Voters Heckle Mitch McConnell, Cry Out to “Ditch Mitch”

(UnitedVoice.com) – Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is inarguably one of the most effective Senate leaders of all time. Many of the GOP’s most popular policies put in place over the last decade would not have been possible without him. Despite his success in moving the vision of the Republican Party forward, he has fallen out of favor with many members of the base in recent years, as demonstrated at a recent event.

On August 5, McConnell delivered remarks at the annual Fancy Farm Picnic in Kentucky that features Democratic and Republican speakers. During the event, hecklers shouted “retire,” “ditch Mitch,” and “lost the Senate” at the minority leader.

Video of the event shows McConnell continuing his remarks without concern for the shouts from the audience.

Mitch McConnell is booed, and drowned out by chants of “retire, retire, retire”, for five minutes straight as he tries to talk to his own constituents in Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/zyZIHLJaoy

— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) August 7, 2023

The 81-year-old Senate leader is no stranger to criticism. Democrats have been calling on Kentucky to “ditch Mitch” for years. However, angry responses from members of his own party stem from his refusal to stand by former President Donald Trump after the January 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol and subsequent statements he made about him in the following years. Trump has repeatedly called on Republicans to elect a new Senate leader.

In recent months, questions about McConnell’s health have also been at the forefront of conversations. In April, he was out for a couple of weeks after suffering a concussion and rib injury resulting from a fall. Then, a few weeks ago, he was delivering remarks at a typical press briefing when he appeared to suffer some sort of medical episode. Colleagues escorted him away from the podium, but he returned later to answer questions.

McConnell’s office spoke to NPR about the insults thrown at the senator during the Kentucky event, dismissing it as part of the tradition. The spox stated it “wouldn’t be Fancy Farm if Democrats [didn’t heckle] every Republican and vice versa,” calling the decades-old tradition “a very spirited event.”