Sen. Orrin Hatch Orrin Grant HatchBottom line Bottom line Senate GOP divided over whether they'd fill Supreme Court vacancy MORE (R-Utah) on Thursday defended Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellMomentum growing among Republicans for Supreme Court vote before Election Day Trump expects to nominate woman to replace Ginsburg next week Video of Lindsey Graham arguing against nominating a Supreme Court justice in an election year goes viral MORE after President Trump ratcheted up his criticism of the Kentucky Republican.

"[McConnell] has been the best leader we’ve had in my time in the Senate, through very tough challenges. I fully support him," Hatch, the most senior Republican senator, wrote in a tweet.

"@SenateMajLdr has been the best leader we’ve had in my time in the Senate, through very tough challenges. I fully support him." -Hatch pic.twitter.com/3vD5nFgE36 — Senator Hatch Office (@senorrinhatch) August 10, 2017

Sen. Jeff Flake Jeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakeJeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Republican former Michigan governor says he's voting for Biden Maybe they just don't like cowboys: The president is successful, some just don't like his style MORE (R-Ariz.), who has emerged as a vocal critic of Trump, also chimed in with support for McConnell.

.@SenateMajLdr does a tough job well. He has my support. — Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) August 10, 2017

The backing for McConnell came as Trump on Thursday escalated his attack against the GOP leader for failing to pass his legislative agenda.

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"Can you believe that Mitch McConnell, who has screamed Repeal & Replace for 7 years, couldn't get it done. Must Repeal & Replace ObamaCare!" Trump tweeted earlier in the day, calling for McConnell to "get back to work."

The president also suggested that McConnell may consider stepping down if he can't pass Trump's legislative agenda, which includes healthcare and tax reform as well as a new infrastructure package.

“If he doesn’t get repeal and replace done, and if he doesn’t get taxes done — meaning cuts and reform, and if he doesn’t get a very easy one to get done — infrastructure — if he doesn’t get them done, then you can ask me that question,” Trump told reporters at his New Jersey golf club.

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Trump's comments came after McConnell remarked earlier this week that the first-term president had “excessive expectations” about pushing his agenda through Congress.

Hatch has come to the defense of other Republicans who have faced criticism from Trump.

The Utah senator defended Attorney General Jeff Sessions Jefferson (Jeff) Beauregard SessionsTrump's policies on refugees are as simple as ABCs Ocasio-Cortez, Velázquez call for convention to decide Puerto Rico status White House officials voted by show of hands on 2018 family separations: report MORE, his former Senate GOP colleague, after Trump vented his frustration last month over Sessions's decision to recuse himself from the probe into Russia's election meddling.

Hatch and several other Republican senators also broke with Trump in late July after he announced on Twitter that transgender troops would be banned from serving in the military.

- This story was updated at 5:53 p.m.