Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced in a speech today on the Senate floor that he’ll be stepping down as leader of the Republican caucus after the election this November. After that, he said, his term ending in 2026 will be his last.
“One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter,” said McConnell, 82.
McConnell visibly struggled with health problems in the past year, including two freeze-ups at a press conference where he couldn’t answer questions.
Posters on both sides of the aisle didn’t quite agree that McConnell had the talent to know where he should go, posting that he should have gone long before, and that he’d done plenty of damage in the meantime.
“Mitch McConnell has been the most successful Confederate since John C. Calhoun,” posted the Nation correspondent Elie Mystal on X. “Congratulations to him and his people in their service of evil.”
“BREAKING! Turtle head Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell @LeaderMcConnell announces he is FINALLY STEPPING DOWN from being Senate GOP leader in November,” posted pro-Trump influencer @TPV_John. “I wouldn’t hold your breath for any real change. The entirety of the Uniparty GOP Senate is COMPLETELY COMPROMISED along with the rest of Congress, save for maybe .@RandPaul…He would be my choice.”
“40 years of Mitch McConnell in the U.S. Senate is the best argument for Congressional term limits imaginable,” added @LucasKunceMO.
Conservative influencers to the right of McConnell, who’ve criticized him for insufficient loyalty to former President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot in 2021, and for what they perceive as a lack of willingness to push conservative policy priorities, also shared their glee at the fact that he was going.
“Kevin McCarthy, Ronna McDaniel, Mitch McConnell: WE GOT ALL THREE BABYYYYYYYY,” posted @conservative767 over a GIF of wrestler Daniel Bryan celebrating a belt win.
McCarthy, the former Republican speaker of the House, and Ronna McDaniel, the chairman of the Republican party, were both pushed out by conservative elements of the party who viewed them as insufficiently committed to pushing conservative priorities.
Sean Davis, the CEO of the ultra-right publication the Federalist questioned why McConnell was waiting until November to step down as Republican leader in the Senate.
“Because he wants to use his power to sabotage Trump, keep the border open, and funnel money to Ukraine for the next 8 months,” he concluded.
“He doesn’t want newly elected senators having any say in who his replacement is.”
That theory was endorsed by some of the more fascist posters on X.
“Every time there is a chance for the GOP to make political gains, they find ways to demoralize the base and sabotage candidates to make sure they keep losing,” posted @classicsgroyp. “It’s infuriating.”
Despite the anger against McConnell from the far-right wing of the Republican party, there was no love lost for him from liberals.
“When Mitch McConnell jumps ship you know it’s getting dark,” posted @caslernoel. “Getting out of dodge in November so he’s long gone by January and whatever crazy sh*t MAGA is dreaming up. Reminds me of Bill Barr stepping down. Man made life much worse for many in USA during his venal reign in GOP.”
“mitch mcconnell wants more time being evil at home with his family,” quipped @renegadecut.
