fight at ALL–they just hide under their desks and hope if they are "nice" to the Demmunists, they might receive a few crumbs from the Demmunists' banquet table. Even MORE sadly, as long as they are willing to settle for "crumbs," then that is all they–and, unfortunately, the rest of us–are ever going to get. Meanwhile, the conniving Demmunists are taking a MEAT AXE to our Constitution and working like busy little BEAVERS to transform us into an impoverished THIRD WORLD banana republic!
I think the Filibuster is good policy and should remain the same as it is. Its protect the minority party and forces people to continue debate. Hopefully, it allows people to craft policies that are good for the American people and not just good for one party or the other. Although, I am not convinced that any of our politicians really care about the American people any longer. Trump cared about us, his problem, is his mouth. If he had shut up, been wiser and used his words to build people up instead of belittling them, he would still be a great president. Not as Trump would say "a Loser".
I will never support gop again until mitch McConnell steps aside and gives control over to someone else.
Lindsey graham too
I’m done with traitor gop leadership