Donald Trump’s former attorney Jenna Ellis has faced backlash on social media for mocking Mitch McConnell after he was hospitalized.
Senate Minority Leader McConnell was sent to the hospital after falling at a Washington, D.C. hotel and he is expected to remain there for a few days, according to reports.
The 81-year-old senator suffered a concussion after he tripped and fell at a dinner at the hotel on Wednesday evening. Some Twitter users argued that Ellis’ joke was in bad taste and criticized her for it.
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Donald Trump and McConnell have long been in a war of words following the deterioration of their working relationship after Trump’s election fraud claims in 2020. Their feud has widely represented the divide within the Republican Party between “MAGA” Republicans and traditional conservatives.
Speaking on McConnell’s fall, Trump said that he wished him a speedy recovery, according to a Washington Examiner report.
“I disagree with almost everything he does, but what I certainly would like him to do, I want him to be well. I want him to be well. Then get back and be strong,” Trump said.
When McConnell fell, he was attending a reception for the Senate Leadership Fund, a campaign committee that is aligned with him.
On Thursday, Trump’s former lawyer Ellis tweeted a video of a turtle repeatedly falling down the stairs and captioned the clip: “Breaking: Camera footage from last night’s McConnell dinner obtained.”
Legal scholar Laurence Tribe was among those criticizing Ellis, tweeting: “I’m no fan of Senator Mitch McConnell, but Jenna Ellis is beneath contempt to mock McConnell for his unfortunate accident and hospitalization.”
I’m no fan of Senator Mitch McConnell, but Jenna Ellis is beneath contempt to mock McConnell for his unfortunate accident and hospitalization. https://t.co/V8OXRmVGl7
— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) March 9, 2023
Journalist Josh Marshall agreed and tweeted: “I’m not a huge fan of Mitch McConnell’s impact on public life in America. But you have to be a terrible person to think this is amusing or funny. I believe he’s still in the hospital.”
I’m not a huge fan of Mitch McConnell’s impact on public life in America. But you have to be a terrible person to think this is amusing or funny. I believe he’s still in the hospital? https://t.co/ZZt1IvjSU8
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) March 9, 2023
Ellis also addressed some of her critics who suggested that this was not Christian behavior.
Twitter user MichaelWitschel wrote:” And She’s a ‘Christian’, folks. You’ll know that because she displays a gold crucifix.
Ellis replied: “I’m protestant. We don’t do the crucifix thing. We know the facts: Christ is RISEN.”
I’m Protestant. We don’t do the crucifix thing. We know the facts: Christ is RISEN!
— Jenna Ellis 🇺🇸 (@JennaEllisEsq) March 9, 2023
Despite the criticisms, some social media users remarked that Ellis’ joke was funny and should not be taken seriously as wishing harm to McConnell.
Some liberal Twitter users have also joked about McConnell’s fall with memes and gifs. While many have made a point that despite their frustrations with the Republican, they would not wish ill on him.
Ellis’ tweet came on the same day that she was censured by the Colorado State Bar Association after admitting to making false claims about voter fraud, according to a Reuters report.
Ellis acknowledged that she made 10 “misrepresentations” about the 2020 election.
Some of these misrepresentations included saying Trump’s legal team could “prove” the election was stolen as well as claims the results were “fraudulent”
Newsweek has contacted Jenna Ellis on Facebook for comment.
