Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was privately furious at then-National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Rick Scott’s last-minute leadership challenge in 2022, and the Florida Republican Party. They said it was an attempt to shift attention away from the “poor job” election. According to a forthcoming biography, it is the campaign arm of the Senate Republicans.
“Mr. McConnell was furious with Mr. Scott,” wrote Associated Press Washington bureau chief Michael Tackett in his book “The Price of Power.”
“He’s upset about that,” former McConnell chief of staff Josh Holmes said in his biography, “because since he became leader, he’s always directed and controlled the conversation during the midterm elections. Because of this, and because of this incident, the situation has completely changed.”
According to the book, Reeder said at the time, “I don’t think Rick would be a very good victim.”
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McConnell was reportedly “furious” when Scott contested his re-election as party leader. (Reuters)
“I think he did a poor job running the (Senate Campaign) Committee. His plan was used by the Democrats against our candidates by the last weekend (before the election). He “promoted the fiction that we were in trouble,” McConnell said, adding, “There was a massive investigation in the absence of concrete evidence.”
According to the book, he referred to Scott’s 11-point agenda to “save America” that he announced when he was chairman of the NRSC. The plan was announced after McConnell, the longtime Republican leader, dismissed as a mistake efforts to introduce such an agenda ahead of the midterm elections.
McConnell believed he was right about this and thought Scott’s plan was “laughably bad,” according to a biography previewed by Fox News Digital.
He specifically said that all Americans should pay some income tax, and that “all federal laws will be repealed within five years. If the law is worth keeping, Congress should pass it again.” “We can do that,” he said, lamenting some of Scott’s plans.
These were things McConnell hoped Democrats would seize, especially since the latter could be understood as putting Social Security and Medicare at risk.
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McConnell is the longest-serving leader in Senate history. (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)
According to a forthcoming book, McConnell said Scott’s “campaign against me was an attempt to shift attention away from him and onto someone else” when Republicans failed to regain the Senate majority in the midterm elections. It was a kind of ill-fated effort.”
At the time, party leaders reportedly said in relation to the vote total that “there was a good opportunity to discuss the differences, people had a chance to hear from both candidates, and we were pretty proud of the 37-10 result.” “I’m working on it,” he said. Secret ballot.
Kentucky Republicans reportedly were not offended by Scott’s challenge. In fact, according to the book, he was very happy about his personal victory.
“McConnell relished the victory like he did when he punched Dickie McGrew as a kid,” Tackett wrote. Tackett said McGrew was the younger McConnell’s “enemy and friend” and bullied him until his father demanded he stand up to the bully. The current Republican leader fought with McGrew as a child, even though McGrew was bigger and stronger, the book says.
Scott’s personal enjoyment of winning the challenge exemplified the “competitive fire” described in his biography, and he was “more likely to face opposing Republicans than he would be to a Democrat.” Sometimes it flared up even more intensely when I was doing it.”
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Scott had been aiming to take over as leader in 2022. (Alex Wong)
Mr. McConnell said he was more convinced of this in recent remarks in Kentucky while Congress was in recess. “I’m still a traditional Republican — pro-trade, pro-low taxes, pro-business,” he told the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. “There are people on my side right now who don’t think that way.” spoke.
“We’ll probably argue with them more than with Democrats, depending on the outcome of the election.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Scott responded to McConnell’s revealing comments about him, saying, “Leader McConnell and I have fundamental disagreements, but just two weeks after he joined the same Republican Senate… “I am shocked that a member of Congress would attack a Republican presidential candidate.” From the election. ”
Scott was referring to McConnell’s past outspoken criticism of former President Donald Trump, which is outlined in the book.
While Trump is running for president with Vice President Kamala Harris, Scott is also seeking re-election in Florida.
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Sens. John Cornyn, John Thune, and Rick Scott are among the candidates in the race to succeed Mitch McConnell as leader. (Getty Images)
“I believe we should be talking about solutions, and he’s not,” Scott continued. “I support Donald Trump and his efforts to fundamentally change the way Washington is run, but he doesn’t. I believe we should support the candidate chosen by Republican voters. I believe it, but he doesn’t support it.”
“I know that with about $36 trillion in debt, an open southern border, historic inflation, and a world on fire, we need dramatic changes, but he it’s not.”
Regarding McConnell’s comments about Trump detailed in the book, he said in a statement, “Nothing I say about President Trump compares to what the likes of J.D. Vance and Lindsey Graham have said about him. It may be a bit of an understatement, but we are all in the same position.” We’re on the same team now. ”
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The longest-serving leader in Senate history notably announced in February that he had no intention of chairing the Republican conference again, opening up the opportunity for the first time in years.
Earlier this year, Scott launched another leadership bid. In 2022, he received 10 votes in a secret ballot after announcing a last-minute campaign against McConnell.
Senate Minority Whip Sen. John Thune (R.S.D.) and Sen. John Cornyn (R., Texas) are also fully committed to the race.
Get the latest on the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more with Fox News Digital’s Election Hub.
Julia Johnson is a political writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, where she leads coverage of the U.S. Senate. She previously served as a political reporter for the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia’s reporting on X. @juliaajohnson_ Send your tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
