Rick Scott Fires Back at McConnell for Dissing GOP Senate Chances: ‘Cowardice’ and ‘Treasonous’ to Conservative Movement

Published Sep. 1, 2022, 11:44 a.m. ET | Updated Sep. 1, 2022

Republican U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rick Scott.
Republican U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell and Rick Scott.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (FLV) – U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-FL, issued a fiery response to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, who made comments in mid-August dissing the Republicans’ ability to win Senate seats because of “candidate quality” and other reasons.

“I think there’s probably a greater likelihood the House flips than the Senate. Senate races are just different — they’re statewide, candidate quality has a lot to do with the outcome,” McConnell said in Florence, Kentucky.

“Right now, we have a 50-50 Senate and a 50-50 country, but I think when all is said and done this fall, we’re likely to have an extremely close Senate, either our side up slightly or their side up slightly,” the Kentucky Republican continued.

In an op-ed in the Washington Examiner, Scott lambasted McConnell’s comments without specifically naming the minority leader.

The Florida senator grouped McConnell as part of the reason Republicans lost the Senate in 2020.

“Washington versus Republican voters,” Scott titled it. “Unfortunately, many of the very people responsible for losing the Senate last cycle are now trying to stop us from winning the majority this time by trash-talking our Republican candidates,” hinting at McConnell’s remarks.

Scott said McConnell’s statements are an “act of cowardice,” saying they are “treasonous to the conservative cause.”

“Giving anonymous quotes to help the Washington Post or the New York Times write stories trashing Republicans is the same as working with the Democratic National Committee.”

Scott note his agreeance that Republicans must work hard this election cycle to raise money, but sayd “leaders” do not “trash-talk our candidates.”

“Ultimately, though, when you complain and lament that we have ‘bad candidates,’ what you are really saying is that you have contempt for the voters who chose them.”

Scott continued, painting McConnell as part of a group of “self-appointed ‘smart guys’ in Washington that think they (not the voters) should be able to choose our candidates.”

“The D.C. crowd should not choose candidates, and they do not, and they will not. The D.C. crowd did not choose me and actively opposed me in 2010 when I ran for governor in the Florida Republican primary. If the D.C. crowd was right, I wouldn’t be in the Senate,” he said.

“Let me be clear — we will overcome the Washington naysayers and their anonymous quotes, we will beat the Democrats, and we will take control of the Senate this fall. Write it down.”

Scott finished off referring to McConnell as part of a group of “fools” who “have been trash-talking” voters.

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