20 GOP Senate seats up for re election in 2026, so there are 30 who don't have to worry, but quite a few are already toadies, so there could be enough to keep trump in check.
We'll have to wait and see. What it boils down to is that the Senate and House have the power to save themselves and, unlike us, there is not jack shit Trump can do in revenge.
If the plan is to force a recess to (improperly) get around the "consent clause," it would be stepping *hard* on the Senate's turf just to ratify clown appointments.
Those who might say "no" include Murkowski, Collins, Cassidy, Tillis, and Thune. They know he's trying to make them irrelevant.
Rand Paul as well. Zero way he goes along with this.
They don’t have the votes and Trump knows it. That’s why we are even hearing about it. If this was a viable plan we would have learned it via tweet 5 mins before a vote.
It's her last hurrah. She's likely to retire in 2 years.
In every case, when predicting whether someone will defer to Trump, I suggest asking, "What's in it for him/her?" Collins gets nothing from letting Trump run over the Senate.
One thing we can count on from Republicans is opportunism, false bravado and ultimately, utter incompetence. What we can only hope is that the branches (esp SCOTUS) don't pick up the slack towards a unified front for the dictator and instead bumble and fumble it about.
He’s still a Senator and can make trouble if he wants. He’s going to retire and has nothing to lose at this point. I don’t trust he’ll follow through or it’ll work, but his clout with institutional conservatives remains, hopefully including Thune
He could also give a permission structure for a few more moderate defections. All I know is that when he’s confident about something like this, he’s right most of the time (save for McCain’s thumbs down, if McConnell wasn’t also in on that)
Remember Mitch laid down a marker saying they’d keep the filibuster the day after the election. Then Thune followed through and said the same thing after being elected Majority Leader. This seems similar.
Trump has no power with a lot of Republicans because their terms are longer or they are retiring. They can move back to their moderate positions. Only those up for election in ‘22 have to tow the line.
Agree but I would say there’s a number of purple non-MAGA culted states where kowtowing to what will be painful for many marginal voters could also cost them
Something significant that a lot of people ignore is that McConnel helped make another jan 6th impossible. He helped pass a law with the dems that recognised the VP counting electoral college votes as purely ceremonial, the process can't be used to upend elections again.
Quite often, honestly.
Not sadly to the level of letting impeachment go through, but he's frustrated Trumpian plans before. McConnell has his own agendas and he tolerated Trump to get them through.
It's one thing to bully them into conceding on policy matters.
It's something different when he's trying to blow up *their* privilege to grant or withhold consent on nominees. E.g., Gaetz is just a blatant dare for them to say "no!" They might just do that.
I'm not buying this. I may be wrong, but this could be a set up given that Rick Scott responded by saying there will be recess appointments. If there's infighting between House and Senate, that could set the stage for Trump to do exactly what he wants and adjourn both houses.
Let’s not forget that he’s the reason why trump was able to run again. He could’ve used his clout to get a conviction during the impeachment trial, but he needed a second trump presidency in order to continue packing the courts.
I hear you, but hear me out. If everything is on the table, then it is a definitive possibility that he will flip the entire senate on its head to satiate dear Donnie trash. We have to go into this fight clear eyed, because there is so much at stake.
He will have Collins and Murkowski I think. Please please please. I saw a quote from Manchin what he would vote with Dems, because these were not normal times. He looked unnerved. Bannon is threatening Cornyn.
Let's see if they care about this damn country. We need checks, serious checks.
Trump has managed to get them all in line before and I have no doubt it will take only one mysterious death to get them all there again. This country executes innocent people yet this fucker managed to get elected again. If he gets sworn in the rules will not apply. Guaranteed.
For sure, but I am sure they will have their own Manchin or Sinema.
But you're right. They'll run amok and find out "fixing" DC is easier said than done. When that happens we have to lay it into them at every turn just like Trump laid into Biden. People need to see them for the failures they are.
