We have breaking news.
Mitch McConnell will step down as the Republican leader in the Senate in November.
According to the Associated Press.
Just ran this headline a moment ago, coming a day after we watched the driveway outside the West Wing, a big meeting with the Big Four, of course, on a budget and potentially funding our allies in Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan. Everyone came out except Mitch McConnell. He got in the suv and went back to the capital, of course, knowing that we'd be talking about this today, but also potentially giving Mike Johnson a little bit of cover so they
didn't have to publicly disagree about went on inside. And that's something we want to talk about with Wendy Benjaminson. Of course, Washington's senior editor is with us here. Wendy, this is not what we expected to be talking about. And I want to ask you about what happened in Michigan last night because it's important. But Mitch McConnell, my gosh, a record run in this powerful post. What does it say that he's stepping down, that he's too old to keep doing the job.
The parties left.
Him well, obviously we don't know yet, because all we you and I know so far as the saidline from the AP and I'm sure we're all scrambling to find out exactly the answer to that question.
It very well could be his age.
He's had those two public incidents, at least two public incidents where he just.
Seemed to freeze and lose.
I don't know if the ability to speak or the ability for his brain to catch up, but clearly that struck us as an age related problem.
He is eighty two years old, well was.
Doctor did make the point that it followed a fall, he had a spell.
That's right.
It may have could have been related or something like that, so right, but clearly it certainly gave the impression.
Of an old leader.
And then also there is this sense now that the transformation of the Republican Party with Trump coming back as the front runner and probable nominee, is complete, that that transformation is done, and what we all thought of conservatives, what being conservative for the last thirty forty years, no longer means that. And Mitch McConnell is, you know, one of those lions of the Senate really into procedure, really into trying to do bipartisan where he can, trying to
stick it to Democrats where he can. And it's a but it's not a let's own the Libs sort of attitude that a lot of new Republicans Trump Republicans have, and so he may What we may find in our reporting today is that he's just decided that a party left him.
That's right.
He's watched Donald Trump disparage his wife publicly. Yeah, he's lost apparently the argument over Ukraine funding, at least in the way he wanted it to be done.
Right.
You wonder if he stays on then past the election, is he going to be having lunch with Nancy Pelosi talking about the old days?
Yeah? They probably, They probably will. I mean they have known each.
Other, said something incredibly important. Though the transformation is complete.
He was the last hold out exactly.
And I don't I think he's he may be worried about leading the party after the twenty twenty four election. You know, if Donald Trump wins, well, if Biden wins, he's the minority leader. If Trump wins, and I'm sorry I shouldn't say that, if Democrats control the Senate, he's the minority leader. If Republicans flip the Senate, he's the majority leader, but always with a guy who doesn't see the world in the White House the same way that mcconnald does.
Right, And if yeah, my goodness, if Donald Trump is the next president of the United States, he could be dead in the water. And we are going to be asking a lot of questions about the role that Donald Trump played in this.
Right, he could have given him an ultimatum.
We have no idea what happened behind the scenes here, because this is quite the breaker if you're just joining us. Mitch McConnell's stepping down or at least announcing that he will as the Senate Republican leader in November.
And you know, we know that the McConnell team and the Trump team have been talking recently behind the scenes about whether McConnell will endorse Trump. Yes, and I think if mc donald does endorse Trump, I'm going back to that lion of the Senate school kind of guy. If Trump is clearly the Republican nominee, then McConnell will hold his nose, explain to his.
Wife and you know, and go.
Ahead and endorse them, because the public he's a loyal Republican.
When you see this headline, though, then you start because that has been the big conversation. Is this his way of saying, no, I'm not endorsing Donald Trump.
Why I don't know?
That would be something that would be something talk about the last holdout As we spend time with Wendy Benjaminson, this is remarkable and we'll have a lot more to talk about with our panel. Rick and Genie will be here about ten minutes, and of course we're going to get their take. They'll be here and even less than that, Wendy, the Michigan primary is behind us.
Now, that was interesting.
How about that?
I want to hear why you think it was because we knew all I guess we all thought we knew Donald Trump and Joe Biden were going to win, right, And they did, and they did.
We can't mistake that, right.
But when you look under the hood here, it didn't come without a little bit of pain, especially for Joe Biden.
One hundred thousand uncommitted.
One hundred thousands essentially protest votes.
Well, it really shows us for the very first time the depth of concern among both voters of color, Muslim American voters, and young voters who are extremely worried about or who want to at least put Joe Biden on notice that he cannot take them for granted. That he has to take steps on the Middle East, and he has to take other steps toward things that they've wanted that he promised them in twenty nineteen and twenty twenty.
