Mitch McConnell To Step Down From Senate Leadership in November

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced Wednesday that he'll be stepping down from his position as minority leader in November. He plans to finish his term, which ends January 2027. 

For Context: McConnell, 82, is the longest-serving Senate leader in U.S. history. He suffered multiple incidents where he appeared to freeze up in public; at the time, he said he planned to "finish my term as leader" and "finish my Senate term." 

Key Quotes: "To serve Kentucky, has been the honor of my life, to lead my Republican colleagues has been the highest privilege," McConnell said, adding, "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, Mr. President and my colleagues, to say this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate."

How the Media Covered It: Coverage was common across the spectrum on Wednesday afternoon. Headlines often used phrases like "end of an era" to signal the historic nature of McConnell's time as the Senate's top Republican.

Update 2/28/24 1:48 p.m. ET: Previous version incorrectly stated McConnell was retiring from the Senate entirely, not just his position as minority leader.