Republican senators praised their longtime leader, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, following the shock announcement that he will soon step down from GOP leadership.
The tribute to McConnell comes amid friction between himself and more conservative members of his Republican conference, which has led to internal turmoil and dysfunction over Ukraine aid, support for Trump and other issues.
McConnell, 82, announced Wednesday that he would step down from Senate leadership in November after a historic nearly 18-year stint as the senior Republican in the Senate.
Senate Republicans told DailyMail.com they received no warning about the announcement on Wednesday.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said he was shocked by the news, saying, “No one knew it was coming. He runs a pretty tight ship.”
“I don’t know what to say, but it certainly caught me off guard,” Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told reporters minutes after the announcement.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced in November that he would not seek a leadership position after leading the GOP conference for nearly two decades
Senator Marco Rubio told DailyMail.com he was shocked by McConnell’s announcement
“I just heard about it in my office,” Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., said as he headed to the Senate chamber, adding, “Mitch McConnell has an extraordinary record.”
Other senators similarly celebrated the longtime leader.
“I think he will be remembered for the Supreme Court justices that he guided through the system,” Marshall said of McConnell’s legacy.
“I think he deserves credit for his efforts under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as well,” he added from Kansas.
Sen. Tom Tillis, R-N.C., called McConnell “a true legend” in a post on X.
“Under his historic leadership, the Senate achieved a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, passed historic tax reform, and passed bipartisan legislation to save our economy from the brink at the start of the pandemic,” Tillis wrote.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said, “We thank Leader McConnell for his service. He will step down at the end of the year. “Between now and then, we must remain focused on making sure we win the U.S. Senate and have a Republican majority leader.”
Senator Mike Lee, who has been critical of McConnell’s leadership in the past, even celebrated the leader.
“I congratulate Senator McConnell on his record time as leader, and I hope he chooses to spend the rest of his time fighting to secure America’s borders and unite our conference,” he said in a statement obtained by DailyMail .com.
President Biden made brief remarks at the White House on Wednesday about McConnell’s announcement.
“I’m sorry to hear that McConnell has resigned,” he told reporters.
“He and I, I trusted him and we have a great relationship. We fight like hell. But he never, never, never misrepresented anything,” the president added.
“I’m sorry to hear he’s resigning.”
McConnell was at the White House the day before his announcement along with the other “Big Four” leaders as Congress works to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the week.
It was also seen by Biden as a last-ditch plea to get Speaker Mike Johnson to table the massive $95 billion foreign aid bill that McConnell led and passed in the Senate.
Newly elected Senator Mitch McConnell in Washington, DC, November 26, 1984
House Speaker Mike Johnson also celebrated McConnell’s long career.
“Mitch McConnell rose from humble beginnings when he overcame polio to become one of the most influential Senate leaders in history. He began his career in the Senate as a legislative aide and eventually took charge of the House of Representatives,” Johnson said in a statement.
“No member of Congress has played a greater role in reforming the federal judiciary than Mitch. I join my colleagues in saluting his historic contributions to the Republican Party and Congress. His legacy will endure for generations.”
Still, some Republicans remained critical of McConnell. The leader has clashed with members of his own party in recent months over the handling of Ukrainian aid and support for Donald Trump.
McConnell is the last member of the Republican leadership not to back Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential bid.
“We have been a rudderless ship for a while this past year and Senator McConnell had kept us on track before his injury, but since his injury he has struggled,” said Senator Tuberville.
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., who has repeatedly called for McConnell’s resignation as leader, told DailyMail.com that he felt good after hearing the leader’s announcement.
‘This is a good development. I just wonder why wait until November.’
The Missouri Republican described McConnell as “bubble-wrapped” and that he doesn’t contact members or talk much.
“So yes, we need someone who will actually communicate with the members of the conference and actually reflect the views of the conference.”
As for who will replace the outgoing leader, Hawley mentioned a few names.
“I mean, Rick Scott is a great option. Steve Daines, I think it would be great,” he said.
McConnell is the last member of the Republican leadership not to back Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential bid
McConnell will remain leader of the Senate Republican Conference until November, according to his statements in the Senate.
“One of life’s most underrated talents is knowing when it’s time to move on to the next chapter of life,” McConnell said.
“So today I stand before you to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate.”