Senate Majority Mitch McConnell (R-KY) gave a four-word answer when asked if he believed Trump that nobody from his campaign had contact with Russia that was a bad omen for the White House.
During a Friday morning press conference, the Senate Majority Leader was asked, “Trump said nobody he knew of from his camp was in contact with Russian officials. Do you believe him?”
McConnell’s answer:
REPORTER: Trump said nobody he knew of from his camp. was in contact w/ Russian officials. Do you believe him?
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McCONNELL: "I have no idea." pic.twitter.com/5ibNoqD4qD
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 17, 2017
The Republican Senate Majority Leader said, “I have no idea.”
McConnell’s spokesperson tried to clarify, but his clarification might have done more harm than good:
REPORTER: Trump said nobody he knew of from his camp. was in contact w/ Russian officials. Do you believe him?
McCONNELL: "I have no idea." pic.twitter.com/5ibNoqD4qD
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 17, 2017
Mitch McConnell doesn’t know if the Trump campaign was in contact with Russia during the election, which sounds like a really good reason for a select committee or a special prosecutor to be appointed to investigate Trump administration officials for misconduct. It really doesn’t matter if McConnell personally believes Trump or not.
The relevant question is, did the Trump campaign collude with Russia during the presidential election? To question of contact between the two McConnell answered, “I have no idea.” The one way to find out is to hold an investigation.
Given his support for Trump, expect Majority Leader McConnell to resist calls for an investigation, but when even he has to admit that there are unanswered questions, the President has big problems.
McConnell didn’t answer with some general statement of support for Trump, which is why his “I don’t know” was harmful. The fact that the Republican Senate Majority Leader won’t throw all of his weight behind Trump is a bad sign.
Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan are going to try to hold off a full-blown investigation of Trump, but the fact that the Senate Majority appeared to be hedging his bets is a bad sign for the Trump White House.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
