Levin: Trump 'hater' McConnell should not be Senate GOP leader
In a statement Wednesday, Trump said McConnell 'doesn't speak' for the GOP
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mark Levin skewered the bubbling feud between former President Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell, saying the Senate Minority leader does not represent the contemporary mainstream of the GOP.
On "The Mark Levin Show on Westwood One" Tuesday, "Life, Liberty & Levin" host declared McConnell has "a lot in common" with "sleazy RINO" ("Republicans In Name Only") lawmakers.
McConnell had stated earlier in the day that the January 6, 2021 riot at the Capitol was a "violent insurrection for the purpose of preventing the peaceful transfer of power." He also condemned the Republican National Committee's decision to censure Reps. Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois – the only two GOP lawmakers on the Jan. 6 select House committee after Democrats refused to seat the caucus' specifically-designated Reps. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and James Banks, R-Ind.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}McConnell added that it is "not the job of the RNC" to ostracize party members who have differing views from the majority.
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WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 16: U.S. President Donald Trump (L) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) (Getty Images)
Levin responded that the party leader and the party base are at odds.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"The sleazy left and the sleazy RINOs seem to have a lot in common, don’t they? Mitch McConnell condemning the Republican National Committee for censuring Cheney and Kinzinger while behind the scenes and closed doors, he threatens his own members if they don’t fall in line," Levin said.
Levin faulted McConnell for failing to vocally oppose Jan. 6 Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and his committee's "throwing [of] subpoenas left and right without any predicate whatsoever."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"That's OK by Mitch," the host fumed. On Wednesday, Thompson informed Trump's former economic adviser Peter Navarro that he will be "expected" by the panel to provide them with information on January 6, 2021.
"Mitch McConnell should not be the leader of the Republicans in the Senate," Levin added, arguing the top senator doesn't represent the party base's viewpoints, and that he appears to be "embracing" Democrat "tactics" against members of his own party.
"Why? Because he hates Trump," he said. "Mitch McConnell is utterly and completely out of tune."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming and Adam Kinzinger of Illinois (Photographer: Olivier Douliery/AFP/Bloomberg via Getty Images | Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Levin said McConnell is not a "righteous man" standing on principle. Neither are Cheney or Kinzinger.
"They're egomaniacs – that’s what they are," he added.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Levin compared McConnell to his Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y..
Levin said Schumer, by contrast, is not often condemned by liberal journalists or left-wing commentators the way many on the right tend to critique McConnell. He concluded that is because Schumer reliably reflects the Democratic Party base.
Hours after Levin's remarks, Trump released a statement through his political action committee that somewhat echoed the host.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Mitch McConnell does not speak for the Republican Party, and does not represent the views of the vast majority of its voters," the former president said.