Yes, the American voters need to be so disgusted that Republicans lose so hard that an amendment can be passed to make senators based on population. That needs to be the primary goal.
Right and for that to happen, eggs have to be broken. People have to lose their jobs, their pensions, their homes and, yes, their lives.
The cosmic joke here is that those people mentioned above? 9 out of 10 of them will be Trump supporters by virtue of their standing in life. Progress is never easy
Hopefully he does the right thing on his way out to counter all the bullshit he’s done in the past. Maybe he’ll try to have a shred of decency to end his career.
He can't run again. They don't have the states for a Constitutional Convention, nor the votes (and reasoning) in Congress to suspend it. He be gone in 4 years.
I've heard that a few times. We'll see. But even if Gaetz takes over he'll be in the same position as Trump. Well, except the ability to run for another term. And we all know he'd never win a Presidential election on top of the ticket. He may be like Trump, but he's not Trump.
Well it’s about time 🤔😲Maybe someone figured out this would call for the destruction of our democracy🤯I’m glad he came out of his daze at least😳at the right time🤔All of this showmanship has to end🫢😒His reality show is becoming our nightmare😔
Seriously? Can we truly believe a word that comes out of Moscow Mitch’s mouth? Absolutely not! Think impeachment trials and blocking the ability for the Obama administration to vote on a replacement for RBG? He’s a snake.
I saw some push back on cable news about Bernie Sanders abrupt response of “NO” to whether Sotomayor should resign and have a replacement appointed before Biden leaves office!!! My god. People forget so soon about what happened with the GOP block of SCOTUS appointment in 2020. Again? No chance!
I’d take Mitch’s word over trumps at this point. This dude does not want him to be an autocrat, and I’m sure will place road blocks in senate to hold his darker desires. I could be totally wrong, but his disgust of him is higher than anyone else I know
The flip flop history of Mitch McConnell’s love-hate thing with Trump makes my head spin. All he is concerned about is retaining GOP power. The man has no spine.
There are still a handful of senators who are less than friendly to Trump and a couple of them are kind of on the way out anyway so they just may say fuck it and throw wrench in some of his plans.
I just worry about the ones that don't get wrenched
I feel that we are being played .We have be down this road so many times. 45 was
impeached 2 times and got away with it. Convicted of 34 felonies and got away with it. Got away with treason in Florida. Got away with an insertion. Still as not pay for his rape of E. Jean Carroll.
Personally, the man needs to go. He has kept KY poor for decades. It's only now that that KY is starting to build factories and our economy is growing and we have Beshear to Thank for that, not Mitch!
Seriously? Trump is laughing at you Mitch; you helped create this MAGA and Trump monster, you kept feeding it for your own power and ego- you’re leaving- and now you think they’re going to care what you think? And Mitch- we all know you don’t give a damn about America!
this is absolutely ridiculous donor fluffing. mitch knows that’s not true. trump doesn’t need anything from the senate on appointments. he will appoint “acting” agency heads, and even those that get no votes in the senate. how will they stop him? impeachmen/removal? wake up.
Looks like the battle of the billionaires may have started. I’m waiting for Peter Thiel to realize that his handmaiden JD was uninvited from that photo op on the plane. I’ve been waiting for Pete and “Leon” to start vying for top spot. Nice of Moscow Mitch to decide to grow a set at this stage.
On January 2, 2021, days before the January 6 attack, Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) sent a text message to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) warning him about what he was hearing.
McConnell never responded to the text. @theatlantic.bsky.social
When McConnell speaks, there's reason to believe there's truth. Those of us on the left have never liked it, but we have learned it's a likely bellwether...
Mitch is pushing back, at least publicly for now for simple reasons.
1. It's likely a political disaster for Republicans;
2. There will be ~30-40 unfilled Judicial Vacancies, which can be temporarily filled by recess appointments, if any hint is given that Republicans want to go that direction.
