02.13.20

McConnell on Fox News Channel’s ‘Special Report with Bret Baier’

‘My job is to try to set the priorities. I have felt that the judiciary was our most important responsibility… I think changing the court system, putting in place men and women who believe their job is to actually interpret the law as it is written, is the most important long-term thing we can do for the country and yes, it’s my top priority.’

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) joined Bret Baier on Fox News Channel’s ‘Special Report with Bret Baier’ tonight. See below for highlights or click here to watch the full interview.

On Attorney General Barr:

“I think the Attorney General knows what he's talking about. I’m not the Attorney General but I have confidence in Bill Barr.”

On War Powers Resolution:

“The War Powers Act, which by the way, every President has felt was unconstitutional, sought to put a 60 day clock on a combat mission. Taking out Soleimani was not the Vietnam War. The Soleimani strike took maybe about 60 seconds. The War Powers Act is about 60 days. A completely inappropriate response to the ability of any president to respond to emergencies and that has been done over and over again by president’s going back all the way to the beginning…

“Let me just contrast this with the way I handled President Obama’s killing of Osama bin Laden. I was not called in advance. I’m a part of the Gang of Eight. I was not offended. I got called the next day. I said, congratulations on taking out this terrorist, and I sent out a public statement congratulating President Obama for doing something important. If President Obama had taken out Soleimani I guarantee you there wouldn't have been a Democrat around who wouldn’t have said ‘great job.’”

On the Democrats’ Left-Wing Agenda:

“It is true. They’ve been on a full left-wing parade over there. Trotting out all of their left-wing solutions that are going to be issues in the fall campaign. They are right. We are not going to pass those. We have divided government and when you have divided government, Bret, you have to work on things you can agree on.”

On Transforming the Judiciary:

“My job is to try to set the priorities. I have felt that the judiciary was our most important responsibility. We’ve done now 51 circuit judges in three years. It took President Obama eight years to do 55. I think changing the court system, putting in place men and women who believe their job is to actually interpret the law as it is written, is the most important long-term thing we can do for the country and yes, it’s my top priority.”