A smiling Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., congratulated both President-elect Trump on his expected victory and his fellow Republicans in the Senate for being expected to regain the majority in the new Congress.

He told reporters on Wednesday that it is “certainly a happy day for the Republican Party.”

McConnell addressed the significance of Trump’s projected victory, noting, “What he accomplished, as you all know, hasn’t been done since Grover Cleveland, a while back.”

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called former President Donald Trump “despicable.” (Reuters)

Former President Grover Cleveland was notably the only president to serve non-consecutive terms.

“I also want to commend the Trump campaign for carrying out a sharper operation this time,” he added.

The minority leader specifically praised the work of Trump campaign managers Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, saying they “deserve a lot of credit” and “ran a spectacular race.”

The Fox News Decision Desk has predicted that Republicans will regain the majority in the Senate, flipping three blue seats. There are still several Senate races in battleground states that have yet to be called, meaning their majorities could still grow.

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Former President Donald Trump is pictured at an election night watch party on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (AP/Alex Brandon)

McConnell, who announced in February that he would not seek the role of party leader in the new Congress, explained that he had “really hoped that I would be able to hand over a majority to my successor.”

“I’ve been the majority leader. I’ve been a minority leader. The majority is a lot better.”

“Based on the fact that we don’t have all the results yet, and we certainly already know that we will be in the majority, we are hopeful that this will actually grow,” he said.

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., arrives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC (AP/J. Scott Applewhite)

He also credited National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Steve Daines, R-Mont., for his leadership during the cycle.

McConnell’s praise for the Trump campaign came just days after Trump mocked him at a rally in North Carolina. “Hopefully we get rid of Mitch McConnell soon, because he helped them, that guy,” the former president said, suggesting he was helping the Biden-Harris administration.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s disparaging comments about former President Donald Trump, left, were revealed over the years in excerpts from a new book. (Reuters)

He also joked about the fact that McConnell had endorsed him earlier this year, despite their well-documented problems with each other. “Can you believe he supported me?” Trump asked the crowd on Sunday. “Boy, that must have been a painful day in his life.”

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McConnell had said at the time that it would not be surprising that he would back the Republican nominee. Before the election, however, a new book reminded voters of his true feelings about Trump.

“The Price of Power” by Michael Tackett, deputy bureau chief of The Associated Press in Washington, reported that McConnell referred to Trump on times as a ‘sleazeball’, ‘stupid’, ‘erratic’, a ‘despicable human being’ and a ‘narcissist’.

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more on our Fox News Digital election hub.