Sen. Mitch McConnell says the lack of civility is America's biggest problem

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell said America's biggest problem is the lack of civility.

While accepting an award from the Kentucky Electric Cooperatives in Louisville, the Senate majority leader told the friendly audience that the unfriendly discourse in American politics is "troubling."

"America’s biggest problem right now is the lack of civility," McConnell said. "We have a behavioral problem."

McConnell said civility is important in Democracy, because "you need to be able to have a debate."

McConnell has seen the problem up-close. He has been confronted and heckled by opponents during trips to Louisville.

"Certainly, we have free speech in this country, but I think we have a serious civility problem," McConnell told reporters after his speech.

When asked whether President Donald Trump is part of that problem, McConnell did not directly disagree.

"We have a civility problem, and I didn't confine it to just liberals," he said. "I think it's across the board."

McConnell is running for his seventh term and is known for his ruthless attacks on opponents. Despite his call for more peaceful discourse, McConnell did not indicate he would change tactics.

"The campaigns, of course, are always, shall I say, hot salsa," he said. "But the governing part doesn't need to be that way."

As for the president's future, McConnell told reporters he is confident Trump will survive impeachment.

"It looks to me like the House is determined to impeach the president," McConnell said. "I can't imagine a scenario under which President Trump would be removed from office with 67 votes in the Senate."

McConnell said the House impeachment procedure is holding up congressional business, including ratification of the president's trade deal with Canada and Mexico and the defense spending bill.

"Nothing is happening because House Democrats are seized with Trump derangement syndrome, are consumed with argument with the president, which seems to me particularly ridiculous since we're going into the presidential election," he said. "The American people will have an opportunity in the very near future to decide who they want the next president to be."

As for Kentucky's recent election, McConnell seemed to take the loss of Gov. Matt Bevin in stride.

"I think Gov. Bevin had a good four years, just came up short," he said. "Obviously, as a Republican, I'm sorry we lost the governor's race. But we had terrific outcomes everywhere else."

McConnell would not speculate on the reasons for the governor's loss but said he did call and congratulate Governor-elect Andy Beshear after Bevin conceded.

"I plan on going over and visiting him sometime before the end of the year and talk about some of the issues that we work on with state government," McConnell said.