‘That Was Pretty Petty’: Rick Scott Doubles Down on Claim McConnell Kicked Him Off Committee as Retribution When Pushed on Fox News
Florida Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) refused to bury the hatchet with GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Thursday when asked on Fox News if “you guys are cool with each other?”
Scott, recruited by former President Donald Trump, challenged McConnell shortly after the 2022 midterms elections and was soundly defeated by his fellow Republican senators. Earlier in the month news broke that Scott had been removed from the powerful Commerce Committee – news he reportedly received via text message. At the time Scott pointed the finger at McConnell, calling the move political retribution for challenging him.
“How’s your relationship with Senator Mitch McConnell?” Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer asked Scott toward the end of an interview.
“I work with all the Republican senators. I work with some of the Democrat senators. I’m going to work hard to represent my state. And I tell everybody I’m going to represent the state of Florida. That’s what I got elected to do. I mean, look, you can vote any way you want. I’m going to vote for the citizens of Florida,” Scott replied, not so deftly dodging the question.
“But are you guys cool with each other? Are you talking?” Hemmer pushed.
“Well, he kicked me. He just kicked me off a committee. I mean, so that was pretty petty,” Scott shot back.
“It’s Commerce Committee. But you’re on other committees, right?” followed up Hemmer, trying to further understand the dynamic.
“I’m on Armed Services. I’m a Homeland Security. But the main thing that I’ve been on the committee for four years, I probably ran the biggest business that anybody’s ever served in the Senate. I was governor of the third biggest state in the country. Third biggest economy, I think, of the country,” Scott replied.
“And I got kicked off of commerce. But I’ve got a relationship with Ted Cruz, who’s the ranking member. I’ll continue to work on all the issues I, I need to work on in commerce,” he added.
“Okay. So I’m going to say I consider the relationship right now not cool with each other, am I right?” Hemmer pushed.
“I’m going to keep working. I’m going to keep doing my job,” Scott concluded as the interview ended.
Earlier in the week, McConnell denied the move was retribution – telling Fox News’s Martha MacCallum that Scott “had a temporary assignment on the committee.”
“He could’ve traded in one of his permanent committees for Commerce and stayed on it. He had a temporary assignment. There were others who wanted it. And I gave it to two other senators. No particular reprisal in mind and no animus toward Rick Scott at all.”
“He says it’s because he ran against you,” MacCallum replied.
“Well, that’s just not true,” McConnell declared.
Watch above via Fox News.
