Should Mitch McConnell retire? The question isn’t just about age. Donald Trump is 78, but he’s as sharp, energetic, and relentless as ever. As Bill Maher put it, Trump is like KISS—he may be older, but when he puts on the wig and makeup, he still sounds like he did in 1978. That’s not the case with McConnell. This goes beyond his medical episodes and multiple falls—it’s about whether he still has any real influence over Senate Republicans.
TRUMP ON MCCONNELL: “I feel sorry for Mitch…He’s not equipped mentally…He let the Republican party go to hell.”
“He’s not voting against [RFK Jr.], he’s voting against me, but that’s alright.” pic.twitter.com/CySoW9EGaN
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) February 13, 2025
The clearest sign that McConnell’s power is fading came in the recent Trump nomination battles.
- Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), often a thorn in the GOP’s side, voted to confirm Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as HHS Secretary and Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence.
- Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), another wildcard Republican, also supported Kennedy and Gabbard.
- Pete Hegseth, Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, faced resistance, but even his hearing wasn’t as contentious as expected.
McConnell lost all three of these major battles. If he were still a dominant force in the party, he would have been able to rally votes against these nominees. Instead, he was ignored, bypassed, and politically sidelined.
Compare that to past Senate leaders:
- The late Harry Reid (D-NV) ran his caucus with an iron grip.
- Chuck Schumer (D-NY), for all his faults, still controls Senate Democrats.
McConnell? He’s just there, casting votes against Trump and getting ignored.
Even Trump took pity on McConnell, saying:
“He’s not equipped mentally. He wasn’t equipped ten years ago, mentally in my opinion. He let the Republican Party go to hell. If I didn’t come along, the Republican Party wouldn’t even exist right now.”
Trump hit the nail on the head—McConnell isn’t leading. He’s lost his grip on the party, and his opposition to Trump’s nominees is more about him being out of touch than about principle.
“He’s not voting against Bobby; he’s voting against me, but that’s alright.”
And that’s the truth. McConnell isn’t playing political chess anymore—he’s just reacting and fading into irrelevance.
