Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has earned many nicknames throughout his time in Congress. The newest one: McTreason.

The hashtag #MoscowMitchMcTreason is trending one day after the Kentucky Republican gave an impassioned speech on the Senate floor in response to accusations of being a Russian sympathizer.

More specifically, McConnell took umbrage with MSNBC host Joe Scarborough and Washington Post opinion columnist Dana Milbank, who called him "Moscow Mitch" and "a Russian asset."

These comments came after McConnell blocked two measures aimed at preventing foreign interference in U.S. elections.

Background:McConnell lashes out on Senate floor about 'Moscow Mitch' accusation

In his roughly 25-minute speech Monday afternoon, McConnell called out media outlets for hosting "hyperventilating hacks" and compared attacks on him to "modern-day McCarthyism."

"I don’t normally take the time to respond to critics in the media when they have no clue what they’re talking about," McConnell said in his speech. "But this modern-day McCarthyism is toxic and damaging because of the way it warps our entire public discourse. Facts matter. Details matter. History matters. And if our nation is losing the ability to debate public policy without screaming about treason — that really matters."

Some on Twitter did not take kindly to McConnell's speech. Just as the hashtag #MoscowMitch quickly began trending on Twitter following Scarborough's comments, people were using the hashtag #MoscowMitchMcTreason to express frustration with McConnell on Tuesday.

Scott Dworkin, co-founder of the Democratic Coalition super PAC, wrote on Twitter that "if Mitch McTreason doesn't want to be called a traitor, then he should stop being one. #MoscowMitchMcTreason."

More coverage:McConnell called 'Moscow Mitch' for blocking election security bills

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., rejected McConnell's definition of McCarthyism.

"McCarthyism is the practice of baselessly accusing political opponents of being communists as unjust grounds for targeting & harassment," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter. "You are blocking action to protect US elections despite official DoJ pleas. That doesn’t make you a communist. It just makes you a bad leader."

President Donald Trump came to the defense of McConnell on Tuesday morning, telling reporters outside the White House that McConnell "knows less about Russia and Russian influence than even Donald Trump, and I know nothing."

"I think the Washington Post is a Russian asset by comparison," Trump told Fox News earlier Tuesday. "Mitch McConnell loves our country."

Washington Post politics reporter Colby Itkowitz wrote an article titled "Trump makes unfounded claim The Washington Post is a ‘Russian asset’" following Trump's comments.

McConnell spokesman Robert Steurer referred the Courier Journal to McConnell's remarks from the Senate floor Monday and Trump's remarks Tuesday when asked for comment. McConnell spokeswoman Stephanie Penn referred the Courier Journal to editorials featured in the Wall Street Journal and New York Post defending McConnell.

Mitch McConnell: Dan Coats delivered 'unvarnished hard truths'

Contact Ben Tobin at bjtobin@gannett.com and 502-582-4181 or follow on Twitter @TobinBen. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: subscribe.courier-journal.com.