Former White House aide Alyssa Farah Griffin condemned former President Trump for a social media post attacking Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R.- Ky) and insulting his wife, Elaine Chao.
Why it matters: Trump’s charged words against the Republican senator and his wife come weeks before the midterm elections where several Trump-endorsed candidates are seeking wins in key states.
Driving the news: In a Truth Social post on Friday, Trump said McConnell has a “death wish” because he supported “Democrat sponsored Bills.”
- The former president did not mention a specific piece of legislation in his post that McConnell is supporting.
- Trump also called McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao, the “China loving wife, Coco Chow.”
- Chao was born in Taiwan and served in Trump’s cabinet as the Secretary of Transportation. She resigned after the Jan. 6 riots.
- McConnell’s office did not immediately respond to Axios’ request for comment.
What they’re saying: “This isn’t some crazy person on the internet, this is the GOP front-runner for President if the Party doesn’t wake up & demand better,” Farah Griffin tweeted.
- “He’s not even trying to hide the racism at this point. Just despicable.”
Flashback: Trump’s charged comments came days after McConnell shared his support for the bipartisan bill to reform the Electoral Count Act after the events of Jan. 6.
The big picture: McConnell’s chances of becoming Senate majority leader again depend on Trump-supported candidates winning their midterm battles.
- Candidates in key states — such as Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania — will need to win their elections in order for Republicans to gain control of the Senate again.
Go deeper: GOP’s midterm fear: Referendum on Trump