The interesting thing was that some of those hundred thousand protest votes did not just come from the Muslim American sort of enclaves of Dearborn and places like that. It came from ann Arbor, It came from East Landsing. Those are college towns and they have a, you know, a more liberal population than a lot of Michigan, but also a lot of those young people who are extremely dissatisfied help.
To get him there in twenty you know, we hear the analysis young people don't vote anyway, They're going to probably sleep in that day. But I wonder if this starts to resonate in other college towns like Madison, where the president needs those votes to win in razor thin margins exactly.
And we've seen going all the way back to Bill Clinton and especially with Barack Obama, young people will vote when they believe they have a reason to vote. When they will believe I mean, you always have a reason to vote, as I tell my kids. But they but they when they feel inspired, when they feel that they are going to have a choice to pick a leader, even if it's to vote against Donald Trump. But then you have to give them a good reason to vote for something. And they're not a lot of them, at
least are not seeing it. You know, the news for Donald Trump wasn't all one hundred percent Rosie last night. Either's Nikki Hilly is still getting a significant portion of the Republican primary voters, which tells you that in the general election, there will be Republicans who will look for an alternative.
Whether it's RFK.
Junior, whether it's You'll Stein, whether it's Joe Biden, They're going to look something else.
Thanks we saw like we saw in Georgia, you know, where they're Republican all the way down the ballot, but they never or they wrote in someone for president. Wendy Benjaminson is with us on balance of power. That's with ninety nine percent of the ballots counted, by the way, eighty one to thirteen eighty one percent of thirteen percent for Joe Biden running against himself almost in this case. It's kind of interesting. And he's got a big data mars going to the border. Yes, so is Donald Trump.
They're both going to really understand how this happened. Well, they're going to be one hundreds miles apart. I think Biden is going to Brownsville, which is on the seople are going to see this as a standoff though, like they plan it that.
Way, right, yeah, right, It will be sort of a standoff on the Mexican border, so you know, cue the Clint Eastwood music. But it's it will be interesting because they will both be trying to say the border is important. They will both be trying to say I can fix it. And it will be a matter of who who.
Joe Biden need to show up with something or do you save that for the state of the Union and say I just got back from the border and I am taking this action here tonight, or does he need to say more than hey here, I am take my picture tomorrow.
Yeah. I think what he'll do tomorrow is probably, you know, smack around Republicans a little bit for tanking the last bipartisan border bill. Explain that he can't do it with executive orders because he, as he said earlier this week, Dad, fixing the border requires personnel, which requires money, which requires appropriations, which requires Congress. So that I think will be his message down there. I want to fix it. He's a little late to the party, but he wants to fix it. And there we go.
We're hearing the voice now of Mitch McConnell, and we want to bring you live to the Senate floor. As we just told you, he's announced that he will step down as leader in November.
Let's listen live on Bloomberg.
There's a certain intro spectrum that accompanies the grieving process. Perhaps it is God of reminding you of your own life's journey to reprioritage the impact of the world that we will all inevitably leave behind. I turned eighty two last week. The end of my contributions are closer than i'd prefer. My career in the United States Center began amidst the Reagan Revolution. The truth is, when I got here, I was just happy if anybody remembered my name. President
Reagan called me Mitchell O'Donnell close enough. I thought. My wife, Elaine, and I got married on President Reagan's birthday, February sixth. It's probably not the most romantic thing to admit, but Reagan meant.
A lot to both of us.
For thirty one years, Elaine has been the love of my life, and I'm eternally grateful to have her by my side. I think back to my first days in the Senate with deep appreciation for the time that helped shape my view of the world. I'm unconflicted about the good within our country and the irreplaceable role we play as the leader of the free world. It's why I work so hard to get the National Security Package passed
earlier this month. Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular.
Moment in time.
I have many faults, this understanding politics is not one of. That said, I believe more strongly than ever that America's global leadership is essential to preserving the Shining City on a Hill that Ronald Reagan discussed. As long as I'm drawing breath on this earth, I will defend American exceptionalism.
So as I've been thinking about when I would delivered some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work, a moment when I'm certain I have helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe that day arrived today. My goals when I was narrowly elected to the Senate back in nineteen eighty four were fairly modest. Do good job with the people of Kentucky and convince them that by doing so, they might rehire me for
a second term. That was it. That was the plan. If you would have told me forty years later that I would stand before you as the longest serving Senate leader in American history, frankly, I would have thought you'd lost your mind. I have the honor of representing Kentucky in the Senate longer than anyone else in our state history. I just never could have imagined, never could have imagined that happening when I arrived here in nineteen eighty four.
