Senator Mitch McConnell told a group gathered in his native state of Kentucky who expects the success of President Donald Trump with his tariff policy, but “he is not yet convinced” that he is looking for the right approach.
“Look for me how you are not yet convinced that this is the best way to do it, but we’ll see. Maybe it is the way the president would like it to result, but that develops as we talk,” said McConnell.
McConnell went to a meeting of a rotating club at a community center in Glasgow, Kentucky. Unlike some of the recent municipalities, where Republicans have sometimes faced difficult questions of the strident crowds, this was a group that seemed to a large extent excited about McConnell’s message.
He was received by the group with applause and spoke uninterrupted for about 20 minutes. He received an ovation standing at the end of his comments and did not take questions from the audience. No one shouted anything.
Senator Mitch McConnell speaks in an event at the Glasgow-Barren County Rotary Club in Glasgow, Ky., April 17, 2025.
Pool through ABC News
In his comments, McConnell said that during his long political career, he has never been a particular fan of tariffs, and pointed out historical examples of how tariff policy has failed.
“I have never been an enthusiast of the rate. And after 40 years in the Senate, I will not change my vision of that. And as you know, the administration has a different approach. Let me tell you that I hope I succeed,” McConnell said, before describing some of the historical examples to underline his opposition.
McConnell, who has his head with his head with Trump, said today he is supporting him.
“I want you to know that I want the president to be a success. I had a lot to do with his success in his first term,” McConnell said.
Even so, McConnell, since he has resigned his 18 -year -old leading the Senate Republican Conference, established himself as one of the few republicans of the Senate to challenge the time to President Donald Trump.
He has issued votes against some of Trump’s most controversial cabinet nominees, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy.
He announced his intention to retire from the Senate at the end of his mandate in 2026.
He underlined his contributions to Trump’s first mandate, including his movement to keep vacancy in a Supreme Court seat so that Trump Flin and his work on the tax bill, which Republicans are currently working to renew as part of their mass reconciliation package.
He also said that he is committed, in his last years in the Senate, to “run through the tape” of his mandate. He said he is committed to using his last years in the Chamber to underpin the position of the United States as a world leader.
While he said he wants to challenge China, he also emphasized the importance of American alliances.
“It is important to support our friends. Do not conferences. We are in the same team. We need to operate together,” said McConnell.
