In a move that’s turning heads in Washington, Senator Mitch McConnell has broken his silence — and he’s not pulling punches. In a rare interview, the former Senate GOP leader criticized President Trump’s current national security team and called for a tougher stance against America’s enemies, including Iran.
“There are some real isolationists running the show at the Department of Defense,” McConnell said bluntly. “You could even include the vice president in that group. They don’t seem to understand the lessons of history.”
McConnell’s remarks were made during a 40-minute interview with Politico, where he pushed for a return to “peace through strength” — a powerful Reagan-era strategy that many conservatives still embrace. While he praised President Trump personally, McConnell made it clear he’s concerned about the growing influence of non-interventionists within the Trump administration.
“Most of the president’s current advisers don’t agree with me,” he admitted. “But now that I’m no longer in leadership, I have the freedom to speak truth to power.”
McConnell Takes Aim at Trump’s Team
McConnell singled out Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, slamming her for a recent video filmed in Hiroshima where she warned about “warmongers” raising tensions between nuclear powers.
“She traveled to Hiroshima not to warn against Iran’s nuclear threat,” McConnell said on the Senate floor, “but to attack American and Israeli efforts to stop it. That’s not leadership — that’s surrender.”
Standing Firm Against Iran
McConnell has long supported a muscular U.S. foreign policy, and praised Trump’s previous airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
“That wasn’t an escalation,” McConnell said. “That was a bold and necessary act of strength. Tehran must never be allowed to mistake restraint for weakness.”
He added:
“I commend President Trump for authorizing decisive action and applaud the brave U.S. service members who carried it out.”
GOP Divide Grows Ahead of 2026
McConnell’s latest comments reveal deepening divides within the Republican Party — between America First conservatives focused on border security and restraint, and national defense hawks who believe in asserting U.S. power abroad.
With rising global threats from Iran, China, and Russia, McConnell’s message is clear: America must lead — or risk being left behind.