Hannity leads right wing media effort to remove McConnell as GOP leader
Pollemix News – February 17, 2021
Fox News host and Trump’s most ardent media acolyte Sean Hannity led from the front in a right wing media assault on Mitch McConnell in retaliation for the GOP senate leader blaming the former President for the January 06 Capitol Hill riot.
The furore in conservative quarters erupted after McConnell delivered a scathing speech on the Senate floor where he proclaimed that despite voting to acquit former President Trump, his decision was made solely on the basis of constitutional authority and that he still considered Trump primarily responsible for the January 06 attack.
“They did this because they’d been fed wild, falsehoods by the most powerful man on earth because he was angry. He lost an election. Former President Trump’s actions preceded the riot or a disgraceful dereliction of duty,” McConnell said. Adding, “There’s no question, none, that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. No question about it.”
McConnell’s withering takedown of Trump led to immediate backlash from Trump loyalists in the media with Sean Hannity devoting his monologue to a fierce condemnation of the Kentucky Senator and suggested that it may be time for new leadership saying:
“When is he going to give a speech on the senate floor and hold those Democrats accountable for their incitement of insurrection and their insurrection-like language?” Hannity questioned. Adding, “the time is now coming for new leadership in the U.S. Senate.”
Fox and Friends which rivals Hannity for the depth of their affection for Trump, echoed the call for replacing McConnell as the leader of the Republican Party as did Hannity henchman and right wing radio host Mark Levin who delivered a screaming sermon against McConnell for his disloyalty to Trump.
Across the conservative media echo-sphere there was near unilateral condemnation of McConnell, with only the notoriously fickle Lindsey Graham offering tepid support for the GOP Senate Minority Leader when appearing on Hannity the day after the host had called for McConnell’s head. Graham begged for peace between the two GOP heavyweights saying “Ronald Reagan’s 11 commandment was don’t speak ill of fellow Republicans.” Graham also called McConnell “indispensable” to Trump’s success as President and voiced his concern for the future of the GOP, if the warring factions within the party were unable to reconcile amicably:
“They are now at each other’s throat. “I am more worried about 2022 than I’ve ever been. President Trump is the most consequential Republican in the party. If Mitch McConnell doesn’t understand that, he is missing a lot. But my beef is not with Mitch McConnell, because he has the same policy views I do. My beef is that we need to knock this off.”
Unfortunately for the Trump loyalists, McConnell is arguably the most powerful and deeply entrenched figure within the Republican Party having served a record 13 years as the legislative leader of the GOP. Furthermore, after winning re-election by a landslide margin in 2020 his seat is safe until 2026 and despite Trump’s influence there is still a large contingent of Senators who remain loyal to McConnell, so the prospect of his removal as the titular head of the party is extremely remote. Nevertheless, Republican voters overwhelmingly favor Trump over the GOP Senate Minority Leader so McConnell’s efforts to purge the party of the Trumpist wing is similarly doomed to fail. The most likely eventuality is that the GOP civil war will end with an uneasy alliance between the Trump faction and the establishment McConnell wing of the party as they attempt to reclaim power in 2022.
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