Donald Trump

McConnell Says Trump Fueled ‘Candidate Quality' Problems in the Midterms

McConnell made the remarks at his weekly press conference

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that former President Donald Trump’s endorsements in important 2022 primaries contributed to the nomination of poor candidates who fell short in swing states.

He made the remarks at his weekly press conference, responding to a question from NBC News about whether he intends to play a more active role in selecting candidates in the 2024 election cycle, when Republicans have a friendlier map.

“We ended up having a candidate quality test,” McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters regarding the 2022 election. “Look at Arizona. Look at New Hampshire. And the challenging situation in Georgia as well,” he said, mentioning states where Trump-endorsed candidates won the primary and lost to Democrats in the general election.

The Democrats retained control of the Senate after Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto defeated Republican Adam Laxalt in Nevada.

For more on this story, go to NBC News.

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