I do believe he despises Trump. He personally has nothing to lose and would love to make trouble on the way out. I truly hate that our congressional authority resides in potentially 4 Republican senators, but here we are.
Call your reps and senators to oppose this! Back them up.
Courage? Your prayers to a superstitious person and conceding to the worst possible candidate in history! Oh you piss me off! This is why democrats lose!
A price I'm willing to pay. I would happily serve as a pallbearer for either one of them because I am so full of brotherly love. In fact, I'd love to serve as a pallbearer for both of them some time next week.
In what way is a false flag, or worse, an out right lie ‘better than not?’
Please we are begging you, stop listening to what they say and concern yourself with what they do. All this “reporting” on their every utterance is not only exhausting it’s distracting. It serves no purpose.
"There will be no recess appointments " because we will happily greenlight anyone you send us--I even have a dozen or so Democrats who want to appear bipartisan--so long as you let us continue to appear relevent.
I read something to the affect that Moscow Mitch was booed at a Trump rally or maybe the convention. I couldn't believe after he went through the contortions of getting them the Supreme Court; they threw him under the bus. I hope he is as pissed at the Republicans as I am with him.
Ha,..you mean to tell me the offsprings that he helped raise are unpleased, who would have thought...he alone build this. really hope he never finds peace
He already destroyed his legacy by blocking Obama from appointing a SC justice at the end of his term and rushing through an appointment at the end of Trumps term.
Mitch is no friend to Democracy but how knows? Maybe he wants to redeem himself slightly for the history books -If history books allowed in the future.
I'm so angry that Mitch McConnell is now our Savior. Could have stepped up and been a decent fucking human and impeached this treasonous bitch but here we are.
It's his fault we're in this stupid mess. He could have convicted when he had the chance and maybe, just maybe, that would have been enough to prevent mango mussolini from this 2025 nightmare we're in.
It is possible, that GOP Senators know they can control what does and does not get done in at least the next 2 years.
They don’t really have to nuke the country’s institutions to get deregulation and tax cuts.
It’s looking like Gaetz doesn’t have the votes…from republicans. If they have the guts to not confirm a child rap*st, vile person. You know, the party of “family values”
Mitch doing the right thing has happened so infrequently we should all be skeptical. He's also the guy who's responsible for dump having any political oxygen at all.
Does Moscow Mitch have the authority to make that so? If he actually could make that so, are Dems guarding against it being a head-fake, like when Manchin/Schumer schooled the (R)s with the Inflation Ruction Act?
I need to pour bleach in my ears again because I can’t believe I won’t have to listen to that insufferable Kentuckian drawl. Are you talking or fucking eating mashed potato?
🤞 Fingers crossed! One can only hope that politicians, regardless of party, have the best interests of the American people. Hopefully one day there won’t be any doubts
By the time Trump is sworn in, McConnell will no longer the Senate maj leader. WeI’ll have to wait and see what Thune ultimately decides to do. He has stated that all options are on the table prior to McConnell’s statement.
Honestly I did not think I would see the day when I agree on Mitch McConnell on ANYTHING! Is this because he is close to dying and thinks he has to reconcile with his fake god soon?? I don't care, whatever gets him to oppose the Trumpian nightmare!!!
As Mitch foresees the writing in future history books and how the entire disastrous 2nd Trump era could have been avoided if only he had voted to convict.
Seriously, hope this is true. Perhaps the destruction of the US government and handing our secrets over to Putin is a bridge too far for him.
We need to all get behind McConnell on this. If he is starting to resist he needs to know the people are behind him. He needs to see that this risk is worth it. The bigger the noise on this in support the better! It may also make others join him if they feel this is popular and what people want.
Cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good
No, cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move, ooh
keep pressuring your Senators. Let them know if they tie themselves to trump they'll become just as unpopular as he will definitely become once the chaos begins.
It's noise. McConnell A) hasn't exactly shown a history of standing up to Trump, regardless of what he says, and B) won't be majority leader when this happens.
