McConnell praises his ‘favorite freshman’ Sen. Katie Britt speaking in Louisville

LOUISVILLE — U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell introduced his “favorite freshman” senator to a crowd at his alma mater Tuesday.

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, a first-term Republican from Alabama, delivered a lecture as part of the McConnell Center’s Distinguished Speaker Series at the University of Louisville. She spoke about lessons she’s learned from the past year and a half as the youngest Republican woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate.

Speaking to students in the McConnell Scholars program, she stressed the importance of hard work to get ahead and also working with others who might have a different perspective.

She said some of her greatest friends in the Senate include people from across the aisle, like fellow freshman U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat. Britt said the two met during their orientation and bonded over wanting to make a difference. Britt said she was “humbled” by his trust when he asked her to visit him while hospitalized for clinical depression last year. She called him “brave” for being open about seeking help for mental health challenges.

“While we might not agree on much politically, we all took the same oath of office, we are all united under one flag and we all have a deep love for our country that supersedes which side of the aisle that we fall on,” Britt said.

“And by getting in the same room, having real conversations, we end up finding common ground that we otherwise would have never known we had. and where those things overlap, that’s where you have to march forward.”

Britt gained national attention last month after she gave the Republican response to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address. Some of her Tuesday remarks echoed that speech, as she blamed the Biden administration for failing to address national and international issues like immigration and the economy.

She also discussed her Senate race, diplomatic trips abroad, how her family and personal relationships influence her politics and how she became interested in government at a young age.

She said “a lot of tough conversations” must be had in the United States about the country’s future.

“And if we ever want those tough conversations to actually yield results, they’re going to have to be honest, right?” she said. “And if they’re going to be honest, you’ve got to both trust and respect the person sitting across from you. That is not something that is given. It is something that is earned.”

Britt recounted advice from her grandfather when she initially didn’t run for a position in a youth mock government program after comparing herself to her peers. He told her “your character, your integrity, your work ethic and the way you treat people” determine a person’s path in life.

“Taking a step back, being confident, being you and not underestimating what you’re capable of, is critically important in every single venture — controlling what you can control and knowing that you are worthy of being in the arena,” she said.

While introducing Britt, McConnell referenced her State of the Union rebuttal and reiterated he saw her voice as a mother and wife to be “no better choice to contrast President Biden and his policies.”

McConnell also briefly acknowledged some of the criticisms Britt’s delivery received, including a parody on Saturday Night Live. McConnell acknowledged that he’s no stranger to such criticism himself.

“I’ve been called everything from Darth Vader to the Grim Reaper. So, I’ve worked with Katie for more than a year now,” McConnell said. “So, I know it’s going to take a lot more than a few punches from the press to knock her down.”

Britt joined McConnell’s leadership team as an adviser last summer. The group often includes high ranking GOP congressional leaders.

McConnell’s influence on Kentucky Republican politics is far and wide. The audience included several politicians and staffers with connections to Kentucky’s senior senator, including Attorney General Russell Coleman, who previously served as legal counsel for McConnell.

Earlier this year, McConnell announced he plans to step down as the Republican Senate leader later this year. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1984.

The nonpartisan McConnell Center, named after the senior senator, oversees initiatives like the speaker series and the competitive McConnell Scholars program. Students in that program attended Britt’s speech and she often spoke directly to them about the future ahead of them. Britt is the center’s 66th distinguished speaker. She joins other previous guests including Biden, President George W. Bush, U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett.