Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a floor speech Thursday that Democrats are trying to shut everyone else out of the political process. (AP File) J. Scott Applewhite

McConnell lays blame for Jan. 6 at Trump’s feet: ‘The entire nation knows who is responsible’

Brady Knox December 19, 06:26 PM December 19, 06:26 PM Video Embed

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) took a major dig at former President Donald Trump, implicitly blaming him for the Jan. 6 riot.

“The entire nation knows who is responsible for that day. Beyond that, I don’t have any immediate observations,” McConnell said when asked about the findings of the Jan. 6 committee.

MCCONNELL on Jan 6 committee: “The entire nation knows who is responsible for that day. Beyond that, I don’t have any immediate observations.”

— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) December 19, 2022

McConnell’s dig against Trump, perhaps his most severe and direct since the immediate aftermath of Jan. 6, comes after the last hearing of the Jan. 6 committee, where it announced criminal referrals for Trump. The attack also comes amid Trump’s lowest approval ratings since he first announced his candidacy in 2015, spelling a tough 2024 campaign for the former president.

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Since his departure from the White House, Trump has launched numerous attacks against McConnell. Recent struggles from Trump, escalating after a disappointing midterm performance from Republicans, appear to have emboldened McConnell.

Though it was his first direct attack against Trump for Jan. 6 in a while, it wasn’t his first. In February, he openly denounced Trump over his actions during the riot in a speech on the floor of the Senate.

“There is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day,” McConnell said.

On Monday, the Jan. 6 committee firmly laid the blame on Trump for the Jan. 6 riot, both for what he did and didn’t do.

“For 187 minutes, he actively disregarded his constitutional obligation to take care that the laws are faithfully executed,” Rep. Elaine Luria (D-VA) said, referring to his public silence during much of the riot. “That is because the mob wanted what President Trump wanted: to impede the peaceful transition of power,” she said.

Trump wasn’t the only Republican to be targeted on the final Jan. 6 hearing; Reps. Jim Jordan (OH), Scott Perry (PA), Andy Biggs (AZ), and Kevin McCarthy (CA) were all accused of having withheld vital information to the panel, something that could hold legal consequences.

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Altogether, the committee voted to refer Trump on four criminal counts: obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to make a false statement, and inciting an insurrection.

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