Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell will step down as Republican leader in November, the Kentucky Republican announced on the Senate floor Wednesday, marking the end of an era on Capitol Hill and a high-stakes battle over his successor. The race was about to begin.
He will continue to serve in the U.S. Senate, but plans to allow “the next generation of leaders” to take control of the Senate Republican Conference.
McConnell, who turned 82 last week, said he is “closer to the end of my contribution than I would have liked.”
Mr. McConnell has long been a prominent figure in Washington, D.C., and has made history throughout his political tenure. In 2023, McConnell became the longest-serving Senate leader in history.
But in recent months, Mr. McConnell has found himself at odds with members of the conference, particularly over the issue of additional U.S. funding for the war in Ukraine. And McConnell has a strained relationship with Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. CNN reported in January that the two had not spoken in more than three years.
“When I was thinking about when to deliver the news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I would have complete clarity and peace about the sunset of my work,” McConnell said in remarks on the floor. ” “This is the moment I knew I had contributed to preserving the ideals in which I strongly believe. Today, that day has arrived.”
He received a standing ovation at the end of his remarks, and then Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, approached him to shake his hand. Many colleagues from both sides of the aisle followed him, and he received a hug from Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
McConnell has long been an influential figure in Republican politics, playing a leading role in securing major Republican victories during his time as party leader.
While serving as Senate Majority Leader during former President Donald Trump's term, McConnell appointed three Supreme Court justices appointed by Trump: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. , and contributed to the confirmation of a vast number of conservative judges. He brings it to federal court and transforms the federal judiciary in the process.
But notably, there was a key moment when Trump, now the Republican front-runner in the race for the White House, and McConnell faced off, leading to a clash between the two powerful Republicans. There is.
On January 6, 2021, after a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol in an attempt to overturn Joe Biden's presidential victory, McConnell blamed Trump for inciting the attack, but the House After moving to impeach him, the government still voted to acquit him of the charge of inciting insurrection.
The typically tight-lipped Senate Republican leadership rarely broke away from President Trump during his four years as president. But he led the Senate's certification of the presidential election that the rioters vowed to overturn and strongly condemned the violence at the Capitol.
Mr. McConnell has suffered a series of high-profile health incidents over the past year.
He suffered a fall at a Washington, D.C., hotel in March and was treated for a concussion.
Months later, Mr. McConnell experienced two episodes of what appeared to be momentary freezes during conversations with reporters, events that raised concerns about the Kentucky Republican's health and suitability to lead the Senate Republican Conference. This has raised questions and concerns.
McConnell said Wednesday that he made the decision to resign following the death of his wife, Elaine Chao's youngest sister, Angela, in a car accident earlier this month.
“As some of you may know, these are particularly difficult times for my family. We tragically lost Elaine's sister, Angela, just a few weeks ago. Losing a loved one is devastating. , there is a certain kind of introspection that accompanies the grieving process, especially at a young age. Perhaps this is your own way of reprioritizing your impact on the world that we all inevitably leave behind. Maybe it’s God’s way of reminding us of our life’s journey,” he said.
He thanked his wife of 31 years, calling her “the love of my life” and saying he was “forever grateful to have her by my side.”
He ended his speech by assuring his critics that he was prepared to be their thorn in the side for the rest of his term as leader.
“I still have enough gas in the tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics, and I intend to do so with the enthusiasm they are accustomed to,” he said.
The three Senate Republicans who are most likely to succeed are Sen. John Thune of South Dakota, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, and Sen. John Cornyn of Wyoming, known on Capitol Hill as “Three John.” Senator John Barrasso.
Sen. Mitt Romney told CNN's Caitlan Collins on “The Source” that the three “Johns” are “the strong candidates right now,” and that Republican senators are wondering who Trump is. He said that he does not believe that the next leader of the party will be selected based solely on whether there is a candidate or not. He is the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination and supports it.
“People joke and say, 'I support John,' but I think they can say that pretty safely,” the Utah Republican said, adding he was “surprised” by McConnell's announcement Wednesday. he added.
“We are nine months away from the election, but there are more important elections between now and then,” Barrasso told reporters Wednesday. “And those are the elections we need to win the president, the Senate and the House of Representatives, and that's my focus right now.”
Thune, the Senate minority leader, declined to say whether he would run for party leadership following McConnell's announcement.
Thune said he did not intend to make any announcements while attending the Senate Republican luncheon. Asked if he would announce a decision by November, Thun replied: “I will get back to you.”
Cornyn has repeatedly dodged questions about whether he would run for party leadership.
“I think Mitch has been unique in terms of his leadership in the Senate,” he told CNN as he left the chamber after listening to McConnell's speech.
Florida Republican Sen. Rick Scott, a vocal critic of McConnell, declined to say whether he plans to run for Republican leadership. Scott challenged McConnell for the role at the end of the last Congress.
“I'm focused on getting re-elected,” he told CNN. Scott's term in the Senate ends this year.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
CNN's Manu Raju, Dana Bash, Kristin Wilson and Jack Forrest contributed to this report.
