REPORT: Mitch McConnell ‘Sobbed’ After January 6, Had Temper Tantrums About Trump

A forthcoming biography on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) claims that the veteran Kentucky Republican privately condemned former President Donald Trump following the 2020 election and the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. The biography, The Price of Power by Michael Tackett, reveals McConnell’s emotional and unguarded reactions during one of the most turbulent times in modern U.S. history.

According to excerpts from the book, McConnell was overwhelmed by the events surrounding the Capitol breach and the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election. Tackett, the deputy Washington bureau chief of the Associated Press, detailed how McConnell broke down in tears as he addressed his staff after the Capitol was cleared of rioters.

“You are my family, and I hate the fact that you had to go through this,” McConnell reportedly said while sobbing softly. While McConnell’s public statements have often been restrained, Tackett’s biography reveals a much more candid and biting view of Trump in private. McConnell was quoted as calling Trump “stupid as well as being ill-tempered,” labeling him a “despicable human being” and a “narcissist.”

These remarks, part of a series of oral histories McConnell shared with Tackett over decades, reflect the deep frustrations McConnell harbored toward the former president’s behavior, particularly after the election. McConnell reportedly confided in associates that Trump’s post-election actions “only underscore the good judgment of the American people” in voting him out of office.

Washington DC., USA 6th January, 2015

“They’ve had just enough of the misrepresentations, the outright lies almost on a daily basis, and they fired him,” McConnell is quoted as saying. His frustration seemed to grow as Trump’s refusal to accept the election results continued, with McConnell lamenting that Trump’s behavior had worsened since leaving the White House. The Senate Minority Leader is increasingly at odds with the populist wave that Trump spurred within the party. The biography portrays McConnell as deeply unsettled by the rise of “Trumpism” and the subsequent transformation of the Republican Party into something almost unrecognizable to the seasoned senator. According to Tackett’s account, McConnell struggled with the direction the GOP was heading, particularly in the face of Trump’s post-election rhetoric and actions.

Historically, McConnell has supported Trump’s policy agenda in the Senate, helping to push through significant legislation and judicial appointments during Trump’s presidency. However, their relationship has been marked by public disagreements and subtle political maneuvering. After the 2020 presidential election and the January 6 Capitol breach, McConnell openly criticized Trump which signaled a notable rift between them.

Despite this, McConnell has rarely confronted Trump directly in public, likely due to Trump’s substantial influence within the Republican Party. McConnell backed Donald Trump’s campaign for a White House comeback in March, following Trump’s strong showing on Super Tuesday. “It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States.”

“It should come as no surprise that, as nominee, he will have my support,” McConnell said in a statement earlier this year. “I look forward to the opportunity of switching from playing defense against the terrible policies the Biden administration has pursued to a sustained offense geared towards making a real difference in improving the lives of the American people.”

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