When a reporter asked McConnell if he expects to “take a more active role in choosing candidates” in 2024, he responded by referencing November’s midterm elections, asserting that he “never said there was a red wave” on the horizon.

“I said we had a bunch of close races, and looking at each race separately, I wasn’t making that up,” he added before blaming the lackluster election results on “candidate quality.”

“Look at Arizona, look at New Hampshire, and a challenging situation in Georgia as well,” said McConnell before bragging that the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF), a super PAC he is aligned with, influenced the outcome of GOP primaries in Missouri and Alabama.

“I do think we had an opportunity to relearn one more time: you have to have quality candidates to win competitive senate races,” he added.

McConnell then asserted that his ability to influence primary election outcomes was hindered by Trump and the power behind his endorsement in primary races.