politics
What Mitch McConnell Did
The former Senate GOP leader’s legacy will make America harder to govern for years to come.
TL;DR
- Mitch McConnell's absence from the Fancy Farm picnic, due to hospitalization for a fall and pneumonia, sparked widespread speculation about his health and capacity to serve.
- McConnell, a long-serving Republican leader, is credited with amassing power through strategic maneuvers, championing the filibuster, and securing a conservative majority on the Supreme Court.
- His political decisions, including blocking Merrick Garland's Supreme Court nomination and facilitating Trump's judicial appointments, have created a lasting conservative judiciary and a calcified Senate.
- McConnell's influence has significantly reshaped Kentucky's political landscape, shifting it from Democratic dominance to Republican control.
- Despite his personal detestation of Donald Trump, McConnell's actions repeatedly enabled Trump's political ascent, intertwining their legacies.
- McConnell's legacy includes the routine use of the filibuster, which has hindered legislative functionality and led to an increased reliance on the executive branch.
- While McConnell is transitioning out of leadership, his influence on the Republican party and the judiciary is expected to persist for decades, making governance more difficult.