In a meeting with technology CEOs Monday, popular vote loser Donald Trump reportedly criticized Mitch McConnell's Trumpcare approach, saying that it "needs more heart." That's after he told senators in a meeting last week that he thought the House version of the bill was "mean, mean, mean." In response, McConnell is basically leaking a shrug, having his people dismiss Trump's concerns.
[T]he diss of his own party is unlikely to play a significant role as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell strives to secure at least 50 votes to bring a measure to the floor by the end of the month. Republicans may fear that Trump could later undermine them, but other worries, including campaign promises, are more immediate.
“We’re dealing with a different communications dynamic with this White House than what we’ve dealt with in the past, but that doesn’t mean things grind to a halt or stop happening,” said Scott Jennings, a Republican political consultant in Kentucky who has worked for McConnell. “McConnell knows he’s got to plow forward. No matter what else is going on in the world, he has to plow forward based on the agenda the Republican conference ran and that he believes is good for the country.” […]
“But at some juncture you just get used to the fact there may be communications turbulence along the way,” Jennings said. “That can’t really deter you from finishing whatever legislative mission you happen to be on at that moment.”
Democrats have been using the "mean" quote to highlight the divisions between Trump and congressional Republicans, and this move by McConnell shows that he's rising to their bait—maybe not so savvy on his part. After all, it's not his name that's going to be on this monster of a bill.