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Trump: I Do Have Confidence in McConnell

September 28, 2017

President Donald Trump said in a new interview that he still has confidence in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) in the wake of another failed Republican attempt to repeal and replace Obamacare.

"Do you still have confidence in Mitch McConnell?" Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth asked in an interview airing Thursday on "Fox and Friends."

"I do," Trump said. "Look, I've dealt with Mitch for a long time, and I think he has to get rid of the filibuster rule. I think it's just a disaster for the Republican Party, because it means you need 60 votes on most pieces of legislation, and you're not going to get it."

Senate Republicans said they would not vote on the Graham-Cassidy Obamacare repeal bill when it became clear they didn't have the votes for passage.

The two men reportedly got into a "profane shouting match" last month over the health care efforts; Trump took particular exception to McConnell's remark that the president may have excessive legislative expectations.

In addition to the health care reform struggles, McConnell was dealt a blow Tuesday when Sen. Luther Strange (R., Ala.) lost his primary battle with Roy Moore, a Steve Bannon-backed candidate.

Although he endorsed the establishment favorite Strange, who was appointed to the position this year after Jeff Sessions resigned to become Attorney General, Trump quickly congratulated Moore on his victory and said he would be a great senator. Moore is favored to win his general election race in the red state.

Bannon, a former White House strategist, said McConnell "and the permanent political class" are "the most corrupt and incompetent group of individuals in this country."

Asked if he trusted Democratic leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), Trump said it wasn't a question of trust but did have a "nice relationship" with them. Trump struck a deal with them last month that coupled a temporary extension of the debt ceiling with Hurricane Harvey aid.

"If we can do a great health care bill, bipartisan, I'm OK with that," Trump said.