At forty two, I'm filled with heartfelt gratitude and humility for the opportunity. But now it's twenty twenty four, I'm now eighty two. As Ecclesiastics as these tells us, to everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. To serve Kentucky in the Senate has been the honor of my life. To lead my Republican colleagues has been the highest privilege. But 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, mister President, and my colleagues to say this will be my last term as Republican leader to the Senate. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. However, I'll complete my job my colleagues has given me until we select a new leader November and they take the helm next January. I'll finish the job that people of Kentucky hired me to do. As well, i will be it from a different seat, and I'm actually looking forward to that. So
it's time for me to think about another season. I love the Senate sent our life. There may be more distinguished members of this body throughout our history, but our doubt there were any with any more admiration for the Senate. After all this time, I still get a thrill walking into the Capitol, and especially on this venerable floor, knowing that we each of us have the honor to represent our states and do the important work of our country,
but father time remains undefeated. I'm no longer that a young man fitting in the back hoping colleagues would remember my name. It's time the next generation of the leadership. As Shenry Place said in this very body in eighteen fifty, the Constitution of the United States was not made merely for the generation that then existed, but for posterity, unlimited, undefined, endless, perpetual posterity.
So time rolls on.
There will be a new custodian of this great institution next year. I won't surprise you know, I tend to turn this job over to a Republican majority of life. I have full confidence in my conference to choose my replacement and lead our country forward. There'll be other times to reminisce. I'm immensely proud of the accomplishments I've played some role in obtaining for the American people. Today is not today to discuss all of that, because, as I
said earlier, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. There are many challenges we must meet to deliver for the American people, and each will have my full effort and attention. I still have enough guests in my tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics, and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm with which they become accustomed. So to my colleagues, thank you for in trusting me with our success. It's
been an honor to work with each of you. There'll be plenty of time to express my gratitude in greater detail as I sprint towards the finish line, which is now in sight. How are you poor?
Senator Mitch McConnell there live in the chamber, the majority leader, once now minority leader. We'll be stepping down from his leadership post in November. As we brought you here just a short time ago. A breaking situation today in Washington, d C. I would love to just get a quick thought from Wendy Benjaminson. Wendy before you leave us. The news broke while you were in the chair here. We just listened to that together, A very emotional addressing How
would you describe it? Does he feel defeated or does he feel like he's leaving on top?
No, I don't think he feels defeated.
My impression was sort of confirmed everything you and I were talking about right before we went to that speech, which is that he really he and Nancy Pelosi too. They are sort of such creatures of that institution in the way that we've always understood that institution to be, you know, I mean almost part of the furniture, if you will, because these the chambers did not operate without.
One of them, yes, exactly.
And yet he's he's giving the sense that what I said before, that you know, the things have changed. This is a new century, this is a new way of approaching politics. Seniority doesn't guarantee access to being junior, doesn't, you know, deny access. And the whole place is run in a much different way than it was in the Reagan era. And he must have mentioned Ronald Reagan three or four times there. He longs for that era and that era doesn't exist anymore, you know. And you know,
I love him or hate him. He really is an institutionalist, and I think he feels like, you know, he's either too old or too out of style to run that chamber anymore.
Thanks for sticking around with us.
Happy I always look forward to Wendy Benjaminson's insights Bloomberg's Washington Senior Editor.
Thank you, Wendy.
As we assembled our panel, didn't think we'd be talking about this, but need to hear from Rick Davis and Genie Shanzanoh Bloomberg Politics contributors on news that Mitch McConnell is in fact stepping down as leader.
Ricky spent a number of years.
I think, as we all know working with John McCain in the United States Senate, you have every sense of the importance of this particular tenure. What does it mean that it's coming to an end?
Now?
Yeah, I think what Wen you just said about it's really the end of an error. We saw Nancy Pelosi and her eighties be retired, and now we have Mitch Mcconnelady two retiring from this leadership post. We're going to have a whole new generation that comes into power power positions in Washington in the very near future, and I think that era is going to be ushered in is.
To youthful leadership.
It'll be interesting to see what happens in the Senate as far as the elections go and whether or not we're picking a minority leader or a majority leader in this cycle. But at the end of the day, we're going to lose a master strategist at legislation and politics. I was actually happy to hear that he talked about his grasp of politics. I've never met a member of the United States Senate who knew more polling and strategy
than Mitch McConnell did. He was a real study in politics, and for people like me that helped have conversations with him about the impacts of what happened in the United States Senate. They weren't in a vacuum politically. He calculated the politics of every move he made.
