Aaron Blake asks a good question in this morning’s WaPo: Mitch McConnell is suddenly legitimizing the Jan. 6 committee. But why?
On Tuesday, CNN’s Manu Raju asked McConnell about the revelation that Trump allies — including Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. and Fox News hosts who went on almost immediately to downplay Trump’s role — had pleaded with Meadows during the riot to get Trump to stop it. The text messages showed those people recognized Trump was the catalyst for the events, despite their later comments.
McConnell raised some eyebrows when he responded: “I do think we’re all watching, as you are, what is unfolding on the House side, and it will be interesting to reveal all of the participants who were involved.”
That was 3 days ago. Yesterday he did it again:
Things got more interesting Thursday when McConnell was asked again about the committee’s work. And he reinforced that he views it as important. The premise of the question even cited his comments Tuesday, inviting McConnell to walk them back if he wanted to.
But he didn’t just double down; he arguably went further.
“I think the fact-finding is interesting; we’re all going to be watching it,” McConnell said. “It was a horrendous event, and I think what they are seeking to find out is something the public needs to know.”
Mitch McConnell, a/k/a Moscow Mitch, is the most calculating politician in Washington. Everything he says is measured according to how it will help his political ambitions — which are primarily GOP control of everything, with himself in control of the Senate. He probably doesn’t even say “Good morning” without a political motive. So why is helping the J6 committee now, especially as it’s starting to appear that they have Republicans in their target sights?
Blake offers some possible reasons:
Perhaps McConnell is sending a message to Trump, as Trump continues to attack him and to (unsuccessfully) push for Senate Republicans to cast McConnell aside as their leader. Perhaps he truly believes that anti-democratic efforts to overturn the election were just that bad and would very much like for those involved to be publicly exposed, believing it won’t necessarily harm Republicans in general.
and
This is all going to reflect quite poorly on those involved, and McConnell recognizes it will be difficult to dispute that. Maybe it’s better to express openness to the committee’s findings and then dispute the specifics and pin this on ne’er-do-well individuals later.
I suggest there’s another reason. I watched the entire January 6 event — starting with the joint session prior to the mob — including McConnell’s speech to the Senate afterwards. Here is some of what he said then:
I want to say to the American people the United States Senate will not be intimidated. We will not be kept out of this chamber by thugs, mobs or threats. We will not bow to lawlessness or intimidation. We are back at our posts. We will discharge our duty under the Constitution and for our nation. And we're going to do it tonight.
McConnell is thoroughly disgusted with TFG, and while he had made little secret of it during the Trump years, after J6 he was quite open about it: Mitch McConnell reportedly never wants to speak to Trump again after the Capitol riot. And it seems he hasn’t: McConnell Hasn’t Spoken to Trump In a Year (as of 2 days ago).
So I suggest some additional motivations for McConnell’s support. First is that, as he watches the committee actually make headway, he sees them as being his best chance to get rid of Trump and his corrosive influence on the GOP and the US. After all, if he wants to keep on making money off the country, he needs a working country. (Too cynical? I think not.) Throw in his personal dislike of Trump’s crudeness, his incompetence, and probably his misogyny, it’s not a wild guess to think McConnell wouldn’t mind at all if Trump and his whole clan were locked up and hidden away where they would never roil American waters again.
The other reason I think McConnell is playing this game will probably raise some hackles here. I do think he genuinely loves the institution of the Senate, even as he constantly maneuvers to turn it into his personal instrument. Again, watching that speech on the night of J6, I was struck by how genuinely appalled he sounded at the assault on the Capitol and its traditions.
People’s motives are often complex, often even contradictory. Mind you, I don’t trust Moscow Mitch as far as I can throw him (assuming his guards would let me), but in this case I’m willing to think he really does want the J6 committee to succeed in taking Trump down.