Pressure for McConnell to endorse Trump mounts in GOP as NH primary kicks off
Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday the New Hampshire primary results are of "great interest," but he has no news to report with regard to an endorsement for former President Trump.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Tuesday the New Hampshire primary results are of "great interest" but that he has no news to report with regard to an endorsement for former President Trump.
"I’ve stayed essentially out of it," McConnell told reporters after a GOP luncheon. "But if I change my mind, I’ll let you know."
McConnell's comments come after a growing number of Senate Republicans have thrown their support behind Trump in the 2024 presidential race ahead of the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday. Several GOP lawmakers are also calling on former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to drop out of the race so that the party can unite behind Trump as the Republican nominee.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and former President Trump (Getty Images)
DONALD TRUMP, NIKKI HALEY BATTLE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE PRIMARIES AS THE 2 TOP REPUBLICANS LEFT
"I don’t have any news to make today," McConnell said. "We’re watching New Hampshire with great interest."
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., another Trump ally, said Tuesday that "there's not a lot of love lost" between Trump and McConnell without an endorsement.
"We all know that," Tuberville said. "You hear the former president come after him, and the leader has not been very kind with his words."
On Sunday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended his presidential campaign in a video posted to X, subsequently endorsing Trump.
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former President Trump have been campaigning in New Hampshire ahead of the primary on Tuesday. (Getty Images | AP)
South Carolina Sens. Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham have also endorsed Trump, snubbing Haley despite her being the governor of the state from 2011 to 2017. Nearly a dozen other senators in the GOP have thrown their support behind Trump, including Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio.
Last week, Trump secured a win in the Iowa caucuses during the first contest of the 2024 presidential election cycle.
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Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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