Rick Scott — Mitch McConnell's would-be rival — dodged a question on whether he'd back the Kentucky senator for GOP leader
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- Sen. Rick Scott dodged a question about whether he would back Mitch McConnell for GOP leader.
- Scott told Fox Business host Larry Kudlow that he wanted to "focus on how do we go forward."
- Scott has the support of GOP figures like former President Donald Trump.
Florida Sen. Rick Scott on Monday dodged a question on whether he would support Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for GOP leader.
Fox Business host Larry Kudlow asked Scott if he intended to back McConnell.
"Well, look, I think we oughta have to figure out, Larry — I think what we have to do is say, what do we do going forward?" Scott responded. "And that's what I want to do. I want to focus on how do we go forward."
"Alright, you wanna wait and see, then go forward," Kudlow said.
KUDLOW: Are you backing Mitch McConnell?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 14, 2022
RICK SCOTT: Well, look, I think we outta have to figure out, Larry, I think what we have to do is say, what do we do going forward? And that's what I want to do. I want to focus on how do we go forward. pic.twitter.com/wSHIfpW8Fb
Much speculation has swirled around whether Scott will mount a challenge against McConnell. The Wall Street Journal on Monday reported that Scott's and McConnell's allies are trading barbs about who should be held responsible for the GOP not wresting control of the upper chamber. Scott led the GOP's campaign arm during the midterms.
As for the personal relationship between the two, Scott this month denied there was any bad blood between him and his Kentucky colleague.
"I don't dislike anybody. I mean, I have my beliefs about, you know, what I'd like to accomplish up here, but I don't dislike people," Scott replied when asked on Fox News if he hated McConnell.
Among the allies in Scott's corner, should he mount a challenge to McConnell, is former President Donald Trump. Trump has long feuded with McConnell and unleashed racist tirades on his wife, former transportation secretary Elaine Chao. Chao was the first Trump Cabinet member to resign following the Capitol riot.
Trump endorses Rick Scott for Republican Senate Leader: “I think Rick Scott would be much better than McConnell. I know McConnell well. His wife, I call her CoCo Chao. I wasn’t sad to see her go. I’m not a fan of McConnell and I am a fan of Rick Scott.” pic.twitter.com/nGf1fW0saE
— Ron Filipkowski ???????? (@RonFilipkowski) November 12, 2022
"I think Rick Scott would be much better than McConnell," Trump said during an appearance on Fox News host Glenn Beck's podcast. "I know McConnell well. His wife, I call her CoCo Chao. I wasn't sad to see her go. I'm not a fan of McConnell and I am a fan of Rick Scott."
Other prominent GOP figures like Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz have also expressed their dislike for McConnell's leadership. Cruz blamed McConnell for the GOP's midterm Senate loss and accused McConnell of abandoning Senate candidate Blake Masters in Arizona.
"Because Masters said he would vote against Mitch McConnell, and so Mitch would rather be leader than have a Republican majority. If there's a Republican who can win, who's not gonna support Mitch, the truth of the matter is he'd rather the Democrat win. So he pulled all the money out of Arizona," Cruz said on Monday.
Representatives for McConnell did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.