Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Salon
Salon
Politics
Kelly McClure

McConnell calls Trump an "idiot" in book

In the upcoming biography, "Romney: A Reckoning" — written by McKay Coppins, a journalist for The Atlantic — a passage details Sen. Mitt Romney recalling a time when then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke to him about Donald Trump, having nothing particularly great to say.

In an excerpt published by The Atlantic on Wednesday, the exchange between Romney and McConnell paints a pretty clear picture of how Trump was viewed by his peers while in office. In 2019, after Trump launched his #IMPEACHMITT­ROMNEY cyber campaign over a difference in opinion regarding "pressuring Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into investigating the Biden family's business dealings," Romney thanked McConnell for urging him to back off from attacking members of the Senate and an enlightening convo took place from there, according to the book. 

"It wasn't for you so much as for him," McConnell replied. "He's an idiot. He doesn't think when he says things."

"You're lucky," McConnell continued. "You can say the things that we all think. You're in a position to say things about him that we all agree with but can't say." 

It's noted at the end of this section of the book that " A spokesperson said that McConnell does not recall this conversation and that he was 'fully aligned' with Trump during the impeachment trial." 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.