Biography to detail McConnell criticisms of Trump

A new book about Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell due out before the Nov. 5 election will detail misgivings he’s had about Trump and his political movement. In the book, the Kentucky Republican is quoted as saying former President Ronald Reagan would not recognize the modern Republican Party, CNN reported. The book also recalls how McConnell after the 2020 election privately called Trump an ill-tempered narcissist, the Associated Press reported. WORLD has requested a review copy of the book.

The criticisms appear in an upcoming book, The Price of Power, written by Associated Press Deputy Washington Bureau Chief Michael Tackett. McConnell made the criticisms in private oral histories he recorded earlier and provided to Tackett for the book, according to the Associated Press. The biography, which Simon & Schuster plans to release on Tuesday, also details McConnell’s childhood struggle with polio, his personal politics, and his leadership history within the U.S. Senate. He earlier announced plans to step down from his leadership post in the U.S. Senate at the end of the year while finishing out his term, which extends through 2026.

What relationship have the two Republican leaders had in the past? McConnell and Trump have criticized each other for years, ever since the former president descended the escalator in Trump Tower in 2015 and promised to run for president. The two have also repeatedly made up after descending into public spats over the years. Earlier this year, McConnell officially endorsed Trump as his pick for the presidency. The Trump campaign highlighted that fact in response to a request for comment by WORLD. McConnell’s endorsement followed criticisms of the president’s behavior leading up to Jan. 6, 2021.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in The Stew about the meaning of the term MAGA and whether it’s about Trump or something much bigger.