Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said he is concerned that Republicans could still fail to win back the power in the Senate despite only needing to gain one or two seats.

McConnell shared the concern during an interview on CNN about the 2024 election.

McConnell fears Republicans could 'screw this up' and lose the Senate in 2024 https://t.co/KQojIxF96Y

— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) May 9, 2023

The concern

“I just spent 10 minutes explaining to you how we could screw this up, and we’re working very hard to not let that happen. Let’s put it that way," he said.

The GOP Senate leader also said he does not think that Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who left her Democratic Party to become Independent after the 2022 midterms, will caucus with Republicans.

“I think that decision was made when she ended up continuing to caucus with the Democrats,” McConnell said when CNN asked if he was trying to get Sinema to flip to the GOP. “We would love to have had her, but we didn’t land her.”

Will McConnell get the heck out! He’s no leader. He’s a disaster.https://t.co/MT8eECWNi8

— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) May 8, 2023

The pushback

Conservative media host Mark Levin blasted McConnell's concerns, accusing him of not being a leader for the GOP.

"Will McConnell get the heck out! He’s no leader. He’s a disaster," Levin tweeted.

Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell gives a revealing assessment of the 2024 battle for control of the Senate, detailing Republican efforts to not "screw this up" https://t.co/aUdCCyeqwy

— CNN (@CNN) May 8, 2023

"Republicans are in the driver’s seat to take the Senate majority: with 23 seats held by Democrats, compared to just 11 for Republicans," CNN reported.

"There are likely just two GOP incumbents whose seats Democrats may try to flip – and both are in Republican terrain – while three Democrats hail from states that former President Donald Trump easily won in 2020," it added.

The 2024 election includes a major battle in West Virginia where the state's popular GOP governor has announced plans to run for the Senate. Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin has yet to make public his decision about running again for his role.

Several other seats are up for grabs among current Democrats, leaving Republicans a good shot at victory, but McConnell is right that there is nothing definite and that Democrats could still find a way to hold the majority if conservatives do not plan carefully.