In MAGAland, Mitch McConnell, Not Trump, is the Hero of the Stimulus Battle

Supporters of President Donald Trump praised Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on Twitter Tuesday after the Republican introduced a new proposal to approve $2000 stimulus checks with additional measures that could kill the larger checks.

Conservatives had criticized Trump for allegedly siding with Democrats after the president signed the stimulus package on Sunday. Some MAGA supporters claimed that Trump had caved into pressure after he had initially suggested that he wouldn’t sign the package unless it removed “pork” spending for “wasteful” projects. Trump drew further conservative ire when he said that the package should include $2,000 checks for each American adult rather than the $600 allotted, something congressional Democrats had long sought.

On Tuesday, McConnell introduced his own proposal for $2,000 checks, adding in measures that would repeal Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act—a law shielding social media companies from liability for posts shared by users—and establish a commission to study voter fraud, fulfilling two long-time wishes of some Republican voters who believe that both social media companies and the election were biased against Trump.

If McConnell’s measure is passed by Senate Republicans, House Democrats could be forced to vote on the measure, and most are expected to vote against. Republicans could then claim that Democrats killed an effort to approve $2,000 checks along with GOP attempts to stem foreign disinformation by repealing Section 230 and safeguarding elections by establishing a voter fraud commission.

McConnell is facing a barrage of backlash from Democrats and Democratic voters on social media for blocking the $2,000 checks, but some MAGA supporters praised him for turning the stimulus cudgel on Democrats.

Right-wing Republicans on Twitter are praising Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky over President Donald Trump after a McConnell introduced a Senate proposal which could deny Trump and Democrats an increase in COVID-19 stimulus checks intended for American adults economically harmed by the ongoing pandemic. In this September 30, 2020 photo, McConnell talks to reporters following the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon in the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty

Fox News contributor Liz Peek wrote, “@senatemajldr cleverly offers Senate vote on @realDonaldTrump priorities- #2k relief, repeal 230 protections & voter fraud – tied together. Protects GOP from tough vote”.

In a post that misspells the word “sane”, Twitter user @GiantRobot wrote, “Thank you @senatemajldr for being the same [sic] one in the room. The entire covid relief needs cancelled. It’s government overreach. We can’t afford this. It’s not the job of the government to ‘warp speed’ medicine. This is how dependency starts.”

Twitter user @Ray04709159 wrote, “Nope. Mitch McConnell made a great choice. People need to make money on there [sic] own. No more government help. Mitch McConnell is an American Hero. 🇺🇸🇺🇸”

A user named @TomSwick wrote, “Damn it I cant take anymore. Just when I thought @senatemajldr was a traitor and backstabber to us. He goes and does something like this and makes me like him. Good move.”

Conservative Georgia group True the Vote wrote, “.@senatemajldr we’d like a chair at the election fraud study. @realDonaldTrump” tagging both the Senate Majority Leader’s and Trump’s Twitter accounts.

Verified user @AdelleNaz succinctly wrote, “Well played @senatemajldr”.

Twitter user @America_1always wrote, “@senatemajldr nice job. I like the new bill. Thank you!”

Last Wednesday, Trump vetoed the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), stating that its lack of a Section 230 repeal would enable Russia and China to use U.S. social media to spread disinformation without any way to hold social media companies accountable for their use.

Trump has long sought a repeal of Section 230, stating without evidence that enables social media companies to broadcast negative messages about him and other conservatives.

Months before the election, Trump said he would only lose if there were widespread voter fraud, a claim that his re-election campaign and other Republicans have continually repeated since Trump lost the 2020 presidential election to President-elect Joe Biden.

As of December 13, the Trump campaign and Republicans had lost 59 out of 60 court challenges alleging widespread voter fraud in the 2020 elections.

Newsweek contacted McConnell’s office for comment.