Mitch McConnell met with the newly-elected Republican senators on Tuesday in an effort to stave off a challenge to his leadership in the wake of GOP outrage over the outcome of the midterm elections.
Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma, Ted Budd of North Carolina, Katie Britt of Alabama, J. D. Vance of Ohio, and Eric Schmitt of Missouri met with the Senate Republican leader in his Capitol Hill office.
The Democrats maintained their majority in the Senate over the weekend, when their candidates in Nevada and Arizona won crucial elections.
In the aftermath, Republicans are playing the blame game.
McConnell’s crew and Republican Senator Rick Scott’s allies, who handled the Senate’s campaign arm, are arguing about who is to blame for the loss of the Republican Party.
Sen.-elect Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Sen.-elect Ted Budd (R-NC), Sen.-elect Katie Britt (R-AL), Sen.-elect JD Vance (R-OH), and Sen.-elect Eric Schmitt met with Mitch McConnell (center) on Tuesday (R-MO)
Now, a top aide to Scott questions McConnell’s commitment to winning the December 6 runoff between Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel Walker.
Curt Anderson, a consultant for Scott, noted that McConnell’s super PAC had not made any expenditures in the state.
‘Extremely strange. One week has already passed, leaving only three to go,’ Anderson texted to NBC News. It would be gross negligence and a dereliction of duty to abandon Herschel Walker.
The Senate Leadership Fund, a body chaired by McConnell, announced that it would be spending money soon.
There was speculation prior to the election that Scott may challenge McConnell for the role of Republican leader.
However, Scott was in charge of electing Republicans to the Senate this year, and the inability to secure a majority has likely ended his hopes for the leadership.
He has not stated whether or not he will challenge McConnell.
Despite the fact that numerous Trump-backed candidates, such as Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, lost their elections, Donald Trump and his friends continue to cast blame on Mitch McConnell.
After Democrats regained the Senate, Trump stated on his Truth Social website, “It’s Mitch McConnell’s fault.”
Stephen Miller, a former Trump White House adviser, stated on Fox News’ Sunday Morning Futures that the Republican brand, as established by Mitch McConnell on down, is uninspiring, unpersuasive, and unconvincing to voters.
Florida Republican Senator Rick Scott (above) was mentioned as a potential opponent to Mitch McConnell, but he has taken serious steps to seek for Republican leadership.
On the steps of the U.S. Capitol, newly-elected members of Congress pose for a group photograph.
And many Republicans are furious over the midterm election results.
In his most recent podcast, Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas exclaimed, “Holy crap, the Democrats keep the Senate.” Worse than that, the Democrats might potentially increase their Senate control. Yes, we will win the House, but only by a few seats. Perhaps we have a remote probability of losing the House. I do not believe we will. I believe our numbers are sufficient to retain the House.
On Wednesday, Senate Republicans will vote on their leaders for the next two years.
However, other Republican senators, including Lindsey Graham, Rick Scott, Josh Hawley, Marco Rubio, and Ron Johnson, are requesting that their leadership election be postponed until after the Georgia runoff.
However, the leadership election remains on schedule thus far.
Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton dismissed calls for a delay, noting that the majority of leadership races are uncontested.
Cotton stated on the CBS program Face the Nation, “Up until now, no one has had the guts to challenge Sen. McConnell.”