As reports swirl that 81-year-old Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is set to retire before the end of his term in 2027, his office has denied these claims, saying that he will return to the Senate on Monday with no plans of stepping down.
In early March, McConnell was hospitalized after tripping at the Waldorf Astoria, formerly the Trump Hotel, in Washington, D.C. He sustained a concussion and a minor rib fracture from the fall.
A month later, several Republican senators have begun to prepare for a possible leadership vote if McConnell, the longest-serving Senate Party Leader in history, is to announce his retirement.
John Barrasso of North Dakota, John Thune of South Dakota, and John Cornyn of Texas are all making noticeable preparations for a possible leadership vote.
The Spectator has reported that Cornyn has been especially proactive in his attempts to secure support, taking senators to lunch to build relationships and earn their votes.
As these rumors began to take hold in the U.S. media, McConnell’s office strongly denied these claims.
Sen. McConnell tweeted that he will be back in the Senate on Monday. He has been working remotely from his home after he was released from an inpatient physical rehabilitation facility on March 25.
“I am looking forward to returning to the Senate on Monday,” said McConnell. “We’ve got important business to tackle and big fights to win for Kentuckians and the American people.”
I am looking forward to returning to the Senate on Monday. We've got important business to tackle and big fights to win for Kentuckians and the American people.
— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) April 13, 2023