Mitch McConnell

FREEPORT, N.Y. — A top House Democrat said this week that if the party wins the majority, its first priority in the next Congress will be election integrity — an issue that’s been front-and-center throughout a campaign in which former President Trump has floated baseless claims of voter fraud and laid the groundwork to challenge the [...]

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has endorsed Donald Trump for president this year. But in a new book, the powerful Kentucky Republican is quoted after the 2020 election describing Trump as a “despicable human being,” “stupid” and “ill-tempered." NBC News' Vaughn Hillyard reports on Sen. McConnell R-Ky., endorsing and criticizing Trump.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) has tried to mend his relationship with former President Trump, but newly reported comments reveal how deeply his personal animosity toward Trump ran after the 2020 election and signal the challenges GOP senators could have in working with Trump if he is elected again. Many Republican senators who have [...]

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) — an ally of Minority Leader Mitch McConnell — hit back at conservatives' demands for a new brand of leadership once McConnell steps down in a letter to colleagues Tuesday morning.Why it matters: The leader race between Sens. John Thune (R-S.D.), John Cornyn (R-Tex.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is heating up, with the general election three weeks away. Some conservative senators are hoping to leverage a tight race for big changes in how the chamber operates. Sen. Mike Lee's (R-Utah) proposals, which he outlined in a letter to colleagues last week, include assurances of more amendment votes and delaying the timeline for picking McConnell's replacement.And Lee has taken new public shots at McConnell's leadership approach.Tills responded Tuesday, saying he believes Lee's concerns are "sincere," but that delaying the leadership election is a bad idea. He said Lee's proposals would "substantially weaken the republican leader."Between the lines: The only leadership candidate to clearly embrace the changes conservatives are pushing is Scott — who Senators and Hill sources have said doesn't have much of a shot.What they're saying: Tillis then made a dig at Republican House chaos. "We are witnessing the downside of a weak-leader model in the House today," he wrote."Two Speakers during a single congress and self-imposed gridlock on legislation hardly seems like a model we want to adopt in the Senate.""I believe delaying the election and creating more hurdles for the republican leader to navigate are unwise, and they will impede our work on behalf of the American people," Tillis said.The other side: "Why would a Republican senator continue to support a system where legislation can be presented for passage without the approval of the majority of the conference? Or one that denies our ability to do our jobs as representatives of our states," Lee responded in a statement to Axios.Catch up quick: This isn't the first back-and-forth between Tillis and Lee over the leadership race. Back in June, Lee and other conservatives were pushing for a new leadership structure — including imposing term limits. Tillis blasted those ideas in a letter, which then prompted a response from Lee.McConnell has also been adamantly against term limits.E

North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis (R) on Tuesday circulated a “Dear Colleague” letter warning that some of the reforms being pushed by Senate conservatives would only weaken the next Senate Republican leader and cause the same chaos that is plaguing the House Republican majority. Tillis released his letter in response to a list of procedural [...]

The Senate Leadership Fund is dumping another $10.5 million in Michigan to bolster former Rep. Mike Rogers in his bid for Senate, Axios has learned.Why it matters: All signs are pointing to the state becoming one of the most competitive in the battle to control both the Senate and the White House. If Michigan flips, Democrats will face a much steeper path to victory.SLF, linked to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, only started going into Michigan this month, with a $22.5 million investment announced Sept. 30th.They have focused their spending in Montana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.Zoom in: Recent polling on the Michigan Senate race has been split. The most bearish news has come from SLF's own internals, which has Rogers down by 8 percentage points this month, as Politico reported.Internal polling of likely voters for the Rogers campaign has him down by one, according to a memo obtained by Axios.Polling by the Republican Senate campaign arm and public polling by Quinnipiac are even more hopeful for Republicans. They show Rogers tied with Democratic nominee Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.).What to watch: In addition to the top GOP issues of the economy and immigration, Republicans see the Biden administration's electric vehicle (EV) policies as particularly potent in the top car manufacturing state. "Michiganders don't like that Elissa Slotkin has consistently voted for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' green energy agenda. These voters are looking for a change from the Democrat status quo," SLF President and CEO Steven Law told Axios in a statement.

