Trump's scathing letter attacking Mitch McConnell could have been nastier, according to a new report

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Trump's scathing letter attacking Mitch McConnell could have been nastier, according to a new report
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell listens to President Donald Trump talks to reporters while hosting Republican congressional leaders and members of Trump's cabinet in the Oval Office at the White House July 20, 2020, in Washington, DC.Doug Mills-Pool/Getty Images
  • Trump's scathing statement about Mitch McConnell could have been much worse, Politico reported.
  • A person familiar said that Trump wanted to mock McConnell for having multiple chins.
  • On Tuesday, Trump lashed out at McConnell in a scathing statement through his Save America PAC.
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Former President Donald Trump's blistering letter attacking Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell could have been much worse, Politico and The New York Times reported Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Trump lashed out at McConnell in a scathing statement through his Save America PAC, calling him a "dour, sullen, unsmiling political hack" and urged GOP senators to find a new leader.

"The Republican Party can never again be respected or strong with political 'leaders' like Sen. Mitch McConnell at its helm," Trump said in the statement. "McConnell's dedication to business as usual, status quo policies, together with his lack of political insight, wisdom, skill, and personality, has rapidly driven him from Majority Leader to Minority Leader, and it will only get worse."

An earlier draft of the length statement could have been much more personal, according to both the Politico report and The New York Times' Maggie Haberman. An individual familiar with the thought process behind the statement told Politico that Trump wanted to mock McConnell for having multiple chins, but advisors recommended against it.

"There was also a lot of repetitive stuff and definitely something about him having too many chins but not enough smarts," the person told Politico.

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The letter followed McConnell's vote to acquit the former president in his second impeachment trial on a charge of inciting the Capitol riots. However, following the vote, McConnell blasted Trump and blamed him for the insurrection.

"These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flags, and screaming their loyalty to him," McConnell said. Trump

McConnell, a one-time ally of the former president, also did not side with Trump in his disputed claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Trump slammed McConnell for the latter, blaming him for doing "nothing" amid the "complete election disaster" in Georgia and other swing states.

"McConnell did nothing, and will never do what needs to be done in order to secure a fair and just electoral system into the future," the former president said in the statement. "He doesn't have what it takes, never did, and never will."

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Jason Miller, a Trump advisor who Politico reported had a hand in crafting the statement, denied in an email to Insider that the earlier draft mocking McConnell exists.

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