Trump’s attack came in a post on TruthSocial that slammed Chao’s husband, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), for saying the GOP could face a tough race to flip the Senate, while partly because of the “quality of candidates”. “Why are Republican senators allowing a corrupt political hack, Mitch McConnell, to openly disparage the hard-working Republican candidates for the United States Senate,” Trump wrote. “This is such an affront to honor and leadership. He should be spending more time (and money!) helping them get elected and less time helping his crazy wife and family get rich in China!” The Hill has reached out to Chao and McConnell for comment. Chao’s father founded the Chinese shipping company Foremost Group and her sister is the CEO. Although Chao had no official ties to the business, she and McConnell have faced criticism over her potential conflicts of interest during her time in the White House and whether she used government funds to support her family’s business. Appointed by Trump in 2017, Chao allegedly did not disclose her family’s relationship with Foremost Group during her confirmation hearing. A key point of concern was Chao’s continued media appearances with her father even after she took office, which her team argued were opportunities to share her story as the first Chinese-American and Asian-American woman to hold office Cabinet. Chao split her support when her husband and her boss began feuding during Trump’s tenure, reportedly saying, “I stand by my husband — both of us.” Chao resigned following the January 6, 2021 attacks on the US Capitol. After her resignation, the Justice Department declined to conduct an ethics investigation into how she used her position. Trump has criticized McConnell as “disloyal,” though the minority leader has said he would support a 2024 re-election bid if the former president wins the GOP nomination. McConnell has managed midterm expectations in recent weeks, saying Thursday that Republicans have a better chance of flipping the House than the Senate. CNN’s Acosta Clashes With Trump’s Ex-DHS Chief Over Election ‘Lies’ He ‘Encouraged’ Schiff Since Pence’s Jan. 6 Committee Testimony “I think there’s probably a greater chance of overturning the House than the Senate. Senate races are just different — they’re statewide, the quality of the candidates has a lot to do with the outcome,” he said. His comments come after a number of Trump-backed candidates won the GOP nomination in key battleground states such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
