‘Classless’: Mitch McConnell Says Obama Should Have ‘Kept His Mouth Shut’ About Coronavirus Response

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said former President Barack Obama should have “kept his mouth shut” regarding the Trump administration’s handling of the Chinese coronavirus pandemic, calling his comments “classless.”

On Friday, Obama criticized the Trump administration’s handling of the pandemic, referring to it as an “absolute chaotic disaster.”

McConnell made the remark during a campaign live stream even with Lara Trump, President Trump’s campaign adviser and daughter-in-law.

A transcript is as follows: 

LARA TRUMP: Former President Obama slammed President Trump’s coronavirus response, and I think it was kind of unnecessary for the former president to criticize President Trump, especially given the Obama-Biden administration did not prepare our nation for a pandemic. What is your response to that?

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL: Generally, former presidents just don’t do that. I remember President George W. Bush and his father went right through eight years of Democratic administrations after they left office and kept their mouths shut because they didn’t feel it was appropriate of former presidents to critique — even a president of another party. I think President Obama should have kept his mouth shut. We know he doesn’t like much of what this administration is doing, and that’s understandable. But I think it’s a little bit classless, frankly, to critique an administration that comes after you. You had your shot, you were there for eight years. I think the tradition that the Bushes set up — of not critiquing the president who comes after you — is a good tradition.