He is the longest-serving US Republican faction leader in the Senate, but after nearly two decades, Mitch McConnell plans to step down in November. Recently, there have been concerns about his health.
The leader of the Republican group in the Senate, the smaller of the two chambers of the US Congress, Mitch McConnell, announced that he is retiring from the position. He said he would step down in November, after nearly two decades, he said in a speech on the Senate floor. The AP agency first reported McConnell's decision.
The 82-year-old held the position for nearly two decades, making him the longest-serving faction leader in the history of the U.S. Senate.
“One of life’s most underrated talents is knowing when it’s time to move on to the next chapter in life,” McConnell said in his speech. It's time for a new generation of leadership, McConnell continued. “That is why I stand before you now (…) to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader in the Senate.” However, he will remain a regular senator until his term ends in January 2027.
“Strippers in US politics”
McConnell has been in the Senate since 1985. According to the House of Congress, he has been elected nine times to lead the Republicans since 2006 – as majority or minority leader, depending on the outcome of the respective general elections and the parties' seats in the Senate. The arch-conservative politician has long been considered one of the most important geniuses in US politics.
He eventually fell out with former President Donald Trump, with whom he already had a difficult relationship, when Trump continued to spread the lie about a fraudulent election months after his defeat against Joe Biden in 2020 and his supporters stormed Congress on January 6 . 2021 invaded.
The Republican recently made headlines with health problems. Last year, McConnell fell during a private dinner at a Washington hotel. He suffered a concussion and was treated at a hospital. As a result, he had misfires at press conferences. That fueled concerns about his health.
Ralf Borchard, ARD Washington, tagesschau, February 28, 2024, 9:47 pm