McConnell was ‘exhilarated’ by Trump’s apparent January 6 downfall, book says

New York Times reporters show how Senate leader's opposition to Trump dwindled in face of hard political reality

Hours after the deadly Capitol attack on 6 January 2021, the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, told a reporter he was exhilarated" because he thought Donald Trump had finally lost his grip on the party.

Close to a year and a half later, however, with midterm elections looming, Trump retains control over the GOP and is set to be its presidential candidate in 2024.