Senator Mitch McConnell, the long-serving Kentucky Republican and former Senate Majority Leader, is sounding the alarm as he approaches the twilight of his storied political career. In a series of candid interviews published this week by the Lexington Herald-Leader and widely reported by outlets including The Independent, Alternet, and Benzinga, McConnell drew sharp historical parallels between today’s political and economic climate and the tumultuous era that preceded World War II.
“I think this is the most dangerous period since before World War Two,” McConnell declared, his words heavy with the weight of history. He pointed to the “certain similarities right now to the ‘30s,” referencing the infamous Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930 and the era’s prevailing isolationist sentiment, which was branded under the slogan “America First.” According to McConnell, “Those who were totally anxious to stay out of all of what was going on in Europe were called ‘America First.’ Sound familiar?” (Lexington Herald-Leader).
McConnell’s critique is not just academic. He drew a direct line from the protectionist tariffs of the 1930s—widely believed by historians and economists to have worsened the Great Depression—to the Trump administration’s sweeping tariffs on U.S. allies and trading partners. “Tariffs are going to be paid for by the American people,” McConnell warned in February, as reported by Benzinga. He argued that broad import levies risk triggering a trade war and raising prices for American consumers and businesses, echoing concerns voiced by economists like Wharton’s Jeremy Siegel and Jeffrey D. Sachs. Siegel even suggested that Trump’s tariffs could be more damaging than Smoot-Hawley, while Sachs linked the tariff war to America’s past economic crises.
But McConnell’s warnings extend beyond economics. He sees a growing threat from an alliance of authoritarian regimes, naming North Korea, China, Russia, Iran, and Iran’s proxies as adversaries of the United States. “They’re very different kinds of countries, but they have one thing in common: They hate us,” McConnell stated. He expressed deep concern that the U.S. isn’t “prepared like we should be” to confront these challenges (The Guardian).
His remarks came on the same day that Chinese President Xi Jinping, North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and Russia’s Vladimir Putin appeared together in Beijing—a striking display of unity among nations often at odds with the U.S. McConnell suggested this gathering could signal an unprecedented redrawing of the global balance of power, a development that, in his view, demands a robust and proactive American response.
Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia is a focal point for McConnell. He has been a steadfast supporter of U.S. military aid to Ukraine, even as some in his own party have grown wary of the mounting costs. “What we need to do is avoid the headline at the end of the war, ‘Russia wins, America loses.’ It has huge worldwide implications,” McConnell told the Lexington Herald-Leader. He emphasized that about half of the money spent on Ukraine aid has actually been invested domestically, modernizing industrial bases in Kentucky and 38 other states. “We’ve sent older weapons to Ukraine,” he said, seeking to reassure skeptics that the aid serves both U.S. interests and global stability.
President Donald Trump, who is seeking to broker a peace deal in the region, has proposed that both Ukraine and Russia make land concessions to end the conflict. This stance has been met with skepticism from McConnell and others who fear it could embolden authoritarian regimes and undermine democratic norms worldwide. Under the Biden administration, Ukraine has received roughly $67 billion in weapons and military aid, with additional shipments pending Congressional approval (The Independent).
For McConnell, the lessons of history are clear. He invoked Herbert Hoover’s signing of the Smoot-Hawley tariff bill as a cautionary tale, noting its role in global economic collapse and the rise of authoritarianism. “Herbert Hoover signed the Smoot-Hawley tariff bill in 1930, widely believed by historians and economists to have taken the depression worldwide,” he said. The senator’s underlying message: America must not repeat the mistakes of the past by turning inward or underestimating the threat posed by hostile powers.
Yet McConnell’s own legacy is not without controversy. As Senate Majority Leader, he played a pivotal role in shaping the Supreme Court’s current conservative majority, maneuvering to deny President Obama a nominee in 2016 and rushing to confirm Trump’s pick in 2020. Critics argue that this has contributed to a judiciary seen as increasingly partisan, with significant implications for U.S. democracy (The Guardian).
Despite these debates, McConnell remains unapologetic about his record. “These suggestions about who’s popular and who isn’t irritate the hell out of me, because when you get into the leadership position, you get beat up,” he said, referencing his seven victories in Kentucky and nine in the Senate Republican conference. He highlighted his major achievements for Kentucky, including the 2004 tobacco buyout, securing $1.6 billion for the toll-free Brent Spence Bridge, and leading the deconstruction of a chemical weapons facility in Richmond (Alternet).
As he prepares to retire at the end of his current term in 2026, McConnell is using his remaining time in office to focus on defense and foreign policy. “I thought the best thing for me to do the last two years was to focus on what I thought was the most important thing I might have an impact on, and that’s defense and foreign policy,” he told the Lexington Herald-Leader. No longer campaigning, McConnell appears determined to shape America’s approach to global threats in what he views as a perilous era.
McConnell’s warnings come at a time of deep political division, both within his own Republican Party and across the country. The rise of the “America First” movement, championed by Trump and his allies, has rekindled debates over isolationism, trade, and America’s role in the world. McConnell, for his part, is urging policymakers and the public alike not to turn a blind eye to the lessons of history or the dangers that lie ahead.
As the senator enters his final years in public service, his message is clear: America faces a crossroads, and the choices made now will reverberate for decades to come. Whether his warnings will be heeded remains to be seen, but for McConnell, the stakes could hardly be higher.
