OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
5:22 PM – Thursday, June 11, 2026
Using the full weight of the Oval Office, President Donald Trump fearlessly challenged the GOP’s old guard, taking Republican Senators Mitch McConnell and Lisa Murkowski to task for “standing in the way” of the “America First” agenda.
During an extensive, freewheeling session with reporters in the Oval Office, Trump did not hold back his grievances against McConnell, his former legislative partner turned frequent critic.
Expressing deep frustration over the Kentucky Republican’s decision to vote against a trio of the administration’s Cabinet nominees and legislation, Trump labeled McConnell (R-Ky.) as bitter and suggested the long-serving lawmaker was not equipped mentally for the current political landscape.
“Well, McConnell’s an angry man, and he, you know, got thrown out of his position. He’s an angry guy,” Trump said, referring to McConnell stepping down as Senate Republican Leader in 2024. “He’s an angry man who is very disloyal to John Thune … Mitch McConnell’s a bad guy, and I thought he was lousy at his job.”
The president lamented further that McConnell has increasingly aligned with Democrats on procedural and confirmation votes, bluntly declaring that the veteran GOP politician has “lost his power.” McConnell is currently the chair of the Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, and his term ends on January 3, 2027.
The presidential criticism similarly extended to Murkowski (R-Ala.), who recently alienated herself from the administration by serving as the only Republican to vote against the recent $70 billion immigration enforcement package. While the rest of the Senate Republican conference united to pass the multi-year funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Murkowski broke ranks to vote with Democrats in opposition.
Murkowski reportedly broke ranks over provisions regarding the long-discussed anti-weaponization fund, and what she described as an attempt to bypass standard congressional appropriations. In the Oval Office, Trump rebuked Murkowski’s rebelliousness, framing her opposition as both a betrayal of core party priorities and a failure to support necessary border security measures.
“… And Murkowski is terrible, terrible to us, terrible to the country. Mr. President. And, you know, I almost feel guilty. I’ve probably done more for Alaska than any other state. Not because of her, because it’s the right thing to do. She’s just an impediment. But she’s there. She probably will be a negative vote…” Trump continued, referencing the SAVE America Act.
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