A smiling Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., congratulated both President-elect Trump on his projected victory and his Republican colleagues in the Senate, who are expected to retake the majority in the new Congress.

He told reporters Wednesday it was “certainly a happy day for Republicans.”

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

FOX NEWS DECISION DESK PROJECTS GOP RETURNS MAJORITY IN SENATE, a devastating blow to Democrats

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 taking tougher action this time,” he added.

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

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

FOX NEWS PROJECTS TRUMP BEATS HARRIS IN WISCONSIN, FILLING THE 'BLUE WALL' STATE BACK TO RED

Former President Donald Trump is pictured at an election night 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, said he had “really hoped that I could hand a majority to my successor.”

“I was the leader of the majority. I was the leader of the minority. The majority are much better.”

“Due to the fact that we don't have all the results yet and certainly already know that we will be in the majority, we are confident that there will actually be something more,” he said.

FOX NEWS DECISION DESK PROJECTS REPUBLICAN DEB FISCHER HOLDS SENATE SEAT DESPITE INDEPENDENT CHALLENGE

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

He also recognized 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 supported the Biden-Harris administration.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's derogatory comments about former left-wing President Donald Trump over the years have been revealed in excerpts from a new book. (Reuters)

He also mocked McConnell for supporting him earlier this year even though their problems were well documented. “Can you believe he supported me?” Trump asked the crowd on Sunday. “Boy, that must have been a painful day in his life.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

At the time, McConnell said it should come as no surprise that he would back the Republican nominee. But before the election, a new book reminded voters of his true feelings for Trump.

In “The Price of Power,” by Michael Tackett, deputy Washington bureau chief for The Associated Press, it was reported that McConnell referred to Trump sometimes as “dirty”, “stupid”, “unpredictable”, as a “despicable person” and as a “narcissist”.

Get the latest updates on the 2024 election, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital Election Center.