During the meeting, Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin questioned McConnell’s leadership on the issue, two sources told CNN, just a day after saying publicly that the Kentucky Republican couldn’t negotiate his way out of paper bag.
“It was a good debate. This is tough policy,” Sen. John Hoeven, a North Dakota Republican, said. “Some of it was boisterous.”
One Republican in the meeting said lunch was “nasty, nasty.”
“It’s an ugly place in the conference right now,” the member said on the condition of background to speak freely about what had occurred. “People are attacking Mitch openly in a way I haven’t seen … to his face.”
The moment comes as McConnell has told his conference that this moment may be the best one Republicans have to address border security and as he finds himself as a leading advocate for Ukraine aid when support for that in his party has started to crater.
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“People are shadow boxing right now and that is because people don’t have specific text and (chief Republican neogtiator) James Lankford is doing everything he can to address the legitimate concerns,” said Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
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