Kentucky Republican leaders knock down resolution urging McConnell to stand by Trump
Leaders in the Republican Party of Kentucky Saturday knocked down a resolution that would have urged Sen. Mitch McConnell to oppose the impeachment of former President Donald Trump.
The decision came after a group of 28 county party chairpersons and vice chairpersons forced a special meeting to consider the resolution, and it marks McConnell’s continued firm hold on the Kentucky Republican establishment as the party figures out a path after the Trump era.
The meeting of the Republican State Central Committee, which consists of 378 members, was closed to the press. The Republican Party of Kentucky put out a statement after the meeting but did not mention the resolution, which was ruled out of order by a 134-49 vote, according to a member of the committee.
“Today, the RSCC met in a special meeting called by a small group of individuals,” the statement said. “In the end it is our intention to return our focus to bringing civility to the party and continue having larger conversations about how we can attract more voters and grow our party.”
Earlier this week, McConnell directly accused Trump of provoking the mob of pro-Trump supporters that stormed the Capitol on January 6, but he has not said whether he will vote to convict Trump on impeachment charges of inciting an insurrection.
The decision to stay neutral is a far cry from the McConnell of Trump’s first impeachment, when he said he could not be an “impartial juror” and set rules for the Senate trial that worked in Trump’s favor.
Don Thrasher, the chairman of the Nelson County Republican Party and the county chairman who pushed for the special meeting, said he could not comment on the meeting. He did say, however, that he felt like many of the Republican elected officials in the state are out of touch with the base.
“[McConnell]’s got a grip over these hundred people,” Thrasher said. “If you ask me if they have a grip on the average taxpaying Republican voter in this state, absolutely not.”
Trasher said he started collecting signatures after the meeting to call for another special meeting, this time to vote on a resolution calling on McConnell to resign.
McConnell’s stance has angered many on the right, including Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh. Sen. Ron Johnson, of Wisconsin, said he couldn’t support McConnell as leader if he voted to convict Trump, according to Politico.
Yet those close to McConnell, like former Chief of Staff Billy Piper, have framed it as a “vote of conscience” and said no pressure from Republicans or Democrats will influence McConnell’s vote.
Kentucky voted overwhelmingly for Trump in the 2020 election, with 62.1 percent of voters casting their ballot for the president. In his race, McConnell won 57.8 percent of the vote.
Even with Trump’s popularity in the state, McConnell maintains a firm grip on the party’s infrastructure.
Considered the architect of the modern Republican Party in Kentucky, McConnell has influenced many of the party leaders. Of the five Republican constitutional officers, two were McConnell scholars at the University of Louisville and one was a former McConnell intern.
This story was originally published January 23, 2021 at 2:29 PM.
