Mitch McConnell Celebrates Primary Wins Of GOP Incumbents Who Supported 'Engaged' US Foreign Policy

5 months ago

During remarks on the Senate floor, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) spoke about the success of GOP incumbents over 'fringe' proponents of isolationism.

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00:00As NATO's Washington Summit draws to a close today, there's clearly tremendous resolve

00:10among many of our allies to make the transatlantic alliance fit for purpose for another 75 years.

00:21But a strong and effective NATO has always required strong and effective American leadership.

00:28And here at home, there's reason for cautious optimism that support for leadership on collective

00:36defense is widespread.

00:42Last month, the Reagan Institute released the findings of its latest poll on the American

00:49people's views of global issues.

00:54It spread that here's what it found.

00:57A majority of Americans support a more engaged U.S. foreign policy and hold favorable views

01:06of the NATO alliance and support lethal assistance to Ukraine.

01:16And despite the media spending years amplifying views from the fringes of our politics, a

01:22majority of Republicans believe that U.S. involvement in international events benefits

01:30America.

01:33When asked recently whether peace, prosperity, and security were products of American leadership

01:37and sacrifice, listen to this, more Republicans than Democrats actually agreed with that.

01:46Here's the kicker.

01:47They're not just telling this to pollsters.

01:51They're actually demonstrating it at the ballot box.

01:54By massive double-digit margins, Republican primary voters have picked candidates who

02:00supported the national security supplemental earlier this spring.

02:05Let me say that again.

02:09Not a single Republican incumbent who voted to help America's friends resist authoritarian

02:17aggression and rebuild the arsenal of democracy lost their primary.

02:25Not one lost a primary.

02:28Across the country, voters rejected fringe candidates who peddled isolationist pablum

02:35and voted instead for American leadership.

02:39The way Speaker Johnson put it earlier this week, he's had people come up to him at events

02:47in 31 different states in recent months to say the same thing.

02:53We're glad Congress delivered the supplemental.

02:57So, Mr. President, it can often seem like the loudest voices in Washington are the ones

03:04that bemoan the responsibilities of American leadership while enjoying the peace and prosperity

03:09it underwrites.

03:11But these voices are increasingly estranged from the views of most Americans.

03:19The American people know instinctively that leadership on the world stage isn't some handout

03:28to allies and partners.

03:32It's an investment, an investment in our own security.

03:36They know this leadership is what preserves a U.S.-led order that has underpinned peace

03:43and prosperity for decades.

03:47Now they just need a president who's willing to exercise that leadership.

03:52For years, the American people watched the Biden administration dither and wring its

03:58hands over fears that standing with a sovereign democracy might invite escalation from a tyrant

04:07who was already conducting a full-scale war of conquest.

04:13Since last fall, they've heard the president insist in one breath that America's commitment

04:17to a close ally was ironclad and then withhold urgent assistance in another.

04:27It's well and good to talk about American leadership, but talk is cheap.

04:34This week would have been a great opportunity for the commander-in-chief to start backing

04:38up his words with firm commitments to start investing seriously, seriously in hard power.

04:46It should have been the week the Democratic leader brought the NDAA up per Senate consideration.

04:53It could have been a great week to lead.

Mitch McConnell Celebrates Primary Wins Of GOP Incumbents Who Supported 'Engaged' US Foreign Policy

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