Special Poll
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) recently diverged from former President Trump’s narrative by describing Joe Biden as a “good guy,” countering Trump’s portrayal of Biden as a corrupt figure intent on stealing elections and persecuting political adversaries.
While McConnell, who has endorsed Trump, believes there are substantial policy reasons to vote Biden out of office, he has provided a strategic roadmap for Trump to critique Biden’s presidency during Thursday’s debate and on the campaign trail.
“I’ve known Joe Biden for years. He’s a good guy; I like him personally,” McConnell stated to an audience in Louisville, referring to their extensive time together in the Senate and collaborations during Biden’s vice presidency.
However, McConnell expressed discontent with Biden’s record, noting that he never viewed Biden as a moderate, despite Biden’s centrist campaign in 2020. “He aligned with the far left of the Democratic Party soon after taking office, causing regulatory challenges for businesses,” McConnell argued.
McConnell emphasized that there are valid arguments against Biden’s re-election without resorting to personal attacks, a tactic frequently employed by Trump with limited success. Trump often labels Biden as “Crooked Joe” and accuses him of various crimes and unethical behavior, including election theft and corrupt dealings.
In another post, Trump criticized Biden’s immigration policies, calling them a “NIGHTMARE FOR WOMEN” concerning the border and immigration, signaling that immigration will be a significant point of contention in the debate.
Trump also criticized Fox News for featuring Biden campaign spokesperson Michael Tyler, questioning why the network allowed him to “spew lies with very little pushback,” while noting that Trump campaign deputy communications director Caroline Sunshine appeared immediately afterward.
A Biden campaign spokesperson, Ammar Moussa, responded to Trump’s comments by saying Tyler was “living RENT FREE in Donald Trump’s head.”
The upcoming debate, hosted by CNN and moderated by anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, will take place in Atlanta at 9 p.m. EDT and will be broadcast by most major outlets.
Al Cross, director emeritus of the Institute for Rural Journalism at the University of Kentucky and a longtime McConnell observer, suggested that McConnell might be appealing to moderate Republicans who dislike Trump, encouraging them to focus on policy differences rather than personalities.
McConnell believes Biden can be criticized effectively based on his handling of the economy, inflation, and the surge of migrants at the southern border. He highlighted that former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers warned Biden about inflation risks in May 2021, advising caution on fiscal stimulus to prevent soaring prices.
“The president was asking for an excessive amount of money, far beyond what seemed reasonable,” McConnell said about Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. Summers predicted 40-year high inflation if Biden proceeded, and McConnell asserts that this prediction has come true.
Additionally, McConnell criticized Biden’s management of the southern border, noting a significant increase in migrant encounters and unaccompanied children entering the country since Biden took office.
“If Biden is defeated this fall, it will likely be due to two significant issues: the inflation crisis and the border problem,” McConnell said.
Cross pointed out that McConnell has consistently expressed personal regard for Biden despite their policy disagreements. McConnell and Trump had a falling out in December 2020 after McConnell recognized Biden’s election victory, despite Trump’s unfounded claims of widespread fraud. McConnell only acknowledged Biden as president-elect after the Electoral College vote.
McConnell and Biden have a history of working together on key legislative deals during the Obama administration, including the 2012 deal to make permanent most of the Bush-era tax cuts and the 2011 agreement to raise the debt ceiling. More recently, McConnell supported several of Biden’s legislative achievements, such as the bipartisan infrastructure package and investments in semiconductor manufacturing.
McConnell told his Kentucky constituents that Americans typically prefer divided government but expect bipartisan cooperation to achieve progress. “We’ve had divided government more often than not since World War II,” he noted, emphasizing the importance of working across party lines to address shared priorities.