McConnell holds his nose and speaks up for Trump

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday put aside his misgivings about Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, and delivered an address that endorsed Trump as a president who would sign the GOP agenda into law.

"With Donald Trump in the White House, Senate Republicans will build on the work we've done and pass more bills into law than any Senate in years," McConnell, R-Ky., told the Republican National Committee delegates.

Central to the agenda is the appointment of a new Supreme Court Justice to replace the late Antonin Scalia. McConnell has held the line in the Senate, refusing to take up President Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland.

"On that sad day when we lost Justice Scalia, I made another pledge that Barack Obama would not fill this seat," McConnell said. "That honor will go to Donald Trump next year.

McConnell has been reluctant to discuss Trump from his perch on Capitol Hill, instead promising to support the nominee and generally refraining from comment proposals and comments from Trump that have drawn criticism.