Nearly all Republicans either said nothing about Trump’s election lies and coup attempt, or even worse, parroted and justified it, but none had as much power to do the right thing as Mitch McConnell.
In the first days following the Capitol riot, the GOP Senate leader publicly condemned the “insurrection” and Trump’s role in it (see story here, and video here). But that didn’t last long.
Exactly one week after the event, the House impeached Trump for inciting the Capitol riot, and 12 days later delivered the article of impeachment to the Senate. The New York Times says McConnell “could have engineered a conviction at Mr. Trump’s impeachment trial, removing him and barring him from holding office again,” but he didn’t. (See story here or here.)
Instead, he engineered an acquittal, leaving Trump in charge of the Republican Party, and the country exposed to a potential vengeance-seeking Trump and another tumultuous election should he run again.
McConnell did that after Trump had already turned on him (see story here); now, he’s calling for McConnell’s removal from leadership and labeling him a “pawn of the Democrats” (see story here). He doesn’t have a shred of gratitude for McConnell saving his ass.
Think where the country would be today if McConnell had rid politics of this narcissistic self-worshipping pestilence. Then look at where we actually are. Of all the Trump appeasers, none did more damage than McConnell.