Trump and McConnell are committed to working together despite reported feud
WASHINGTON- President Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) are committed to working together despite reports of an intense feud earlier this month, according to statements released Wednesday by both the White House and McConnell.
“President Donald J. Trump and Senator Mitch McConnell remain united on many shared priorities, including middle class tax relief, strengthening the military, constructing a southern border wall, and other important issues,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.
“They will hold previously scheduled meetings following the August recess to discuss these critical items with members of the congressional leadership and the President’s Cabinet. White House and leadership staff are coordinating regarding the details of those meetings,” she added.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we are committed to advancing our shared agenda together, and anyone who suggests otherwise is clearly not part of the conversation,” McConnell said in a statement.
The New York Times reported Tuesday that McConnell and Trump ceased communication following an intense August 9 phone call.
Sources told The Times that McConnell had privately stated that the fractured relationship in conjunction with recent controversial statements made by the president-pose a serious threat to the Administration’s legislative agenda.
Congress by September 30th must reach an agreement on a spending bill so as to keep the government funded beyond that date. Congress by mid-October must vote to increase the debt ceiling so as to stave off the possibility of the government defaulting on its obligations.
This article is republished with permission from Talk Media News
Bryan is an award-winning political journalist who has extensive experience covering Congress and Maryland state government.
His work includes coverage of the election of Donald Trump, the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and attorneys general William Barr and Jeff Sessions-as well as that of the Maryland General Assembly, Gov. Larry Hogan, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bryan has broken stories involving athletic and sexual assault scandals with the Baltimore Post-Examiner.
His original UMBC investigation gained international attention, was featured in People Magazine and he was interviewed by ABC’s “Good Morning America” and local radio stations. Bryan broke subsequent stories documenting UMBC’s omission of a sexual assault on their daily crime log and a federal investigation related to the university’s handling of an alleged sexual assault.