Vance doesn’t have time for establishment Republicans. He and President Trump share this sentiment.
And JD Vance just slapped this RINO Senator across the face by making this one statement.
Vice President Vance Slams Mitch McConnell’s Vote Against Trump Nominee Elbridge Colby
In a fiery rebuke, Vice President JD Vance took aim at Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) for casting the lone Republican vote against confirming Elbridge Colby as undersecretary of defense for policy. The contentious Senate vote, which ended 54-45 in Colby’s favor on Tuesday, saw McConnell stand apart from his party, while three Democrats crossed the aisle to support the nominee.
“Mitch’s vote today—like so much of the last few years of his career—is one of the great acts of political pettiness I’ve ever seen,” Vance fired off in a post on X, pulling no punches in his criticism of the veteran senator. Colby, tapped by President Donald Trump for the key Pentagon role during his time as president-elect, has now secured the position despite McConnell’s opposition.
Mitch’s vote today—like so much of the last few years of his career—is one of the great acts of political pettiness I’ve ever seen. https://t.co/Qg6eAOqW4J
— JD Vance (@JDVance) April 8, 2025
McConnell, however, defended his stance with a sharp critique of Colby’s worldview. “Elbridge Colby’s long public record suggests a willingness to discount the complexity of the challenges facing America, the critical value of our allies and partners, and the urgent need to invest in hard power to preserve American primacy,” he said in a statement.
The Kentucky senator argued that Colby’s approach harkens back to what he called an “Obama-era conception of a la carte geostrategy,” warning that it risks weakening America’s global standing.
“The prioritization that Mr. Colby argues is fresh, new, and urgently needed is, in fact, a return to an Obama-era conception of a la carte geostrategy. Abandoning Ukraine and Europe and downplaying the Middle East to prioritize the Indo-Pacific is not a clever geopolitical chess move. It is geostrategic self-harm that emboldens our adversaries and drives wedges between America and our allies for them to exploit,” McConnell added, painting Colby’s confirmation as a dangerous misstep.
This isn’t the first time McConnell has clashed with Trump’s vision. Throughout the year, he’s consistently voted against several of the former president’s nominees, signaling a deepening rift within the Republican Party.
“Mr. Colby’s confirmation leaves open the door for the less-polished standard-bearers of restraint and retrenchment at the Pentagon to do irreparable damage to the system of alliances and partnerships which serve as force multipliers to U.S. leadership. It encourages isolationist perversions of peace through strength to continue apace at the highest levels of Administration policymaking,” McConnell warned.
Vance, meanwhile, has been a vocal advocate for Colby. Just last month, he championed the nominee during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, highlighting a stark contrast with McConnell’s skepticism. The vice president’s outspoken defense of Colby highlights a growing divide between Trump loyalists and the old guard of the GOP.
McConnell: A Persistent Obstacle to Trump’s Agenda
For years, Mitch McConnell has proven to be a formidable hurdle for Donald Trump and his allies. While the president has sought to reshape the Republican Party in his image—pushing a populist, America-first agenda—McConnell has clung to the traditional pillars of GOP orthodoxy: free markets, robust alliances, and a muscular foreign policy. This clash of visions has turned the Senate veteran into a thorn in Trump’s side, frustrating efforts to consolidate power within the party.
Take, for instance, McConnell’s repeated defiance on Trump’s nominees. Beyond Colby, he’s bucked the former president’s picks on multiple occasions, often citing concerns over qualifications or ideological drift.
To Trump and his supporters, these moves smack of disloyalty—an establishment figure more interested in preserving his own influence than advancing the MAGA movement.
To McConnell, it’s a matter of principle, a refusal to rubber-stamp what he sees as reckless or shortsighted choices.
The tension stretches back to Trump’s first term, when McConnell slow-walked or outright opposed key elements of the president’s agenda. From trade policies to foreign interventions, the senator’s cautious, institutional approach has grated against Trump’s brash, outsider style.
Trump has felt the sting of McConnell’s independence—whether through pointed criticisms or votes like the Colby one that defy the party line. As Trump’s influence endures, McConnell remains a reminder that the GOP’s old guard isn’t ready to fade quietly, setting the stage for more battles within the party’s ranks.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
