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After a tumultuous first day in Congress for the Republican Party—caused mainly by the MAGA wing's open revolt against Rep. Kevin McCarthy bid to become House leader—former President Donald Trump criticized Senator Mitch McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao for allegedly creating "unnecessary turmoil" within the GOP.
In a post published on Truth Social, Trump wrote: "There is so much unnecessary turmoil in the Republican Party, in large part do to people like the Old Broken Crow, Mitch McConnell, his 'wife', Coco Chow, who is a sellout to China, and their RINO allies, who make it difficult for everyone else by constantly capitulating to Hopeless Joe Biden and the Democrats.
"The 1.7 Trillion Dollar Green New Deal 'booster' that McConnell and the RINOS handed to the Dems last week was a real downer and embarrassment to Republicans!"
Chao, who served as secretary of transportation in the Trump administration from 2017 to 2021, quit after the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, saying her "personal value and my philosophy" made it "impossible to continue."
Trump made headlines in October for an attack on McConnell and Chao, when he referred to her as McConnell's "China loving wife, Coco Chow."
Chao has previously refused to comment on Trump's comments, which were condemned by fellow Republicans, including Senator Rick Scott, who told CNN: "It's never, ever OK to be racist."
In an interview with Fox News in 2022, Chao said: "The president says many things. I don't make a point of responding to his comments."
Trump's criticism of McConnell and Chao is nothing new. On Truth Social in October he accused McConnell of approving "trillions of dollars worth of Democrat-sponsored bills, without even the slightest bit of negotiation, because he hates Donald J. Trump."
The rift between Trump and McConnell has been growing in recent months, with the former president saying the veteran Republican "blew the midterms and everyone despises him" and McConnell calling Trump "diminished" in an interview with MSNBC in December.
On Tuesday, during the first meeting of the new Congress, 20 GOP detractors voted against McCarthy's bid to become House leader.
These were Reps. Andy Biggs, Dan Bishop, Lauren Boebert, Josh Brecheen, Michael Cloud, Eli Crane, Andrew Clyde, Byron Donalds, Matt Gaetz, Bob Good, Paul Gosar, Andy Harris, Anna Paulina Luna, Mary Miller, Ralph Norman, Andy Ogles, Scott Perry, Matt Rosendale, Chip Roy and Keith Self.
The House will return to session on Wednesday afternoon.
About the writer
Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more