To the Editor:

“How Mitch McConnell Enables Trump,” by Adam Jentleson (Op-Ed, Feb. 19), helps put the power machinations of the Senate majority leader in true perspective.

Senator McConnell’s talents are not used in the aid of his country, the institutional preservation of the Senate as part of the constitutional system of checks and balances, or ultimately the viability of his own Republican Party. His actions can be understood only through the lens of holding onto personal power at whatever expense.

His obstructionist policies during the Obama administration showed his will to deny beneficial bipartisan legislation to avoid perceptions of President Barack Obama signing popular legislation into law. The bold precedent of blocking the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court was a political coup but a dangerous precedent by any perspective.

As Mr. Jentleson points out, Senator McConnell is selling out the power of the Senate to Donald Trump’s political base. Now, by supporting the president’s declaration of a national emergency to build the wall, he tries to hold onto political power by lashing the fate of the Republican Party even tighter to an amoral and incompetent president.