In the battle for the Senate majority, the top super PAC supporting Republican incumbents and candidates says it hauled in $114.5 million during the July-September third quarter of 2024 fundraising.

Democrat Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Republican challenger Dave McCormick face off Tuesday in their final debate in a showdown that may decide if the GOP wins back the majority.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) vented his frustration with the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), for not spending any money in his competitive reelection race, accusing McConnell of using the group to “punish” his critics in the Senate GOP conference. “Mitch McConnell runs the largest Republican [...]

Democrats like Sen. Tammy Baldwin could triumph even if the Democratic presidential candidate loses — an increasingly rare feat.

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks (D) sparred in their lone debate this cycle Thursday night as they look to replace retiring Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) next year. Alsobrooks has emerged as the favorite, with polls showing her squarely in the drivers seat. According to an aggregate of [...]

Larry Hogan and Angela Alsobrooks faced off during a debate less than one month before the Senate election.

One analysis shows Trump and Republican PACs have spent more than $65 million on ads targeting trans people's access to sports and health care.

Democrat Angela Alsobrooks is highlighting former Gov. Larry Hogan's actions in office as evidence he isn't as supportive of abortion rights as he now claims to be.

Former Representative Mike Rogers is attempting to become the first Republican to win a U.S. Senate race in Michigan in 30 years. Rep. Elissa Slotkin stands in his way on the Democratic side and holds a significant fundraising advantage. The...

Independent Dan Osborn is gaining unexpected traction in his bid to unseat Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.).

Senators are privately (and publicly) saying they hope Donald Trump stays out of the internal election to replace Mitch McConnell as Senate GOP leader.Why it matters: None of them know — or it's a damn good secret — whether the former president will make an endorsement. But senators and advisors fear a Trump intervention could turn the secret ballot leader election into a public feud."I said, 'Sir, if I was you, I would stay out of the race, because there's no win for you in this,'" Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) told us about a recent call with Trump."I hope not," said Sen. Thom Tillis, when asked if he thinks Trump will weigh in. "I think outside influence could be problematic.""He's offered some views on it to me," Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told us. "It's safe to say he has a pretty consistent prediction of who he thinks it'll be." Hawley said he did not know if Trump would weigh in.Between the lines: This the first real competitive Senate GOP leadership race of the Trump-era, and his endorsement carries a lot of weight with a growing segment of the conference.McConnell has had a tumultuous relationship with the former president.The top two candidates — Sens. John Thune and John Cornyn — each have had rocky relationships with Trump. However, they have worked to make amends.After Jan. 6, Thune denounced Trump and initially endorsed Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) for president. Cornyn has said the GOP needed to move on from Trump.Senate sources do not talk about Sen. Rick Scott's (R-Fla.) bid as seriously as Thune's or Cornyn's, though he has a good relationship with Trump. "Sen. Scott is focused on dramatically changing the way the Senate operates and creating a member-driven process," according to spokesperson McKinley Lewis.Sources often describe Thune as the likely favorite, though they say not to discount how much Cornyn's long history of hard-dollar fundraising for Senate campaigns means to people.Cornyn told us it's been a few weeks since he spoke with Trump about the leadership race. But he visited Mar-a-Lago a couple months ago "to talk about planning for the future," adding they've been "visiting with some of the transition folks."Mullin said Trump "likes" Thune despite their rocky past. The Oklahoma Republican has publicly backed Thune.Some sources suspect there could be a late entry: NRSC Chair Steve Daines (R-Mont.) is the most-floated name.The bottom line: There's not a lot of incentive for senators benefiting from both Thune and Cornyn's aggressive fundraising efforts to commit too early."If one of them felt that they really had a majority, I think they would not be shy about saying that, but I don't think anybody does," Hawley said.

Residents and businesses in Southwest Virginia will be eligible for direct federal emergency relief as they recover from devastating flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene.

Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz take part in the vice-presidential debate at CBS Studios in New York on Tuesday.

