The Truth About Mitch McConnell's Relationship With Donald Trump

Being in former President Donald Trump's inner circle is a bit like Heidi Klum's catchphrase on "Project Runway" — one day you're in, the next day you're out. During his presidency, Senator Mitch McConnell seemed like he was Trump's number one fan (sometimes), but what is their relationship really like? Is McConnell heading to Mar-a-Lago for weekend golf trips with the erstwhile POTUS? Or are they now nemeses?

Now that Trump is no longer the president, it looks like the relationship between the two politicians has changed somewhat. To set the stage, right now it looks like Trump could be considering running for president again in 2024. Meanwhile, McConnell is still in the Senate, but since the Republican party is no longer in the majority, he's hard at work to make sure they still have some power. Also — there was that whole insurrection and impeachment business. So are they still working together?

Here's what we could find out.

Over the weekend, former President Donald Trump railed against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, accusing him of endorsing a senate candidate Trump does not like and calling him an "Old Crow." For his part, McConnell sorta shrugged off the insult, calling it an "honor."

"Actually, it's quite an honor," McConnell told CNN. "Old Crow is Henry Clay's favorite bourbon." (Clay is a former senator and hero of McConnell's).

But this is not the first time that Trump has come for McConnell. Even though McConnell didn't vote to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial in February, Trump apparently didn't think the senator was strong enough in his support. After McConnell released a statement condemning Trump's behavior, Trump released a statement of his own, calling McConnell, "a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack," according to NBC. Then, at a donor event in April, Trump called the Kentuckian a "dumb son of a b*tch" and a "stone cold loser," NBC reported. Not that McConnell wants anything to do with Trump anymore either, as he has made clear in recent statements.

So yeah, not exactly besties.

Now, everyone knows by now that former President Donald Trump isn't one to just let things go — especially not when he feels like he's been betrayed. So, it's not exactly what you'd call shocking that once Trump and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell had their falling out, the ex-POTUS did not take a "live and let live" attitude about it. Meanwhile, McConnell seems more than ready to just move on.

In an interview with Fox News (via Vanity Fair), McConnell seemed to suggest that he wanted the Republican party to move on from Trump. "We're looking to the future, not the past. And if you want to see the future of the Republican Party, watch [Senator] Tim Scott," McConnell said. "He's the future." But letting go of the past doesn't appear to be Trump's style. He has called McConnell, per CNN, "very bad for the Republican party" — plausibly because McConnell hasn't budged when it comes to blaming Trump for the January 6 riot, and has blocked some of Trump's attempts to get rid of Republicans he doesn't like, such as Senator Lisa Murkowski.

However, according to some September reporting, Trump is taking a bit more action than McConnell when it comes to defeating his rival.

The Wall Street Journal reported that not only does former President Donald Trump hate Mitch McConnell's stinky guts, but he is actively recruiting allies to get McConnell kicked out of his leadership position. At the moment, McConnell is the HRIC (Head Republican In Charge) in the Senate, otherwise known as the Senate Minority Leader. And McConnell has been the GOP's top dog for a record eight terms. And this is the guy that Trump is attempting to oust.

Unfortunately for Trump, it looks like this is a lost cause. According to the WSJ article, even Trump's best buddies in the senate, like Tommy Tuberville and John Kennedy, don't think that getting rid of McConnell is anywhere in the realm of possibility.

At the end of the day, it looks as though the relationship between McConnell and Trump was more of a backscratching situation than actual friendship. And now that Trump is no longer in power (for now) McConnell is ready to move on — and take the rest of his Republicans with him. So assuming Trump's scheme to depose McConnell fails, what will his next move be? A lawsuit? A fiery Fox News interview? Whatever it is we're settling in for a long, long feud.