Overview

• In a Lexington Herald-Leader interview published Wednesday, McConnell called this “the most dangerous period since before World War Two.”
• He invoked the Smoot-Hawley era to criticize sweeping tariff policies, drawing a parallel to President Trump’s tariffs on allies and close trading partners.
• Warning against a revival of pre‑war “America First” isolationism, he said the U.S. is not adequately prepared as China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and their proxies confront American interests.
• The interview coincided with Xi Jinping, Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin appearing together at a Beijing military parade, a convergence he cites as a troubling signal.
• Reaffirming support for Ukraine, he urged avoiding a “Russia wins, America loses” outcome, noted that roughly half of U.S. funds are spent domestically on industrial capacity, and said he will spend his remaining two years focused on defense and foreign policy.