Senator Mitch McConnell, who turned 83 today, announces that he will not be seeking reelection in 2026; this just two weeks after the senator, who’s been serving for 40 years, ended up in a wheelchair upon falling down some stairs at the Capitol in Washington D.C.
RELATED: Donald Trump Calls Mitch McConnell A ‘Dumb Son Of A B*tch’ During Speech At Mar-A-Lago Resort
Senator Mitch McConnell, a long-standing figure in the U.S. Capitol, is deciding not to pursue another term in office. McConnell took to the Senate floor on Thursday (February 20) to share his announcement and give a heartfelt farewell speech. McConnell said:
“Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate. Every day in between I’ve been humbled by the trust they’ve placed in me to do their business right here. Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.”
RELATED: Footage Shows Mitch McConnell Freezing Again During Press Conference In Kentucky
McConnell, who has represented Kentucky in the Senate since 1984, served as the Republican leader and has played a significant role in molding the GOP’s agenda. McConnell has also been known as a moderate conservative who has served as the leader of the Senate Republican Conference from 2007 until 2025, making him the longest-serving party leader in U.S. history. His seventh and final term will expire in January 2027.
Although Senator Mitch McConnell has long served in the GOP, he has at times been very critical of President Donald Trump. Recently, McConnell made headlines for his very vocal vote against some of Trump’s top Cabinet nominees. McConnell has stood against confirmations needed for Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Subsequent to his votes against these figures, McConnell has seemingly become the ire of many people within Trump’s administration. McConnell has also faced criticism and constantly made headlines over his advanced age and several scary health episodes.
Again, just two weeks before revealing he won’t be seeking reelection, Senator Mitch McConnell, who is a polio survivor, fell down some stairs at the U.S. Capitol, leaving him in a wheelchair. Moments after voting to confirm a member of one of Trump’s Cabinet picks. Following the episode, McConnell’s spokesperson Robert Steurer released a statement. He said, “Senator McConnell is fine. The lingering effects of polio in his left leg will not disrupt his regular schedule of work.”
Before his wheelchair incident, in August 2023, Senator Mitch McConnell made headlines for another freezing episode. Footage showed him freezing up during a press conference in Kentucky. A day later, he was medically cleared to continue work despite his second episode in public. A Capitol physician claimed he was just recovering from a concussion.
Then in September 2023, Senator Mitch McConnell claimed despite his then-recent freezing episodes, he would be finishing his Senate term, ending in January 2027. Following this announcement, McConnell would go on to have several falling episodes, including the one from two weeks ago.
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