President Donald Trump may be "onto something" with his attacks on four far-left Democratic congresswomen, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday, but he would like to see the rhetoric lowered across the board and a return to talking about the issues.
"We're in a big debate now and next year about what we want America to be like," the Kentucky Republican told Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria." "Do we really think socialism applies here at a time of great prosperity, 50-year-low unemployment? That's what the election I think is going to be about."
Trump, he added, is right about the four congresswomen making up the so-called "squad" of Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and Ayanna Pressley "wanting to turn us into a socialist country," adding that many others share their aims.
"What he should have added however is a lot broader than just the four of them," said McConnell. "You know the speaker the Democratic leader of the Senate, a whole lot of others, including presidential candidates have all signed up for things like the Green New Deal" and other plans, such as Medicare for all.
But still rhetoric, such as 'throwing around racism," should be toned down, said McConnell, as racism is being "kind of routinely applying it to almost everything. Let's talk about the issues."
It's important to remember that it doesn't necessarily take a "military coup to have a socialist country," he added.
"Margaret Thatcher said the problem with socialism is soon you run out of other people's money, giving away free this, free that," he said. "The president is onto something. We are going to have a big choice next year."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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