Mitch McConnell is playing both sides on impeachment – and that should have Donald Trump worried
Two days ago, Mitch McConnell accused Donald Trump of having made up a fake phone call between them, and then he introduced a resolution condemning Trump’s Syria screw-up. Yesterday, McConnell leaked through a surrogate that impeachment was looking bad for Trump. But today, McConnell cosponsored a resolution condemning the House impeachment inquiry. So what’s suddenly changed?
Nothing has changed. Mitch McConnell is doing what he does best. He’s playing both sides, in the hope of making sure that he ends up the winner. I can already feel some of you gearing up to yell “I don’t trust McConnell” in the comment section. But that’s not the case. McConnell is the kind of consistent villain who can always be trusted to selfishly do whatever he thinks is best for himself. That’s what he’s doing when it comes to Trump’s impeachment.
If Mitch McConnell has concluded that his own best personal shot at maintaining his role as Senate Majority Leader is to shove Donald Trump off a cliff, he isn’t going to stand up there and say that he thinks Trump needs to be ousted. Why would he do something so simplistic, and take all the barbs and arrows from Trump supporters? If McConnell has indeed decided to selfishly throw Trump overboard, McConnell’s smart move is to keep doing things to make it harder for Trump to survive, all the while publicly sorta kinda siding with Trump in superficial fashion.
So of course Mitch McConnell is introducing a resolution condemning the House impeachment process, while also introducing a resolution condemning Donald Trump. He’s playing both sides. It’s what corrupt, savvy politicians like McConnell do. It’s why they survive. McConnell couldn’t care less about Trump. He’s in it for himself. McConnell is kicking Trump off the cliff while blaming House Democrats for putting Trump on the cliff to begin with. That kind of fiendish selfishness should have Trump worried, because McConnell is not his friend or his savior. McConnell plays for Team McConnell, period.
