SCHADENFREUDE

McConnell Thanks Kavanaugh Protesters for Giving GOP ‘Great Political Gift’

The Senate majority leader says opposition to the Supreme Court nominee has only given Republicans fuel ahead of midterms.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Saturday doubled down on his support for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and said those who protested Kavanaugh’s confirmation had only given the GOP a “great political gift” ahead of midterms. “I want to thank the mob, because they’ve done the one thing we were having trouble doing, which was energizing our base,” McConnell said in an interview with The Washington Post. He said Republicans have already seen improved polling on Senate races as a result of the opposition to Kavanaugh. In comments made just hours before Kavanaugh's final confirmation vote, the Kentucky Republican also said he never once wavered in supporting the Supreme Court nominee, despite the sexual assault allegation against him. “When your integrity is attacked like his was,” he was quoted as saying, “a withdrawal was certainly no solution to that, so we were in the fight to the finish.”