If, by chance, he means it, stands by it, and has 4 additional R senators backing him, then it would be good news. I'm not optimistic.
Don’t believe it for a minute, they will all fall in line. If they don’t, they’ll be crushed .
Prayer is a tool the powerful gave to the masses to let them think they had some control
I've taken a lot of heat myself... sometimes I'll just label it #sarcasm if it seems blatantly obvious I don't and if someone complains I ask them to read it again - and I usually get a "you got me".
Really? To hell with McConnell. No one has done as much damage to America as Mitch. Not even Trump, because McConnell hobbled Obama's second term so badly that people thought he was a failed president, and that damaged Hillary's chances.
He actually changed the rules twice to get his picks for SCOTUS through. Republicans always cheat. I wish Democrats would learn a thing or two from them. You can’t bring a knife to a gunfight and expect to win. That’s what the Democrats have been doing. Playing nice has gotten us nowhere.
I legit think MAGA has seen the way this community has taken off & know we're organizing & keeping tabs, so their messaging has tried to make us complacent while they do the opposite of what they're saying
He will vote for them... and to be fair, he didn't say he wouldn't. He said no recess appointments, which would take the power away from the Senate. The only one that may not get confirmed is Gaetz.. and that's just because nobody likes him.
He’s on his way out. If only he were at this stage in 2020, he could’ve told the traitor to shut up right after the election. Better yet, if he had retired in 2016, that mook would not have been president. Mitch owns this, he will wear the stain and have the stench forever.
It has to be reasonable to expect the Republican Senate acts as a proper Article 1 branch of government. Rather than as Johnson, becoming an avatar for an unelected Trump being Speaker. So far, there are no profiles in courage among Congressional Republicans since McCain's "Thumbs Down" ...
The same McConnell who confidently told two associates, just days after the insurrection, “The Democrats are going to take care of the son of a bitch for us.”
Ugh, thank you. I heard that Bulwark episode and was confused by the gaslighting by Amanda Carpenter but didn’t have any receipts. Your post does the trick 😩
It's different now though. He won the election but this is it. His power is limited now. He cannot run again. There is no Republican with his cult of personality. He has made a point to crush the life out of any possible rivals. Now that the election is over they have no reason to listen to him.
My thinking too. He over extended on this recession thing. Power is an illusion you have until you use and it doesn’t work.. then you weaken your power. Cult leader 101.. really he needs to google and read more…He messed up on this. IMO
They have to move on to find a viable candidate of some kind. It sure as hell isn't Vance. Or DeSantis. Or Nikki Haley.
They are hurting and the playbook they have been using won't work next time. They won't have the Democrats to blame for all the nation's woes next time.
They know this too. The next 2 years are the most dangerous time for our country. I was hoping beyond hope the Dems could hold the House. Now I'm just hoping there are enough smart Reps that they don't want to drive the country off a fiscal cliff
Does McConnell think he has a say? There is a new majority leader. Trump is going to destroy everything McConnell helped build and McConnell helped him.
Comments
Those who might say "no" include Murkowski, Collins, Cassidy, Tillis, and Thune. They know he's trying to make them irrelevant.
They don’t have the votes and Trump knows it. That’s why we are even hearing about it. If this was a viable plan we would have learned it via tweet 5 mins before a vote.
I think they have to resist, or he'll just run them over every time. They know this.
In every case, when predicting whether someone will defer to Trump, I suggest asking, "What's in it for him/her?" Collins gets nothing from letting Trump run over the Senate.
The House can do this without Senate and vice versa.
Not sadly to the level of letting impeachment go through, but he's frustrated Trumpian plans before. McConnell has his own agendas and he tolerated Trump to get them through.
It's something different when he's trying to blow up *their* privilege to grant or withhold consent on nominees. E.g., Gaetz is just a blatant dare for them to say "no!" They might just do that.
I think he's overplaying his hand.
Let's see if they care about this damn country. We need checks, serious checks.
