Mitch McConnell issues Trump warning: “Reminiscent of before World War II”

Outgoing Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell has warned that the world is in a “very dangerous place” similar to the period before World War II ahead of President-elect Donald Trump‘s return to the White House.

The Kentucky senator spoke out against isolationism within the GOP and Trump’s “America First” policies in an interview with The Financial Times published on Wednesday.

“We’re in a very, very dangerous world right now, reminiscent of before World War II,” McConnell said. “Even the slogan is the same: ‘America First.’ That was what they said in the ’30s.”

McConnell will chair the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, the panel overseeing much of the Pentagon‘s budget, when the GOP takes control of the upper chamber in January. He said he is prepared to push back against Trump’s potential foreign policies, such as reducing military funding for Ukraine as it continues to fight Russia’s invasion.

McConnell said that the U.S. must avoid isolationism and remain active on the world stage. He appeared to suggest it was a mistake for the U.S. to initially stay out of World War II while Nazi Germany was taking over parts of Europe. The senator praised former President Ronald Reagan’s “peace through strength” strategy during the Cold War over Trump’s current “America First” policies.

“To most American voters, I think the simple answer is, ‘Let’s stay out of it.’ That was the argument made in the ’30s, and that just won’t work,” McConnell said. “Thanks to Reagan, we know what does work—not just saying peace through strength, but demonstrating it.”

Newsweek has contacted McConnell’s office and Trump’s transition team for comment via email outside of regular working hours.

In 1940, an anti-war and isolationist pressure group, America First Committee, was launched to oppose the U.S. entering World War II. The U.S. would eventually enter World War II on December 8, 1941, the day after Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor.

McConnell told The Financial Times that the cost of preventing war is significantly lower than the cost of fighting one. He pointed out that the U.S. spent 37 percent of GDP fighting in World War II, compared to 2.7 percent in 2023 on deterrence.

McConnell said he was unsure whether the GOP will support military aid for Ukraine next year when it controls the presidency and both chambers of Congress, but the “goal here is for the Russians not to win.”

While also referencing Israel, McConnell added: “We’ve got two democratic allies fighting for their lives. I don’t think we ought to micromanage what they think is necessary to win.”

McConnell has had an often tense relationship with Trump over the years, especially in the wake of the January 6 attack on the Capitol in 2021.

The senator told The Financial Times that he did vote for Trump in November as he “supported the ticket.”

When asked if he regrets not doing more to prevent Trump from becoming president again, McConnell replied: “The election’s over, and we’re moving on.”

McConnell did describe Trump’s 2024 election victory as a “remarkable comeback” and proof that the president-elect remains “the most influential Republican out there.”

The Kentucky senator, whose current term in office ends in 2027, said he intends to stand up to Trump in his new role on the Senate Defense Appropriations panel.

“No matter who got elected president, I think it was going to require significant pushback, yeah, and I intend to be one of the pushers,” McConnell said.

Trump has vowed the near three-year war between Russia and Ukraine would end once he returns to the White House.