passing the buck

Mitch McConnell throws Capitol Police under the bus again, says they’re responsible for his unhinged colleagues

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Close up of Mitch McConnell standing behind a podium wearing a dark suit jacket.

As Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell enabled the most fractious factions of the Republican Party. But now, he wants to extricate himself from their craziness.

Not so fast, Moscow Mitch!

On Wednesday, the senior Kentucky Republican was asked about the recent spate of violence engulfing the GOP. And we mean that in the literal sense.

In case you need a refresher: This week, ex-speaker Kevin McCarthy elbowed one of his main detractors in the back, and Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin threatened to fight a witness on the Senate floor.

For years, Republicans have turned Congress into a circus. Now, apparently they want to make it a battle royale.

But McConnell takes no responsibility. He said his colleagues’ juvenile behavior is a law enforcement issue.

That’s right! Next time, he’s calling the police!

“It’s very difficult to control the behavior of everyone who’s in the building,” he said. “I don’t view that as my responsibility. That’s something the Capitol Police have to deal with.”

This is not the first time McConnell has called for the Capitol Police, of course. Republicans relied on them for protection on January 6, when thousands of MAGA heads stormed the building. More than 140 officers were injured protecting the Capitol and the lawmakers inside.

When Congress honored the police for their heroism that day, the family of Officer Brian Sicknick — his mother, father and brother — refused to shake McConnell’s hand.

Brian Sicknick was sprayed with a chemical substance, and died a day later due to multiple strokes. His brother Ken, a lifelong Republican, said GOP leaders “have no idea what integrity is.”

At first, McConnell lambasted Donald Trump for January 6, saying the disgraced ex-president’s actions were a “disgraceful, disgraceful dereliction of duty.”

“Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day,” he said.

But one month later, he said he would support Trump for president next time around.

The supposed institutionalist seemed to get over January 6 very quickly!

McConnell paved the way for Trump, disregarding Senate rules and blocking President Barack Obama from filling a vacant seat on the Supreme Court. At the 2016 Republican Convention, he gushed that Trump would be the president who replaced extreme anti-LGBTQ Justice Antonin Scalia.

McConnell worked with Trump to confirm three Supreme Court nominees, including Amy Coney Barrett, who was seated following Trump’s first impeachment.

Despite tsk-tsk’ing the Menace from Mar-a-Lago, McConnell never voted to convict the quadruple-indicted, twice-impeached ex-president. In fact, he even voted to acquit Trump for his role in inciting the January 6 riots.

So much for all of that tough talk.

McConnell, 81, seems to be nearing the end of his political life. The longest-serving Senate party leader temporarily froze at two news conference this year, sparking concerns about his health and fitness.

Yet, he’s still in charge of his conference, even though he doesn’t want to take responsibility for their actions.

What a way to go down.

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