President Trump described Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., as being “mean as a snake” during a meeting, according to a new tell-all book.
Cliff Sims, a former White House communications aide, writes in “Team of Vipers” about a meeting Trump held with Republican lawmakers at the White House to strategize about their agenda for the upcoming year. Repealing Obamacare topped the list.
McConnell told Trump, according to the book, that Republicans would need to stick together on the vote because they would have no support from their Democratic colleagues.
Trump pressed McConnell on how confident he was about his prediction.
“What about Joe Manchin?” Trump asked, referring to the the West Virginia Democrat who has been open to working with the Republican president.
“Absolutely not, Mr. President,” McConnell responded, adding that Republicans would “do everything in our power” to beat Manchin during his re-election campaign in 2018. Manchin won re-election in November, beating his Republican opponent by 6 percent in a state Trump won by a 42-point margin in 2016.
Trump appeared hesitant to back that strategy, describing Manchin as a friend of his.
“Do we have to go after him like that?” Trump asked.
“Absolutely, Mr. President,” McConnell said. “We’re going to crush him like a grape.”
“This guy’s mean as a snake!” Trump responded.
This wasn’t the only instance in the book, due out Tuesday, where Trump referred to someone as a snake.
At another point in time when Sims and the president discussed West Wing staffing changes, Trump said he planned on getting rid “of all the snakes, even the bottom-feeders.”
