He can put on a brave face all he wants, he and the Republicans and Neoliberals of the Reagan era declared war on facts when they got in the way of corporate profit (‘climate change is hoax for scientists to sell books herp derp’), indoctrinating tens of millions of hateful, conspiratorial lunatics to trust nothing except conservative media, until it became self sustaining, the monsters they created stopped trusting anything at all except their own stoked hatreds, and corporate Republicans like McConnell found their party power structure and even chambers being invaded by some of the ignorant hicks their con-game was meant to manipulate as their useful idiots, not scuffing the floors of his halls of sophisticated right-wing power.

Trump just instinctually saw the con-game, and stole it right out from under the old money corporate Republicans by turning their well honed dog whistles into screeching bullhorns.

I have no doubt McConnell feels shame in his retreat and endorsement of his power structure’s thief, not because he ever cared about the country, its people, or the future, but because their long-meticulous con of the correct room of sophisticated people manipulating the peasants for their portfolio’s interests was invaded, conquered, and broken by a small time crass baffoon who stole their con out from under them because, though he is a baffoon and an idiot, Trump does have innate, instinctual con-game that can’t really be taught, and that includes recognizing other’s grifts and making them his. If Trump weren’t born to money, he’d be the top earner at whatever shady used car lot he eventually landed in.

Best laid plans, Mitch.