Mitch McConnell has voiced concerns about the trajectory of the United States under the Trump administration.
McConnell, at 83, is the longest-serving senator in Kentucky’s history. He has issued a warning about international relations deteriorating due to President Trump’s unpopular tariffs and the resulting animosity towards the U.S. McConnell, who has been the Republican leader in the Senate for nearly two decades, stepped down earlier this year and plans to retire at the end of his current term.
Before his departure, McConnell intends to prioritize defense and foreign policy, areas he considers critically important.
Speaking on the current political environment in the U.S., McConnell told the Lexington Herald-Leader: “I think this is the most dangerous period since before World War Two. There’s certain similarities right now to the ‘30s.”
He referenced the 1930 Smoot-Hawley tariff bill signed by Herbert Hoover, which many historians and economists believe exacerbated the global depression.
“Those who were totally anxious to stay out of all of what was going on in Europe were called ‘America First’. Sound familiar?” McConnell continued.
He further noted that North Korea, China, Russia, Iran, and Iran’s proxies, despite their differences, share a common disdain for the U.S.
McConnell expressed concern about the U.S.’s readiness to confront these challenges, adding: “With regard to Ukraine, what we need to do is avoid the headline at the end of the war, ‘Russia wins, America loses.’ It has huge worldwide implications.”
The President might argue that the U.S. is prepared for conflict, pointing to plans to rename the Department of Defense (DOD) to the Department of War as an indication of ‘readiness.’
This rebranding is meant to convey ‘a stronger message of readiness and resolve’ compared to the DOD’s current image.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth remarked on the historical significance of the former Department of War, which was integral during the first and second world wars. “We won WWI, and we won WWII, not with the Department of Defense, but with a War Department, with the Department of War,” he told Fox News, adding, “As the president has said, we’re not just defense, we’re offense.”
The proposed bill would also lead to a change in Hegseth’s title, making him the ‘Secretary of War’ once enacted.