Republican minority leader in the US Senate, Mitch McConnell, handily won re-election by his fellow senators Wednesday, despite a rare challenge for the position he has held for 15 years.
The veteran 80-year-old senator from Kentucky has been the Republican Senate leader since 2007, serving both as minority and majority leader as his party’s hold on the upper chamber has waxed and waned.
An unexpectedly strong performance by the Democratic Party in mid-term elections means that McConnell is again leading the minority party.
Despite failing to take control of the Senate, Republicans appear poised to take over the lower House of Representatives with a razor-thin majority.
Former president Donald Trump — who on Tuesday announced he will seek another shot at the White House in 2024 — has faced blowback for his party’s disappointing performance.
But he blamed McConnell for the Republicans’ failure to seize the Senate.
“It’s Mitch McConnell’s fault,” Trump posted on social media, saying McConnell had badly allocated campaign funds and pursued a flawed legislative agenda.
“He blew the Midterms, and everyone despises him,” said Trump, who has long been at loggerheads with McConnell.
Prior to last week’s midterm elections, McConnell had voiced concern over the “quality” of some Trump-backed candidates.
McConnell, who was first elected to the Senate in 1984, easily shook off a rival candidacy from Republican senator Rick Scott from Florida.
Several Trump-supporting senators had attempted to delay Tuesday’s vote, to no avail.
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