If Donald Trump wins in November, there are various reasons why he might not be able to complete a second four-year term. That means Americans could suddenly find themselves with a President JD Vance—a very scary prospect. The risks of a Vance ascension are at the center of “A Heartbeat Away,” the latest ad from the Harris-Walz campaign. For anyone familiar with Vance’s extremism—recently detailed by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow—it’s a stark reminder. For those who might not know much about the novelist-turned-first-term Ohio senator, who stumbled to a 2022 victory over former Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan thanks only to massive cash infusions from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Vance’s mentor, venture capitalist Peter Thiel, it’s a warning. RELATED STORY: Harris ad mocks Trump's 'biggest failures'—including JD Vance

Democrats are fighting to hold on to their 51-49 majority in the Senate—and the latest polling shows they’re the underdogs in this election. But there is hope.Republicans lead Democrats in enough Senate races to flip the chamber, according to 538’s polling averages as of Sept. 27 at 12 PM ET. Democrats’ slim majority is under threat for two main reasons.First, Democrat-turned-independent Joe Manchin is retiring, and his West Virginia seat will undoubtedly flip. And second, Democratic incumbent Jon Tester of Montana trails his Republican opponent.But these are polls, not election results, and because of that, they can be changed by donating, mobilizing, and voting for Democratic candidates.There is just over a month until Nov. 5. Here are the races that need your help.

The White House and U.S. lawmakers praised the Israeli airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on Friday.

Taken together, the lack of big-ticket accomplishments is underscoring a volatile November election season, with control of Congress a toss-up.

A daily roundup of the best stories and cartoons by Daily Kos staff and contributors to keep you in the know.Trump and Vance could be charged over racist attacks on HaitiansFingers crossed.Even Republicans admit they don't know how to run the HouseFor once, honesty from the GOP.GOP senator says please ignore Trump's ties to 'Nazi' candidateApparently, Trump barely knows the guy who he called “Martin Luther King on steroids.”Cartoon: Actual moms for liberty“Whatever makes you happy.”'Send them back!': Racist chants are still a staple of Trump ralliesWhat’s old is new again.

Senate Republicans are pushing new measures to curb CCP influence across several fronts.

Some of the ideas he's proposing, like punitive tariffs, were features of his own presidency and had mixed results.

New information regarding the first assassination attempt on Trump was uncovered by a Senate investigation and revealed in a preliminary report.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell panned Donald Trump’s plans to raise tariffs on many goods, decrying it as a policy that would raise prices for middle-class consumers.McConnell, who has endorsed Trump, was asked about Trump’s tariff ideas during a media availability at the Capitol on Tuesday.“I’m not a fan of tariffs, they raise prices for American consumers. I’m more of a free trade kind of Republican that remembers how many jobs are created by the exports that we engage in,” McConnell said.

Sen. Joe Manchin — who was likely to be the last Democrat to represent West Virginia for a long while before turning independent earlier this year — announced he would [...]The post 'Shame on Her' - Longtime Senator Refuses to Back Kamala, Slams Her Over Radical Plan to Pass Abortion Rights appeared first on The Western Journal.

Many Republicans have sought to distance themselves from the candidate amid the latest controversy.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., pictured at a news conference on Tuesday, is preparing for his last post-election wrap-up as leader.

Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's legacy is a sweeping victory for free speech in campaign finance. What's even more remarkable is that his win came after a Supreme Court loss.

