Another person with direct knowledge told CNN that there is a reason why McConnell was silent about the impeachment while other Republicans backed down: he is furious at last week’s attack on the United States Capitol by supporters of the president, especially since Trump has not shown repentance. His silence was deliberate in leaving the option of supporting impeachment open.
McConnell has not committed to vote to condemn Trump and wants to see the article before voting. It is in stark contrast to the president’s first impeachment, when McConnell repeatedly spoke out against Democratic intentions to hold Trump accountable for a pressure campaign against the Ukrainian government to investigate Joe Biden and his family.
McConnell has been constantly changing his Trump conference for weeks. Although he knows that not everyone is with him, the Kentucky Republican believes the party needs to turn the page.
The relationship between the Senate majority leader and the president – the two most powerful men in the Republican Party – has essentially collapsed, several sources told CNN.
A source familiar with the relationship between the two men told CNN that McConnell is furious with Trump. The source said McConnell “hates” Trump for what he did last week after the Capitol attacks that left at least five dead, including a Capitol police officer.
Trump and McConnell have not spoken since the riot last Wednesday, a separate source familiar with the matter confirmed to CNN. Another source said the two men had not spoken since McConnell’s speech recognizing Biden as president-elect in December.
McConnell was unable to speak to Trump over the phone when he refused to sign the stimulus bill during Christmas week, a third source told CNN. Since then, McConnell has told others after the circus stimulus that he would not speak to Trump again.
McConnell is also talking to the president-elect about how the chamber should handle an impeachment trial against Trump.
Biden is not trying to prevent impeachment procedures, but he is trying to prevent them from consuming his agenda and overshadowing the early days of his presidency. CNN learned that Biden called McConnell on Monday to discuss the possibility of “bifurcation” – carrying out an impeachment process alongside confirming his nominees and approving an aid package for Covid.
The two men spoke frankly about a possible impeachment trial for Trump, people familiar with the call said, as both noted that it would be very different from the trial they faced in 1999 by then President Bill Clinton.
McConnell told Biden that the Senate MP would have to decide whether the Senate could work on legislative matters beyond impeachment, people familiar with the call said, adding that McConnell did not offer his own opinion.
Biden publicly raised the idea on Monday when he received his second Covid-19 vaccine, saying he had spoken to lawmakers. He did not reveal that McConnell was among them.
The New York Times first reported the Biden-McConnell call.
This story is emerging and will be updated.
CNN’s Devan Cole contributed to this story.