McConnell says deterring America's adversaries should be 'front and center' for the next president

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Pushing back against isolationism in his own ranks, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday the challenge of deterring America's adversaries should be “front and center” for the next president, as he advocated maintaining a strong military and support for allies, especially in war-torn Ukraine.

Speaking to a home-state crowd in Kentucky, McConnell evoked Ronald Reagan's mantra of “peace through strength” as he spoke in stark terms about foreign policy risks and how the U.S. should respond.

“What is the big challenge ahead?" he said. "You could argue it’s a situation potentially more challenging than World War II. You’ve got an axis of evil — North Korea, China, Russia, Iran and Iran’s proxies — all talking to each other. What do they have in common? They’re all authoritarian regimes. They hate democracy. And they’re competing with all of the democratic countries around the world.”

The American response, he said, should include projecting a united front with allies along with a robust defense that he called the best deterrent against adversaries.