Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is facing a tough road ahead as the newest poll from Monmouth shows that he is even less popular with Republican voters than scandal-ridden freshman Rep. George Santos (R-NY).
The poll revealed that only 23% of GOP voters view McConnell favorably. In comparison, 53% have an unfavorable view of the long-time Kentucky senator. This negative rating means that voters view Santos, who recently stepped down from his House committee assignments after being criticized for repeatedly lying about his background, with 11% less negativity than the official leader of the GOP Senate delegation.
POLL: Mitch McConnell Has Worse Unfavorability Rating Than George Santos https://t.co/9FCnCtLru5
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) February 11, 2023
McConnell also scored poorly compared to other Republicans, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who was stripped of her committee assignments by Democrats for posting controversial statements on social media before her first election. Approximately 30% of Republican voters approved of Greene, while only 19% said they were critical of her.
Compared to his GOP House counterpart Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who received 48% favorability and 15% unfavorability, McConnell is disapproved by 38% more Republican voters.
The dissatisfaction with McConnell doesn’t stop with Republican voters. The veteran senator has faced several attempts from fellow Republican lawmakers to remove him from his GOP leadership position since the midterm elections last November 2022. Although the campaign to remove McConnell ultimately failed, it received more support than in past contested leadership elections.
McConnell has consistently been ranked as the least popular national political leader by American voters for years. Whether it’s his propensity for approving Democrat spending wish lists or because he appears to have more allegiance to foreign countries like Ukraine and China than his own country, Republican voters clearly believe the minority leader is not in tune with their interests.
In a recent confrontation at the State of the Union address, House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-KY) expressed his displeasure with Santos’ presence at the event. Comer acknowledged that Santos deserves due process but stated that he has “crossed the line” and does not speak for the Republican Party.
Santos, who is facing a House Ethics investigation for potential campaign finance violations, also had a tense exchange with Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), who called Santos a “sick puppy” and said he “shouldn’t have been there.”
