President Trump touted his relationship with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on Monday, claiming they are “closer than ever” just months after he attacked the top Senate Republican in a series of bitter tweets.
“We just spent quite a bit of time inside with the Senate Majority Leader, who’s been a friend of mine for a long time – long before my world of politics,” Trump told reporters after meeting with McConnell to discuss the Senate’s legislative agenda.
Related: Mitch McConnell defends relationship with Trump: ‘We talk frequently’
“We are probably now, despite what we read, I think … closer than ever before,” Trump added.
Trump blasted McConnell for failing to shepherd an Obamacare replacement bill through the Senate earlier this summer, claiming the GOP leader “who has screamed Repeal and Replace for seven years, couldn’t get it done.”
“The only problem I have with Mitch McConnell is that, after hearing Repeal and Replace for 7 years, he failed! That should NEVER have happened!” Trump tweeted in late August.
Trump dodged a question on Monday about his criticism of McConnell, promising that the GOP leader “is going to get [healthcare reform] done and get it done long before anyone else.”
“My relationship with this gentleman is outstanding — has been outstanding,” Trump told reporters, adding that he and McConnell are “working very hard.”
