Senate Democrat: McConnell vote against Gabbard indicates 'Trump cult' can be 'broken'

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said during an interview that Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) final vote against Tulsi Gabbard, the newly sworn-in director of national intelligence, indicates that President Trump’s “cult” can be “broken.” 

“Mitch McConnell breaking yesterday with his Republican colleagues telling the truth to power, indicates that maybe the Trump cult, the intimidation and threats can be broken,” Blumenthal said during his Thursday morning appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” 

“Our tools are limited. We’re in the minority. They control obviously both houses of Congress and the White House and indirectly the United States Supreme Court,” he added. “But we’re taking the fight to Republicans in the halls of Congress, in rallies.”

McConnell, the ex-GOP Senate leader, was the only lawmaker in his conference to vote against confirming Gabbard on Wednesday. He voted to advance her nomination to the final vote on Monday. Gabbard was confirmed in a 52-48 vote. 

Gabbard’s past opposition to expanding surveillance authority via the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act and refusing to call former NSA contractor Edward Snowden a “traitor” invited additional scrutiny during her hearings and throughout the confirmation process.  

Similarly to his approach to Gabbard, McConnell previously voted to advance Pete Hegseth’s nomination as Defense Secretary to the final up-and-down vote. Then, he voted against confirming the former Fox News host, who ended up being confirmed following Vice President Vance’s tiebreak vote. 

Blumenthal said Democrats will hold a rally Thursday at the Veterans Administration and are doing other town halls to combat the approach the current administration is taking in remaking the federal government, including offering buyouts to tens of thousands of government workers, cutting down spending and looking to shut down agencies. 

“So we are using the public pressure that can be effective as we saw with the funding freeze where that kind of pressure showing the impact on community health centers, Head Start, Medicare, Medicaid, grants, actually move Republicans and led the administration backing off,” the Connecticut senator said.  

“So I think there’s hope, but I’m very clear-eyed that our tools are limited and we need to really galvanize a citizens movement here that will bring pressure to bear on Republican colleagues,” he added.