Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) criticized Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the Senate Minority Leader, for endorsing former President Donald Trump, saying this move is a “sad, professional tragedy.”
What Happened: On Friday, Pelosi, a Democrat from California, expressed her disappointment with McConnell’s decision to back Trump despite their shared history during her appearance on MSNBC's “Morning Joe.”
She highlighted their past ability to find common ground on certain issues but found it disheartening that McConnell, who announced his resignation from Senate GOP leadership last month, would support Trump, especially after the Senate came close to removing him from office for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
Pelosi argued that McConnell was fully aware of Trump’s guilt in the Capitol attack, as he had spoken about it on the Senate floor. “The sad part of it is that Mitch McConnell knows full well that the President was guilty of a crime on Jan. 6.”
"He knew that what was happening was wrong in terms of this beautiful Capitol being assaulted but not just the physical building, what happens here, our Constitution, our ability to honor our oath of office to have a peaceful transfer of power,” she said. "He even spoke to that eloquently on the floor, but then he wouldn't allow a bipartisan commission to be formed.”
“We thought he was going to convict him. The word was he was close to conviction, and now he is endorsing.” Pelosi stated, “It's really very, very sad. And it's a sad conclusion to a career of strategic — again mostly we didn't agree, but I was respectful of the view that he brought forth and how we could work together.”
"It's really … in my view, a sad, professional tragedy that he had to come around," Pelosi said. “Why would he do such a thing? Perhaps he'll explain it to the world.”
Why It Matters: Current President Joe Biden has been making strides in the 2024 election race. After a dominant win in states voting in the primaries on Super Tuesday, Biden retook the lead in the 2024 election poll for the first time since January, further solidifying his frontrunner status.
Meanwhile, prominent figures like Elon Musk have also been making headlines in relation to the 2024 election. Musk, the CEO of Tesla, on Wednesday announced that he would not be making any financial contributions to either the Republican or Democratic candidates after a private meeting with Trump.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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