Sen. McConnell mocks Steve Bannon’s ‘political genius’

WASHINGTON – Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is mocking Steve Bannon for backing losing Republican candidate Roy Moore in this month’s Alabama Senate race.

The Kentucky Republican has told reporters, “The political genius on display, throwing away a seat in the reddest state in America, is hard to ignore.”

Bannon is President Donald Trump’s former White House adviser. He’s seeking other GOP Senate candidates like Moore who would support toppling McConnell as majority leader.

Four months after Trump repeatedly used Twitter to criticize McConnell, the Senate leader said he’s “warming up” to Trump’s tweets. Trump has praised Congress for approving the tax bill.

Asked if he’d visit Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida over the holiday, McConnell said the closest he’ll get is attending a college football bowl game in Jacksonville, Florida.