McConnell to Step Down as Senate Minority Leader in November

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Facts

  • Republican US Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced Wednesday he will step down as Senate minority leader in November, though he will still serve out his current term through January 2027.1
  • McConnell, 82, is the longest-serving Senate party leader in US history, having assumed the role in 2007. In recent years he has endured health issues, including suffering a fall and separately freezing during press conferences.2
  • Despite his health issues, McConnell has led the push for continuing aid to Ukraine — legislation that has received backlash from the more isolationist, pro-Trump faction of the Republican Party.3
  • McConnell was instrumental in the confirmation of then-Pres. Donald Trump's three Supreme Court nominees. McConnell has since distanced himself from the former president over Trump's claims regarding the 2020 election.4
  • Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) are reportedly candidates to succeed McConnell as party leader.5

Sources: 1Associated Press, 2WSJ, 3Washington Post, 4The New York Times and 5Daily Wire.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by New York Post. The GOP is losing a leader who truly understood how to get things done in Washington with bipartisan stability, unlike some up-and-coming Republicans, who are moving the party away from Ronald Reagan's brand of conservatism to Trump's polarizing philosophies. He bravely called out Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riots, but that was probably the beginning of the end of McConnell's institutionalist hold on a leadership position.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by The Federalist. McConnell has tended to serve the interests of neoliberal, corporate elites rather than the American people. Too often he has worked against the political values of his constituents and forged unpopular alliances in the pursuit of donor funds. Rather than only giving up his leadership position, McConnell should immediately retire from the Senate. It's time for more populist voices to rise in Congressional leadership.

Predictions