Donald Trump's fixation with tariffs has become an obsession — a policy panacea he claims will fuel a manufacturing boom, lower grocery prices, cut the deficit, stop wars, pay for tax breaks and even solve the child care crisis."Tariffs are the greatest thing ever invented," the former president declared at a town hall in Michigan last week.Why it matters: The impact of Trump's plan to impose massive tariffs — with or without the support of Congress — has become the single biggest economic question of the 2024 election.Vice President Harris sees the issue as fertile ground to close Trump's polling edge on the economy and hammer him over proposals that mainstream economists say would reignite inflation.Despite those warnings — and with nervous opposition from many fellow Republicans — Trump has doubled down on his populist vision for transforming the global economy.Driving the news: In a speech Tuesday in the port city of Savannah, Ga., Trump vowed to "relocate entire industries" to the U.S. by slashing taxes and regulations — and punishing companies that don't manufacture at home."You will see a mass exodus of manufacturing from China to Pennsylvania, from Korea to North Carolina, from Germany to right here in Georgia," Trump said.He pledged to impose a 100% tariff on "every single car coming across the Mexican border," a day after threatening John Deere with 200% tariffs if the agricultural giant moves production to Mexico. Trump famously called himself a "Tariff Man" during his first term in office. Screenshot via XWhat they're saying: Trump's well-documented devotion to tariffs has only grown deeper on the 2024 campaign trail, where he has cast the policy tool as an antidote to America's ailments.War: "You go to war with another country that's friendly to us, or even not friendly to us, you're not going to do business in the United States and we're going to charge you 100% tariffs."De-dollarization: "You leave the dollar, you're not doing business with the United States because we're going to put 100% tariff on your goods."Child care: "We're going to be taking in trillions of dollars, and as much as child care is talked about as being expensive, it's — relatively speaking — not very expensive, compared to the kind of numbers we'll be taking in."Reality check: Trump's math doesn't add up, as Axios' Neil Irwin notes.For one, Trump has falsely claimed for years that foreign countries pay tariffs. In reality, they're a tax on imported goods — meaning the money comes from a U.S. buyer who typically passes on those additional costs.Trump also rarely mentions the inevitable retaliatory tariffs against American exporters, which could damage major U.S. industries such as agriculture, energy and aerospace.Trump's unprecedented proposals for blanket tariffs of 10% to 20% — and 60% tariffs on Chinese goods — would likely ignite a global trade war of epic proportions.The big picture: The former president's plans represent a sharp departure from Republican tradition, putting him at odds with GOP leaders in Congress who favor free trade."I'm not a fan of tariffs. They raise prices for American consumers," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Tuesday in remarks subsequently blasted out by Harris' campaign.Former Vice President Mike Pence also spoke out against his ex-boss on Monday, arguing in the Wall Street Journal that "protectionist tariffs ... make products more expensive."Americans writ large, however, may be more receptive to Trump's plans: 56% of registered voters said in a Reuters/Ipsos poll this month that they support a 10% blanket tariff and 60% tariff on Chinese goods.Between the lines: As Trump pointed out in his debate with Harris, President Biden has kept some of his predecessor's China tariffs in place — though it's been a far more targeted approach than what Trump is proposing."For years they knocked the word. The word 'tariff,' when properly used, is a beautiful word," Trump said in his free-wheeling Georgia speech."One of the most beautiful words I've ever heard. It's music to my ears. A lot of bad people didn't like that word, but now they're finding out I was right."

House Republicans are overwhelmingly dismissing former President Trump’s calls for a government shutdown in the absence of a proof-of-citizenship voting bill being signed into law, a public break from the GOP presidential nominee in the lead-up to the November election. A group of Republicans this week rejected a bill that combined a six-month continuing resolution [...]

WASHINGTON — The Senate has the potential for history-making this fall, with not one, but two, Black women possibly elected to the chamber, a situation never seen in America since Congress was created more than 200 years ago. Delaware’s Lisa Blunt Rochester marks the milestone by saying that the reason she does this work is [...]The post 2 Black Women Could Make Senate History on Election Day appeared first on GV Wire.

A daily roundup of the best stories and cartoons by Daily Kos staff and contributors to keep you in the know.Local Teamsters go rogue and join other unions in backing HarrisIt’s obvious which candidate stands up for labor.Once again, white voters are Trump’s key to victoryAnd it could easily backfire.GOP held a hearing to bash Biden. Watch this Democrat turn the tables“Just thought I'd revisit that revisionist history.”Trump threatens to blame Jews if he loses the electionIt’s never his fault, of course.Trump’s rhetoric has stoked violence for decades. Here are 7 examplesWe have the receipts.Everyone hates Trump using their music and it’s finally costing himThe White Stripes are the latest in a long line of artists suing him.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) is warning colleagues that it would be “politically beyond stupid” for Congress to stumble into a government shutdown a few weeks before Election Day, saying Republicans would “certainly” get the blame. McConnell made his comments a few hours after Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) unveiled his plan to vote this [...]

