Mitch McConnell Faces Republican Revolt Over His 'Number One Priority'

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is facing significant backlash among conservatives, including elected Republicans, over comments he made about aid to Ukraine.

On Tuesday, McConnell discussed the omnibus funding bill which is expected to pass with bipartisan support before a Friday deadline this week and will allow the country to avoid a government shutdown.

The short-term funding measure has already passed the House of Representatives and McConnell's support appears likely to see it approved in the Senate before the deadline.

"Providing assistance for Ukrainians to defeat the Russians is the number one priority for the United States right now according to most Republicans," McConnell said. "That's how we see the challenges confronting the country at the moment."

Those comments were met with anger and apparent incredulity by many conservatives, who took to social media to express their view that McConnell was wrong and that it might be time for him to step down as Senate GOP leader.

The spending package includes around $45 billion in new emergency assistance for Ukraine and it would add to the total amount of U.S. aid to Ukraine, which has risen to more than $100 billion since March.

Conservative commentator Mollie Hemingway called for McConnell to go in an op-ed for The Federalist published on Wednesday and cited his comments about aid for Ukraine.

Hemingway called McConnell "the single biggest obstacle to GOP success" and described his comment about Republican priorities as "so false as to be completely delusional."

"I have news for @LeaderMcConnell: America has 99 problems but the Ukraine ain't one," tweeted Republican Representative Paul Gosar on Tuesday, tagging McConnell's Twitter account.

"These comments by a Republican are an insult to the American people that Mitch McConnell fails to represent," Gosar added in a later tweet. "This is the epitome of America Last. In all my travels across Arizona, not one of my constituents said that defending Ukraine should be our top priority. Not one."

Republican Representative Warren Davidson shared a tweet about McConnell's remarks and wrote: "It would be great to see America's leaders more focused on America's borders than on Ukraine's. Border security is national security. #SecureTheBorder."

Republican Representative Dan Bishop also cited the new funding for Ukraine on Twitter and said it was "One of many reasons to vote NO on this monstrosity of a bill."

"Let's send Mitch McConnell to Ukraine," tweeted Fox News contributor Lisa Boothe, sharing a video of the senator's remarks.

McConnell is already facing criticism from a group of 13 House Republicans who recently sent a letter to their Senate colleagues warning them not to pass the spending bill.

In that letter, the signatories said that "if any omnibus passes in the remaining days of this Congress, we will oppose and whip opposition to any legislative priority of those senators who vote for this bill—including the Republican leader."

Some Republican senators have also expressed opposition to the spending bill and pledged to oppose it, though they have not necessarily taken aim at McConnell or the specific funding allocation for Ukraine.

"They're extorting the American people with a $1.7 trillion spending bill, giving their representatives no time to read, debate, or amend the bill. This is wrong," Senator Mike Lee of Utah tweeted on Tuesday.

Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky said the spending bill would be "1.7 Trillion of Hazardous Debt" and a threat to national security, while Senator Rick Scott of Florida tweeted: "Irresponsibly passing a bill that you have NO IDEA what's in it is NOT the answer."

Only 10 Republican votes will be needed to pass the funding bill and President Joe Biden is expected to sign it once it's been approved by the Senate.

Newsweek reached out to McConnell's office for comment.