BREAKING: Mitch McConnell to step down as Senate Republican leader in November

He delivered prepared remarks obtained by the Associated Press, saying "One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter. So I stand before you today ... to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate."

McConnell said he plans to serve through the remainder of his Senate term, which ends in January of 2027, adding, "albeit from a different seat in the chamber."

McConnell's aides said that his announcement to step down from his post was unrelated to his health. 82-year-old McConnell has been seen freezing up before the press on multiple occasions, and also suffered a fall in 2023 that resulted in a concussion and a rib fracture.

"As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work," McConnell said the remarks. "A moment when I am certain I have helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe. It arrived today."

McConnell did not cite a specific reason for his decision, but said he had been contemplating it for months. He said a moment that prompted introspection was the death of his wife’s youngest sister.

"The end of my contributions are closer than I’d prefer,” McConnell said.

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