Recent efforts to address such trading have fallen flat, but the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s vote to advance a measure gave new hope to those who support stricter rules.

The Senate has the potential for history-making this fall. Two Black women could be elected to the chamber, a situation never seen before.

The Senate has the potential for history-making this fall, with not one, but two, Black women possibly elected to the chamber, a situation never seen in America since Congress was created more than 200 years ago.

House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, is scheduled to hold a news conference Monday to discuss the Afghanistan report.

Many Republicans lined up behind former President Donald Trump to minimize the violence and push lies about the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Ten generals and admirals are mobilizing to defend Vice President Kamala Harris from Republican attempts to tie her to the chaotic 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Why it matters: The withdrawal has emerged as a major campaign issue in the lead-up to Tuesday's presidential debate, with Harris coming under fire from former President Trump, House Republicans and parents of victims of the Abbey Gate suicide attack, which killed 13 American service members. The push to defend Harris comes from retired military brass, including three with four-stars: Admiral Steve Abbot, who served as deputy homeland security advisor to George W. Bush, Gen. Lloyd W. Newton and Gen. Larry R. Ellis, who has never previously endorsed a political candidate. Some of the military officials are also fanning out on TV this week to defend Harris' record, two people familiar with the plans told Axios. Driving the news: "Without involving the Afghan government, [Trump] and his Administration negotiated a deal with the Taliban that freed 5,000 Taliban fighters," the retired military officials wrote in a National Security Leaders for America letter first obtained by Axios. The group accused Trump of leaving Biden and Harris with no plans to execute a withdrawal and little time to do so."This chaotic approach severely hindered the Biden-Harris Administration's ability to execute the most orderly withdrawal possible and put our service members and our allies at risk," they wrote. Trump "continually disrespects those who serve in uniform, including wounded warriors, prisoners of war, and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice," they added. The other side: Trump and his Republican allies have sought to elevate the voices of the Gold Star families, laying wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider at Arlington National Cemetery on the third anniversary of the bombing. Trump has also tried to cleanse his record with veterans, telling podcaster Shawn Ryan last month that he never called Americans who died in war "suckers and losers." — "Who would say that? A stupid person would say that." What we're watching: On Tuesday, GOP congressional leaders including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will present the Congressional Gold Medal to the families if the 13 U.S. service members killed in the 2021 attack.Hours later, Trump and Harris will debate in Philadelphia, their first and only scheduled head-to-head encounter.Zoom in: The House Foreign Affairs Committee released a report outlining the Biden administration's alleged failures on Afghanistan and highlighting Harris's role in particular.The GOP report accuses the Biden administration of ignoring repeated warnings from military officials, national security advisers and U.S. allies about the risks associated with drawing American forces down to zero. Harris "appears to have been working in lockstep" with Biden, according to the report. Catch up quick: In August of 2021, the Biden administration conducted an evacuation of unprecedented scale that saw more than 120,000 people airlifted out of the country after the Taliban swept into Kabul.The White House has repeatedly defended Biden's decision to withdraw U.S. troops, while acknowledging that aspects of the evacuation were flawed.

Larry Hogan is launching two new campaign ads Thursday, pushing back on attacks on the Republican Senate candidate’s reproductive rights stance and featuring his three daughters and four granddaughters.

A review of judges' financial disclosures for the federal trial and appeals courts headquartered in Denver reveals a range of income sources, a handful of judges who are frequent travelers to conferences and seminars, plus one judge's minor — but...

Their decisions have perpetuated systemic racism, sexism, and oppression, undermining the very fabric of our democratic society.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer responded to a GOP plan to attach a bill mandating proof of citizenship in order to vote to a must-pass short term spending package.