Sen. Mitch McConnell (R), the U.S. Senate Minority Leader, is a pure political animal, an expedient parliamentarian and a cold-blooded reptile. (Turtles, we sometimes forget, are reptiles.)

On 2.13.21, Mitch McConnell said “Former President Trump’s actions preceding the [Jan. 6th] riot were a disgraceful dereliction of duty. There is no question that [Trump] is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day. The rioters [attacked the Capitol] because they had been fed wild falsehoods by the most powerful man on Earth — because he was angry he’d lost an election.”

Two weeks later McConnell told a Fox interviewer that he would “absolutely” support Trump if he wound up as the Republican presidential nominee in 2024.

Speaking two days ago to Axios’ Jonathan Swan, McConnell said he has “an obligation to support the nominee” of his party. And that his two statements on Trump were “not at all inconsistent…I stand by everything I said on January 6 and everything I said on February the 13th.”