Right-wing House Republicans can’t wait for Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to officially step down as GOP Senate leader later this year, suggesting the Kentucky Republican has been more focused on delivering on Democratic priorities, citing his support for delivering more U.S. aid to Ukraine.
The 82-year-old Kentucky Republican announced on Wednesday that he would leave the post in November after fulfilling his longtime goal of becoming the longest-serving Senate leader in history.
“I’m not going anywhere anytime soon,” McConnell said in a speech on the Senate floor. “However, I’ll complete my job my colleagues have given me until we select a new leader in November and they take the helm next January.”
The House Freedom Caucus, though, is growing impatient with McConnell, calling for the timeline for his departure to be sped up.
“No need to wait till November,” they wrote in a statement on their account on X, formerly Twitter. “Senate Republicans should IMMEDIATELY elect a *Republican* Minority Leader.”
The race for McConnell’s succession is getting underway with the three Johns: Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), John Thune (R-S.D.) and John Barrasso (R-Wy.), considered the leading candidates to take over.
The Freedom Caucus made light of McConnell’s support for Ukraine as the country continues to battle Russia, suggesting that he has been carrying the water for Democrats on the issue.
“Our thoughts are with our Democrat colleagues in the Senate on the retirement of their Co-Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (D-Ukraine),” the post read.
The group has been pressuring House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to resist bringing a bill already approved by the Senate including aid for Kyiv to the House floor for a vote, in line with the wishes of former President Donald Trump, who opposes the package. McConnell stood with a minority of his party in supporting the legislation in the upper chamber.
Previously, the GOP leader saw a bipartisan deal he supported, which included tougher border enforcement measures, fall apart after several of him fellow GOP senators and House Republicans opposed it, again falling behind Trump.
The White House has warned that the war is at a critical juncture and the absence of U.S. aid is hurting the ability of Ukrainian troops to fight back.
McConnell’s decision to step down is also a recognition of the major shift that has happened in the party because of Trump, and the move is likely to solidify the former president’s grip on the GOP.
“Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time,” he said. “I have many faults ― discerning Senate politics is not one of them.”
Still, McConnell’s tenure has been nothing short of consequential for Republicans as he delivered on several of the party’s priorities, including reshaping the federal judiciary with hundreds of conservative judges, denying former President Barack Obama the opportunity to replace late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, and allowing Trump to appoint three conservative Supreme Court justices, among other things.