Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was met by jeers on Saturday while delivering the opening remarks at Kentucky’s political event, the Fancy Farm picnic.
Before McConnell even took the stand, he was met by crowd members chanting “retire!” McConnell appeared visibly stunned by the protests.
When he finally spoke, McConnell said, “My friends, I’ll be honest, it’s not hard for Republicans to look good these days,” drawing boos from the crowd.
A second TikTok recorded during the event shows McConnell trying to give his speech. However, his words are drowned out by the crowd chanting “shame on you” and “shame.”
Throughout the event, McConnell reportedly did not acknowledge jeers from the crowd.
On Sunday, Donald Trump posted a video of the heckling on his Truth Social account, writing, “I AGREE! ‘BOOOOO—RETIRE, RETIRE, RETIRE—BOOOOO!!!’”
This heckling comes in the wake of McConnell’s possible public health scare last Wednesday. During a weekly news conference for Republican leadership, McConnell appeared to freeze while giving his opening remarks about the annual defense policy bill before silently walking away. In March, McConnell also tripped and fell after an event for the Republican super PAC, the Senate Leadership Fund.
These instances have left many to ask if there are any concerns about McConnell’s health, especially given his age and public office. When asked about his news conference freeze, the Senate leader told reporters at the time, “I’m fine.”
There’s another reason for this antagonist outcry. McConnell has always been widely disliked by Democrats, but in recent years, his own party has also started to turn against him. Multiple Republican leaders blamed McConnell for the party’s failure to retake control of the Senate during the 2022 midterms. He has also earned the ire of Trump supporters due to his criticism around Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 election, though McConnell voted to acquit Trump during his second impeachment trial.
