OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Republican Senate Minority Leader and Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell has endorsed former President Donald Trump for president.
The endorsement comes after years of feuding between the two men, but that came to an end on Wednesday.
“It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States,” he said to The Washington Post.
“It should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support. During his presidency, we worked together to accomplish great things for the American people including tax reform that supercharged our economy and a generational change of our federal judiciary — most importantly, the Supreme Court. I look forward to the opportunity of switching from playing defense against the terrible policies the Biden administration has pursued to a sustained offense geared towards making a real difference in improving the lives of the American people,” he said.
He made the announcement minutes after former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley suspended her presidential campaign, and did not endorse the former president.
“We must bind together as Americans,” she said.
“In all likelihood, Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee when our Party convention meets in July. I wish him well,” she said.
But she refused to endorse Trump on Wednesday.
“I have always been a conservative Republican and have always supported the Republican nominee, but on this question, as she did on so many others, Margaret Thatcher provided some good advice when she said ‘Never just follow the crowd. Always make up your own mind.’
“It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our Party and beyond it who did not support him, and I hope he does that,” she said.
“At its best politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away,” she said. “This is now his time for choosing.”
McConnell announced last week that he would step aside as the Republican leader in the Senate, which came after the death of his sister-in-law after who was found dead in a vehicle that was submerged in a pond near Austin, Texas.
“This incident was not a typical accident,” the Blanco County Sheriff’s Office reportedly wrote in a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Thursday regarding the death of Foremost Group CEO Angela Chao, sister to Elaine Chao, President Trump’s Transportation Secretary.
“Although the preliminary investigation indicated this was an unfortunate accident, the Sheriff’s Office is still investigating this accident as a criminal matter until they have sufficient evidence to rule out criminal activity,” the letter continued, per CNBC.
The Foremost Group, a shipping company, was founded by the Chao sisters’ father, James Si-Cheng Chao, in 1964. Si-Cheng Chao was a Chinese immigrant.
More than 70 percent of the Foremost Group’s freight, which it charters on behalf of private companies, ships to China.
Elaine stated that her family remembered her sister Angela Chao as a “brilliant woman, a charismatic and visionary leader.”
“It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that I announce the passing of my beloved youngest daughter, Angela Chao,” father James S.C. Chao said in a statement to the Daily Mail.
“Angela is a brilliant woman, a charismatic and visionary leader, and much-loved by all her sisters, our entire family, and friends. As a daughter, sister, mother, aunt, wife, and friend, she was unfailingly filial, thoughtful, kind, and devoted. These qualities were complemented by a spirited personality, exceptional intelligence, compassion for all, and a wonderful sense of humor. She kept us laughing and smiling. Losing her at such a young age is something we never even imagined, and our entire family is devastated with grief,” the family added in its statement.
“As a trailblazer for women in the executive suite, she inspired others to pursue their dreams. She also loved music and tried the French horn as her instrument when she was young, insisting on carrying it herself to every lesson. These early experiences created a lifelong, passionate commitment to the fine arts … Angela’s name in Chinese sounds like the characters for peace and prosperity. She certainly gave more than her share of both to this world. Her absence leaves a void not only in our hearts but in the Asian-American community,” the statement added.
“The Asian American Foundation is heartbroken to learn of the devastating death of Angela Chao, a beloved businesswoman, philanthropist, and respected leader,” the AAF said in a statement. “Angela has left an indelible mark on the Asian American Foundation and the AAPI community. A brilliant and committed leader, Angela’s warmth, kindness, and infectious energy will live on in our work for decades to come.”
