Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is taking aim at former President Barack Obama (D) for his comments on President Donald Trump’s coronavirus response efforts.
A tape of a private conversation between Obama and former members of his administration leaked captured the former president’s opinion of how the Trump administration has responded to the pandemic, as IJR previously reported.
Obama shared his belief the Trump administration’s efforts have been “anemic,” “spotty,” and an “absolute chaotic disaster.”
McConnell fired back, expressing his opinion that Obama should have kept quiet on the issue.
“I think President Obama shoulda kept his mouth shut,” McConnell said. “We know he doesn’t like much this administration is doing, that’s understandable.”
Watch his comments below:
Today- President Trump said President Obama was guilty of a crime.
— Ryan Nobles (@ryanobles) May 12, 2020
Last week (in a private meeting) Obama said Trump’s handling of the pandemic was a “disaster”.
Tonight- Mitch McConnell said Obama’s remarks were “classless” and he “shoulda kept his mouth shut”.
VIDEO: pic.twitter.com/FjRptGnonH
McConnell pointed to George W. Bush and his father George H. W. Bush as examples of former presidents who have avoided critiquing Obama while he held office for eight years.
He called Obama’s comments “classless” and noted he had his “shot.”
“I think it’s a little bit classless, frankly, to critique an administration that comes after you,” McConnell said.
He continued, “You had your shot, you were there for eight years. I think the tradition that the Bushes set up of not critiquing the president who comes after you is a good tradition.”
Larry Kudlow, the head of the National Economic Council, also sounded off about Obama’s comments, as IJR previously reported.
Kudlow said he does not “understand” what Obama is saying and his criticism of Trump sounds “so darn political.”
Obama has said in the past there is a lack of a “coherent national plan” in place.
He also called for the continuation of social distancing policies back in March “at least until we have comprehensive testing in place.”
The coronavirus continues to spread across the United States. As of Thursday morning, there are more than 1,347,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. and over 80,000 deaths due to the virus.