In the aftermath of President-elect Donald Trump's landslide victory, former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell compared the MAGA movement to American isolationists in the 1930s, insinuating that Trump would have been indifferent to the fascist uprising in Europe at the time.

Trump, whose foreign policy is far more hands-off than McConnell's hawkish approach, is fundamentally at odds with the former leader's geopolitical worldview. Consequently, McConnell spoke about the current state of foreign affairs and said it was "reminiscent" of the times leading up to World War II, criticizing American isolationists from both today and nearly a century ago.

It all comes down to McConnell and money. McConnell has greenlit over $170 billion to Ukraine, while Trump has repeatedly called for an end to the war altogether.

“We’re in a very, very dangerous world right now, reminiscent of before World War II,” McConnell said. “Even the slogan is the same. ‘America First.’ That was what they said in the ’30s.”

McConnell has famously been a thorn in Trump's side and has been a staunch critic of the president-elect, both on and off the record. He reiterated his opposition to Trump and said he intends to push back on him and the incoming administration.

“No matter who got elected president, I think it was going to require significant pushback, yeah, and I intend to be one of the pushers," McConnell said.

It all comes down to McConnell and money. McConnell has greenlit over $170 billion to Ukraine, while Trump has repeatedly called for an end to the war altogether.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) takes a question from a reporter during a news conference following the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on November 19, 2024, in Washington, D.C. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

“To most American voters, I think the simple answer is, ‘Let’s stay out of it,'" McConnell said. "That was the argument made in the ’30s, and that just won’t work. Thanks to Reagan, we know what does work — not just saying peace through strength, but demonstrating it.”

While McConnell may have stepped down from his leadership role, his grip on foreign funding is not loosening any time soon. McConnell notably stepped into the new role of chairing the Senate appropriations subcommittee on defense, which will allow him to continue influencing the cash flow to our "democratic allies."

“That’s where the real money is,” McConnell said.

While he didn't say how much more money he is willing to approve for foreign conflicts like the Russia-Ukraine war, he said, "The goal here is for the Russians not to win."

"We've got two democratic allies fighting for their lives," McConnell said. "I don't think we ought to micromanage what they think is necessary to win."

McConnell has generously signed off on hundreds of billions of dollars of foreign funding. At the same time, Trump poses a threat to McConnell's preferred foreign policy. As a result, McConnell resorted to drawing perverse comparisons between Trump and American isolationists who were lukewarm about fascistic uprisings in Europe during the 1930s.

That being said, McConnell likely draws this comparison because Trump is a legitimate threat to the political infrastructure he has built since he was first elected Republican Senate leader in 2007.

McConnell can't dispute Trump's support, even admitting that the president-elect has become the most influential Republican in the party. One thing is for sure: The old-guard Senate Republicans, especially McConnell, won't go down without a fight.

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