Fox News host Sean Hannity has hit out at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and said he should be replaced as leader after the Republican appeared to warn that the GOP may not retake the Senate in November's midterm elections.
Hannity criticized McConnell over his comments about "candidate quality" in crucial Senate races where the Kentucky Republican seemed to tamp down expectations that his party can win the chamber.
"Democrats are painting Republican Senate candidates running in upcoming elections and midterms as cruel and out of touch," Hannity said on Friday. "Well, apparently Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is content to leave them out to dry and fend for themselves. Listen to these comments—very encouraging."
Hannity played McConnell's comments where he had said: "I think there's probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate. Senate races are just different— they're statewide. Candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome."
The Fox News host responded to McConnell's remarks by comparing Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman to Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent, saying he's to the left of Sanders.
Fetterman is the Democratic Senate candidate facing Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz and is leading Oz by more than 10 points, according to poll tracker FiveThirtyEight. Their analysis has also found that Democrats are slightly favored to win the Senate, while Republicans remain favored to win the House of Representatives.
"And yet you don't hear Chuckie Schumer complaining about candidate quality in Pennsylvania," Hannity said, referring to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
"How about you get out there, Mitch, and fight for your team? What's your agenda, Mitch, or would you rather just sit by and watch helplessly as Democrats lie to your face, pass another $500 billion green energy boondoggle next year?" the Fox News host said.
"Or is it maybe Mitch McConnell hates Donald Trump so much that he would probably rather see Trump-endorsed candidates lose because he thinks that might hurt Donald Trump?" Hannity said.
"His time as a leader needs to come to an end," he added.
Oz has been endorsed by Trump along with other Republican Senate candidates in competitive races.
Newsweek has asked McConnell's office for comment.
Trump and McConnell have been at odds since after the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. The former president called for McConnell to be replaced as GOP Senate leader and repeatedly referred to him as "old crow."
In February, Trump said McConnell was "so against what Republicans are about" after the senator said he opposed the Republican National Committee censuring Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, who both sit on the January 6 Committee.
McConnell has largely shrugged off the former president's criticism and even joked about the "old crow" nickname, but if Republicans fail to retake the Senate, questions may arise again about McConnell's leadership.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Darragh Roche is a U.S. News Reporter based in Limerick, Ireland. His focus is reporting on U.S. politics. He has ... Read more
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