WASHINGTON (AP) — Mitch McConnell, The longest-serving Senate Majority Leader in history He will step down from his post in November after holding power for nearly two decades in the face of dramatic turmoil within the Republican Party.
McConnell, who turned 82 last week, announced his decision Wednesday in the well of the Senate. This is where he watched in awe from the back benches when he arrived in the Senate in 1985, and where he became increasingly comfortable with the front row seats given to party leaders. is.
“One of the most underrated talents in life is knowing when it's time to move on to the next chapter of your life,” he says. “So I want to stand before you today and say this will be my last term as Senate Republican leader.”
His decision marks a strong ideological shift underway within the Republican Party, from the traditional conservatism and strong international alliances of President Ronald Reagan to the fierce, often isolationist populism of former President Donald Trump. will be interrupted.
McConnell said he intends to serve out his Senate term, which ends in January 2027, “albeit from a different seat in the chamber.” Aides said Mr. McConnell's announcement about his leadership position was unrelated to: his health condition. Kentucky State Senator concussion From last fall and two public episodes. His face froze for a moment meanwhile he was talking
“When I was thinking about when I would deliver the news to the Senate, I always envisioned a moment when I would have complete clarity and peace about the twilight of my work,” McConnell said. “This was the moment I became convinced that I had contributed to preserving the ideals that I strongly believe in. It arrived today.”
The senator was under increasing pressure from opposition and sometimes hostile elements of his party, which have been staunchly aligned with President Trump. the two became estranged Since then December 2020when McConnell refused to abide by Trump's lie that Democrat Joe Biden's presidential election was the product of fraud.
But while the voices criticizing McConnell within the Republican conference have grown louder, they have not grown much in number, reflecting McConnell's strategic and tactical skills and understanding of the needs of his fellow Republican senators. It shows a high level of ability to
McConnell did not give specific reasons for the timing of his decision, which he has been mulling over for months, but cited the recent death of his wife's youngest sister as a moment of introspection. “The end of my contribution is closer than I would have liked,” McConnell said.
But his comments about the trajectory of his career as a senator were at times lighthearted.
He said that when he arrived at the Senate, “I was just happy if someone remembered my name.” During the 1984 campaign, when President Reagan was visiting Kentucky, the president referred to him as “Mitch O'Donnell.”
Mr. McConnell supports Mr. Reagan's views on the United States' role in the world, and the senator believes that despite opposition, including from Mr. Trump, Congress should include a foreign aid package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine. He continued to claim that.
“I see no conflict between our nation's interests and the irreplaceable role we play as the leader of the free world,” McConnell said.
Against long odds, he succeeded in securing 22 Republican votes for the policy proposal currently being considered in the House.
“Trust me, I know the politics within the party at this particular moment. I have a lot of flaws. My misunderstanding of politics is not one of them,” McConnell said. “That said, I believe more strongly than ever that America's global leadership is essential to preserving the shining city on the hill that President Ronald Reagan talked about. As long as I breathe on this earth, I will defend American exceptionalism.”
Trump has called into question long-standing military alliances and international trade agreements like NATO, pushed for harsher crackdowns on immigration, and pushed his party ideologically to the right while clinging to the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from him. I pulled it hard.
Mr. McConnell and Mr. Trump worked together during Mr. Trump's first term, reshaping the Supreme Court and federal judiciary in a much more conservative image, and even collaborated on tax law. However, there was friction from the beginning, with President Trump frequently sniping at senators.
Their relationship effectively ended after President Trump refused to accept the Electoral College results. However, the rift deepened dramatically after the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. McConnell held Trump accountable and accountable, saying Trump should be held accountable through the criminal justice system for his actions.
Mr. McConnell's critics say he could have done more, including voting to convict Mr. Trump in his second impeachment trial. McConnell didn't do that.argued that Trump could not be impeached because he was no longer in office.
Far from diminishing in his profile following the Capitol riot, Trump continues to assert his dominance within the party and remains on a clear path to winning the Republican nomination. Other members of the Republican Senate leadership also support Trump. Mr. McConnell did not do so, drawing criticism from other Republican senators.
Mr. McConnell's path to power was anything but linear, but from the day he took to the Senate floor in 1985 as the youngest Republican senator, he aspired to become the party's leader. What set him apart was that many other Senate leaders wanted to run for president. McConnell wanted to run the Senate. He lost the race for a lower-ranking party position and steadily rose through the ranks, eventually becoming party leader in 2006, his ninth consecutive election victory.
He just recently defeat the challenge It was led by Florida Sen. Rick Scott last November.
McConnell built his power base through a combination of caring for and nurturing his members, including understanding their political obligations. After recognizing the potential dangers of the rise of the Tea Party, he also founded the Senate Leadership Fund, a super political action committee that has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in support to Republican candidates.
Despite concerns about his health, colleagues have said in recent months that they believe he has recovered. Although McConnell did not have any cognitive impairments, he did have some additional physical limitations.
“I love the Senate,” he said. “It was my life. Throughout our history, this organization may have had more prominent members, but I doubt there is anyone who has admired this organization more.” .”
But he added: “Father Time is still undefeated. I am no longer the young man sitting in the back hoping my colleagues will remember my name. It is time for the next generation of leadership. ”
Someday, he said, there will be a time to reminisce, but not today.
“We still have enough gas in the tank to thoroughly disappoint the critics, and we'll do it with the enthusiasm they're accustomed to.”
