U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is one of President Donald Trump's important allies from Washington. The Senator has not visited the White House for over two months because he isn’t pleased with how they are handling the coronavirus pandemic.
McConnell opened up while speaking to reporters on Thursday about his decision not to visit the White House amid the still raging coronavirus pandemic. A top Republican in Congress, McConnell prefers having phone conversations instead when it comes to discussing crucial issues such as Supreme Court moves with the president and COVID-19 economic stimulus legislation, he revealed in a news conference in his home state, Kentucky.
The 78-year-old lawmaker said he hadn't visited the White House since Aug. 6. He went on to explain why he opted not to visit there, saying their approach to handing coronavirus didn't coincide with his strategy and what he thought they should do in the Senate, which includes wearing a mask and practicing social distancing, BBC reported.
His remarks are considerably different from how Trump has approached the issue. He was in the hospital for three days after testing positive for COVID-19 but removed his mask in front of cameras as soon as he returned to the White House. Following his return, Trump ended talks with Democrats on further relief for Americans suffering the economic crash due to coronavirus-triggered shutdowns across the nation.
Even Republicans aren't supporting Trump's decision to end virus aid talks, with some aides calling it a political mistake. While the POTUS has suggested that individual bills comprising a round of stimulus cheques of $1,200 should be signed, Democrats are unwilling to support further aid with a piecemeal approach.
Unlike most of his own Senators that are against passing more aid, McConnell hopes that the talk continues. Referring to the impending Election Day, McConnell said the talks have become even more challenging, given that the national elections for the presidency and Congress are just around the corner, AlJazeera reported.
McConnell will be going toe-to-toe with Democrat Amy McGrath during his Nov. 3 election bid to retain his Senate seat. McGrath is a former Marine Corps fighter pilot.
Aside from the president, First lady Melania Trump, spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany and several other White House officials have tested positive for COVID-19. Republicans are worried about retaining their Senate majority, citing how the president has handled his own infection and his handling of the broader coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed over 211,000 lives across the United States.