Fascinating the quote that stuck half to me, Genie, the end of my contributions are closer than I'd prefer. And you wonder how much of this had to do with his age or the impact of Donald Trump on his party. Maybe you can't separate the two.
What do you think?
Yeah, I mean, I think I agree with you. I think it's really hard to separate the two. And I was struck by that as well, because, of course, this is a party that has changed enormously in the last several years, but certainly since Mitch McConnell took the helm in the Senate and since he joined the Senate, this is not the same Republican Party of Mitch McConnell's time, and we have seen challenges to his leadership in the Senate very very recently, and so I think that's part
of it. And I think we have to take him at his word that he feels like it is now time to hand over the mantle.
And this is something so many of.
Our leaders are grappling with right now, right up to our presidential leading contenders and Joe Biden and Donald Trump, as you see new generations saying wait a minute, is it time for you to exit stage left? So so many you know of our leaders grappling with this challenge. And I think Mitch McConnell makes a really important point. Part of being a leader is having a succession plan.
And we know that he's got the three Johns in waiting, and I would hope a couple of the women as well in the Senate leadership on the Republican side who may be able to fill his shoes. But that's a critical part of being a leader, is knowing when to exit and hand over the mantle to the next generation. He is right about that part of it.
So what do you think about the succession plan here? Rick?
It's always been about the three Johns in terms of recent history, Barasso, Foon and Cornn.
Will it in fact be one of them? It could be.
There's no question that the caucus itself is going through some turmoil. We saw attacks against Mitch McConnell earlier in the year related to his efforts to try and past Ukraine funding, and so I think you'd have to sort of see it as an opportunistic situation. Obviously, the three Johns, who have been participating in leadership for a very long time, know how the strings are pulled, understand how to get legislation passed, understand the dynamic within the caucus probably better
than anyone else. But there are other people who have ambitions in leadership, people like Tom Tillis, who I think have studied Mitch McConnell's leadership for quite some time and may be ready to emerge. And so I think you can see also potentially a right flank attack. You know, Ted Cruz and some of his buddies have been very vocally opposed to Mitch McConnell and may put up a candidate that represents their point of view.
Do you wonder, Genie, with all the talk lately of conversations happening that might bring Mitch McConnell to a Donald Trump endorsement, which we talked about yesterday and some think is inevitable. Was this this way of saying no, but I'm not going to be part of this.
I was thinking about that.
You know, I think it's a hard call.
I think I veer on the side that Mitch McConnell is a real institutionalist and he is somebody who is deeply committed to the Republican Party. Since he committed to supporting whoever is the nominee, I believe he will probably in the end support Donald Trump. He may hold his nose like some other voters and do that, but I think he will as Donald Trump goes to take that
mantle as the nominee this year. Again, you know, I would also again just let's add to the list of possible successors Ernst and Iowa, Shelley Moore Capito in West Virginia. There are women in the House Republican leadership who could
really play a very important role. And so you know, in addition to all those folks that Rick just mentioned in the Three Johns, I think we also have to look to them because they have a very sort of interesting perspective and a path to the Senate and a lot that they could do in their house republic I mean, sorry, Senate Republican leadership.
Yes, right, yeah, a lot to consider here as we move into this election cycle or further into it. Rick, I don't know if you see a McConnell endorsement of Trump in the offing, does he want to be remembered as a tried and true Republican or in this case, the guy who said no.
I don't think it was an accident that he wistfully discussed on his floor speech just now how much he was impacted by Ronald Reagan's leadership, basically given credit to Rob Reagan for his marriage.
But the reality is that is.
The Republican Party that Mitch McConnell has fought so hard to be successful in the isolationist policies of Donald Trump may as well be in the Democratic Party, right, That's what he's fought his entire career, And so it wouldn't surprise me that in conjunction with a decision that I suspect has a lot more to do with being eighty two years old than anything political. Right now, Remember he's
had some challenges with his health this last year. Yes, that he uses the opportunity to not feel compelled to have to play in this presidential election and may just skip an endorsement.
If it's Donald Trump's to.
Have Rick Davis and Genie Shanzino with the Instant Analysis. As we learned, Mitch McConnell will be stepping down from his leadership hosts in November. Not going anywhere anytime soon. He says he will continue to serve the state of Kentucky, this from a different seat.
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