Fuck Mitch
But I'm done waiting for Dem leadership to demand a recount. They caved.
Don't get me wrong, he's a conservative 100% and shrewd but I believe he tries to do what he thinks is the right thing for the country.
Let's see if I'm right with this recess appt nonsense.
Our best bet is letting them go crazy, look crazy so we can vote crazy out.
But you're right. They'll run amok and find out "fixing" DC is easier said than done. When that happens we have to lay it into them at every turn just like Trump laid into Biden. People need to see them for the failures they are.
The cosmic joke here is that those people mentioned above? 9 out of 10 of them will be Trump supporters by virtue of their standing in life. Progress is never easy
More likely, he found 50 votes for each of the nominees and will get them confirmed normally?
This is McConnell.
"No recess appointments *necessary*"
There are still a handful of senators who are less than friendly to Trump and a couple of them are kind of on the way out anyway so they just may say fuck it and throw wrench in some of his plans.
I just worry about the ones that don't get wrenched
There’s only the one time fuckme, there’s no 2d or 3rd time at bat.
May Mitch rue his actions in hell, In perpetuity.
impeached 2 times and got away with it. Convicted of 34 felonies and got away with it. Got away with treason in Florida. Got away with an insertion. Still as not pay for his rape of E. Jean Carroll.
I rest my case 👇
On January 2, 2021, days before the January 6 attack, Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) sent a text message to Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) warning him about what he was hearing.
McConnell never responded to the text. @theatlantic.bsky.social
🤞
1. It's likely a political disaster for Republicans;
2. There will be ~30-40 unfilled Judicial Vacancies, which can be temporarily filled by recess appointments, if any hint is given that Republicans want to go that direction.
Call your reps and senators to oppose this! Back them up.
Jane Mayer deleted her tweet, Molly. Like just now. Ugh.
Please we are begging you, stop listening to what they say and concern yourself with what they do. All this “reporting” on their every utterance is not only exhausting it’s distracting. It serves no purpose.
But on the other hand, he WAS majority leader, and had to to act in accordance with the wishes of his caucus - and might now act independently
hot take--McConnell is saying this now, because Thune can't yet.
-Ooo a little bit of hope… hopes dashed.
Not playing that game again.
It’s the only way 71 million people will learn their lesson
They don’t really have to nuke the country’s institutions to get deregulation and tax cuts.
"I HATE MITCH McCONNELL!!"
You’ll be out and the new Senate leader will kneel just like you did.
For the first time EVER....
There's this
Ever.
I don’t think he wanted a king but he stole the court that set the coronation date. He will suffer like the rest of us.
I imagine it will motivate him to bloviate against them right up till he votes for them.
These people are in it, to burn it right to the goddam ground.
Every single pun intended.
He’s of no use to them, anymore.
He’s done.
please stop a recess and these Nazis and Russian assets from the cabinet!
Love,
Decent Americans
Who knew we’d have to rely on those two to be the guardrails of democracy after Jan. 20, 2025, at least in the near-term?
Seriously, hope this is true. Perhaps the destruction of the US government and handing our secrets over to Putin is a bridge too far for him.
Mitch: is the guy who will call you a cab and then get in it.
No, cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move, ooh
If, by chance, he means it, stands by it, and has 4 additional R senators backing him, then it would be good news. I'm not optimistic.
Prayer is a tool the powerful gave to the masses to let them think they had some control
Next you'll be reminding us about him responding to Obama's election by planning to obstruct everything and make him a one term president.
https://driftglass.blogspot.com/2024/11/never-trumpers-giving-shitty-advice.html
They are hurting and the playbook they have been using won't work next time. They won't have the Democrats to blame for all the nation's woes next time.
President-elect Donald Trump joked about the term limits set for the president Wednesday morning.
The high and outsides are coming soon enough.
They can't lose the first fight brought to them.
Their not picking Scott for Senate Leader was a big sign that Trump won't be controlling them like he does Johnson.