McConnell says he'll finish Senate term, warns US of 'most dangerous time' since Cold War

Monday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell expressed concern over the current state of global affairs and vowed to complete his tenure in the upper chamber.

While not explicitly offering an intention to run for an eighth term in 2026, McConnell (R-Ky) stated on Louisville's NewsRadio 840 that his primary objective is to counteract "isolationists" within the Republican Party, as The New York Post reported.

“I’m not leaving the Senate. And I’m particularly involved in fighting back against the isolationist movement,” the 82-year-old said.

“For the next couple of years, it’s something I’m going to focus on.”

Concern for the Future

The Kentuckian went on to say that Americans are living through “the most dangerous time for the free world since right [before] the Berlin Wall fell down.”

“My party tends to be isolationist when there’s a Democrat in the White House,” McConnell explained. “Most Republicans voted against Lend-Lease going into World War II and Pearl Harbor straightened that out.”

McConnell, the longest-serving leader of either political party in United States history, declared his decision to withdraw from his position as leader of the Senate Republicans, a position he has occupied since 2007. This announcement was made in late February.

A vigorous competition is currently taking place between Senate Republican Whip John Thune (R-SD), the incumbent No. 2 Republican, and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who previously occupied that position, in order to succeed McConnell.

Plans for a Majority

McConnell added on Monday that ensuring the Republicans turn the Senate in November, a feat they are well positioned to accomplish due to a favorable electoral map, is another goal of his.

“I’d like the person who succeeds me to be the majority leader,” McConnell said before reupping his encouragement of House Republicans to pass a supplemental aid package to help Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.

“Thirty-eight different states are benefiting from the Ukraine supplemental — building equipment, much of it, to replenish our own stockpiles as we send older weapons to the Ukrainians,” he said.

“This invasion of Ukraine has given us an opportunity to do what we should have been doing anyway,” McConnell added, referring to a military build-up and modernization.