In a series of tweets this month, Mr. Trump criticized Mr. McConnell publicly, and berated him in a phone call that quickly devolved into a profane shouting match.
During the call, which Mr. Trump initiated on Aug. 9 from his New Jersey golf club, the president accused Mr. McConnell of bungling the health care issue. He was even more animated about what he intimated was the Senate leader’s refusal to protect him from investigations of Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to Republicans briefed on the conversation.
(Wait, what? Trump expected McConnell to protect him from the Russia investigations? Okay seriously, how is that not considered obstruction?)
Mr. McConnell has fumed over Mr. Trump’s regular threats against fellow Republicans and criticism of Senate rules, and questioned Mr. Trump’s understanding of the presidency in a public speech. Mr. McConnell has made sharper comments in private, describing Mr. Trump as entirely unwilling to learn the basics of governing.
In offhand remarks, Mr. McConnell has expressed a sense of bewilderment about where Mr. Trump’s presidency may be headed, and has mused about whether Mr. Trump will be in a position to lead the Republican Party into next year’s elections and beyond, according to people who have spoken to him directly.
So I guess at this point we can assume that McConnell's invitation to the White House pajama party has been revoked, right?
Of course this fight has been brewing almost since the moment that Trump took office, with his attitude toward McConnell careening back and forth between saccharine sweet to outright hostile.
Now we have Trump actively supporting primary challenges to Senators that he feels are disloyal, as if he were the living embodiment of the Tea Party that has caused so many headaches for McConnell in the past.
For his part McConnell had this shot delivered over Trump's bow:
But Mr. McConnell’s allies warn that the president should be wary of doing anything that could jeopardize the Senate Republican majority.
“The quickest way for him to get impeached is for Trump to knock off Jeff Flake and Dean Heller and be faced with a Democrat-led Senate,” said Billy Piper, a lobbyist and former McConnell chief of staff.
Yeah, you know that came from Yertle the Turtle himself.
I think this is only the beginning of the ugliness to come.
More popcorn anyone?
Source http://ift.tt/2vg4fMo
