Mitch McConnell is taking some heat online after Democratic candidates were projected to win both Senate runoff races in Georgia, taking control away from Republicans and the title of majority leader away from McConnell.
Dave Wasserman, editor of The Cook Political Report and an expert in political forecasting, took to Twitter to project that both Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff would win their respective races in Georgia. He is considered one of the top election forecasters in the nation.
If the projections were to stand, it would bring both caucuses into a 50-50 tie, allowing incoming Vice President Kamala Harris to cast tie-breaking votes for Democrats. It would also mean that McConnell would no longer be the majority leader.
I’ve seen enough. Raphael Warnock (D) defeats Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R) in GA’s special Senate runoff. #GASEN
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) January 6, 2021
I’ve seen enough. Jon Ossoff (D) defeats Sen. David Perdue (R) in GA’s other Senate runoff. #GASEN
Democrats win control of the Senate.
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) January 6, 2021
Though other major networks had not yet officially called the races for either Warnock or Ossoff, many on the left had already started gloating to McConnell. The Kentucky Republican has been a target for the left throughout Trump’s presidency, as he blocked Democratic legislation from even receiving a vote, and stretching back to Barack Obama’s time in office. As many noted, McConnell reportedly made a point to block Obama from any major accomplishments and some judicial appointments.
The term “Bye Mitch” reached the top of Twitter’s trends in the early morning hours on Wednesday, as projections looked promising for both Ossoff and Warnock.
“The fact that Mitch McConnell – a man with an unrelenting commitment to undermine America’s first Black president – could lose his veto power over American democracy bc of Raphael Warnock, John Ossoff and Stacey Abrams is some kind of American justice,” tweeted Ben Rhodes, author and political commentator.
McConnell had come under sharp scrutiny in the closing days of the runoff campaigns, as he took the blame for blocking the $2,000 direct stimulus checks to Americans that was supported both by Donald Trump and top Democrats. After the president made the surprise demand for the checks to be increased to $2,000 from $600, Democrats in the House passed a bill that would have authorized the increased amount, but McConnell did not support it in the Senate.
There were some who believe that McConnell may have been abandoned by the president in the GOP’s bid to retain control of the Senate. As The Inquisitr reported, some believe that Trump was angry at McConnell for failing to back his bid to overturn the presidential election and for not supporting the larger stimulus payments, causing him to intentionally sink the party’s chances in both contests.
Some people say that by calling for bigger checks and refusing to sign McConnells subpar stimulus Trump is signaling to GA Republican voters “dont give McConnell the Senate”
— Sam Seder (@SamSeder) December 23, 2020
At this point I think Trump wants Republicans to lose Georgia just to spite McConnell, and I’m totally fine with that.
— Katie Hill (@KatieHill4CA) January 2, 2021
The president did spend time in Georgia in the closing days of the campaign, holding a rally early in the week that drew thousands. As voting results were favorable to Democratic candidates throughout Tuesday evening, he took to Twitter to make unfounded claims that there may have been cheating in the vote counting.
