President Trump added fuel to the fire in his feud with former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, claiming the longtime Kentucky senator lacked the mental sharpness to shepherd GOP members in the upper chamber.

CNN White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins asked Trump about McConnell voting against confirmation of several of the president’s cabinet nominees, including U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Kennedy is a noted vaccine sceptic and McConnell, 82, contracted polio as a child and walks with a limp and has other lingering health issues as a result.

McConnell, who was born in Sheffield, cited Kennedy’s “record of trafficking in dangerous conspiracy theories” for his vote against confirming the eventual HHS secretary.

Trump claimed McConnell, who did not seek to return as GOP leader in this Congress, did not have the mental acuity to continue in that role.

“I feel sorry for Mitch … he wanted to go to the end, and he wanted to stay leader. He’s not equipped mentally,“ Trump said. ”He wasn’t equipped 10 years ago, mentally, in my opinion. He let the Republican Party go to hell. If I didn’t come along, the Republican Party wouldn’t even exist right now.”

Trump then went on to downplay McConnell’s fundraising prowess while giving a backhanded compliment to Collins.

“Mitch McConnell never really had it. He had an ability to raise money because of his position as leader, which anybody could do. You could do it, even, and that’s saying a lot,” he said.

At the same time, Trump said McConnell’s fundraising ability bought influence for the senator within the GOP conference.

“But the fact is that he raised money and he gave a lot of money to senators, so they had a little loyalty based on the fact that as leader, you could raise a lot of money,‘” Trump said.

“Senators would call me and they say, ‘He wants to give me $25 million, can I take it?’ I say, ‘Take the money. Take the money,’” Trump continued.

The president then took credit for McConnell’s stepping down as leader while continuing to represent Kentucky in the Senate.

“So he engendered a certain amount of – I don’t even call it loyalty, you know, he was even able to get votes,” Trump said, “but I was the one that got him to drop out of the leadership position.”

Earlier this month, McConnell fell down the stairs in Washington, D.C. as he voted to confirm Scott Turner as the secretary of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The fall is the latest in a series of health incidents the senator has experienced.

Late last year, the senator sprained his wrist and cut his face as a result of another fall in Washington.

Prior to that, he experienced two high-profile “freeze up” incidents on camera. Both occurred during the Summer of 2023 — one at a press conference in Washington and another at an event in Northern Kentucky.

In March 2023, McConnell had to go the hospital after falling at a dinner event in Washington.

The incidents have prompted questions over whether or not McConnell will seek reelection in 2026, when his six-year term is up.

The president claimed McConnell voting against confirming Kennedy, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was personal payback.

“So, he can’t love me. But he’s not voting against Bobby, he’s voting against me. But that’ all right,“ Trump said. ”He lost his power and it’s affected his votes.”