Pelosi calls McConnell’s Trump endorsement ‘sad, professional tragedy’

House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) slammed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) endorsement of former President Trump, calling it a “sad, professional tragedy” given their history.

Pelosi acknowledged that over the years, she and McConnell were able to find common ground on some issues. But, the former Speaker stated that it is “sad” for him to support Trump after the upper chamber was close to removing him from office for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

“For him to know how bad the president’s predecessor was on all of this, and then come to the conclusion that he would endorse him, when we thought he was going to convict him, the word was he was close to conviction, and now he’s endorsing,” Pelosi said during a Friday appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”  

“It’s really very, very sad. And it’s a sad conclusion to a career of strategic — again mostly we didn’t agree, but I was respectful of the view that he brought forth and how we could work together,” she continued, adding “It’s really … in my view, a sad, professional tragedy that he had to come around.” 

Her comments come just days after McConnell, who announced late last month that he would step down from Senate GOP leadership, gave his full endorsement of Trump for president — after the two hadn’t spoken in more than three years due to differences.

Pelosi argued McConnell knew “full well” that Trump was “guilty” for the attack on the Capitol and that the Kentucky Republican even spoke about it on the Senate floor. 

“He knew that what was happening was wrong in terms of this beautiful Capitol being assaulted but not just the physical building, what happens here, our Constitution, our ability to honor our oath of office to have a peaceful transfer of power,” Pelosi said. “He even spoke to that eloquently on the floor, but then he wouldn’t allow a bipartisan commission to be formed.”

“Why would he do such a thing? Perhaps he’ll explain it to the world,” she added.

McConnell’s backing of Trump also follows the suspension of former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s White House bid. Haley was Trump’s only remaining challenger in the race, and her withdrawal will now pave the way for the former president to secure the GOP nomination.

The former governor has not endorsed Trump, despite pressure from other Republicans to do so. Instead, she claimed he would have to “earn the votes” of her supporters.