Following the tumultuous events of January 6, 2021, when supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol, Mitch McConnell, the then-Senate Majority Leader, faced the challenge of reconvening lawmakers to resume their business.
In an upcoming biography by journalist Michael Tackett, it reveals that McConnell was already aware of plans by some conservative senators to object to the certification of election results from Pennsylvania and Arizona, largely based on unfounded fraud claims.
On that fateful day, Senators Ted Cruz from Texas and Josh Hawley from Missouri spearheaded the objection efforts. However, upon returning to the Capitol post-riots, McConnell remained hopeful that the chaos would dissuade other senators from persisting with their pointless objections to President Biden’s victory.
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“Believe it or not, Ted Cruz, who sort of made a career out of being wherever I’m not on issues, called me up last night to get my advice on how to deal with it all,” McConnell recounted to Tackett, calling it an “out of body experience.”
Ultimately, Congress went on to certify Biden’s election, solidifying his win over Trump.
As the 2024 election approaches, the revelations from McConnell and Cruz’s exchanges come into sharper focus. Cruz is currently defending his seat against Democratic challenger Colin Allred, a former NFL player, with polls suggesting a tighter race.
Democrats are leveraging Cruz’s connections to Trump and his role during the January 6 events in their campaign tactics against him, as Trump continues to endorse Cruz without clarifying his stance on the 2020 election results.
Tackett’s book also highlights the tense dynamic between McConnell and Cruz. Notably, Cruz previously labeled McConnell a “liar” in a Senate hearing back in July 2015, an incident that marked a significant breach in party decorum, showcasing Cruz’s desire for attention.
Leading up to January 6, McConnell viewed Cruz and Hawley’s objections as little more than publicity stunts from politicians chasing presidential aspirations.
The biography also sheds light on McConnell’s complex relationship with Trump. Although they’ve had their disagreements—such as McConnell refusing to contest the 2020 election certification—he has recently chosen to back Trump ahead of November’s election.
However, earlier comments from McConnell painted Trump as “erratic” and criticized the direction of the GOP, asserting that Trump’s “MAGA movement” diverges significantly from Ronald Reagan’s vision for the party.
When asked about his previous remarks about Trump, McConnell downplayed them, stating, “Whatever I may have said about President Trump pales in comparison to what JD Vance, Lindsey Graham, and others have said about him, but we are all on the same team now.”
Tackett’s biography is set to hit shelves on October 29.