BREAKING NEWS: Mitch McConnell Stepping Down

We have breaking news. 0:00:05.680 --> 0:00:09.760 Mitch McConnell will step down as the Republican leader in 0:00:09.800 --> 0:00:11.240 the Senate in November. 0:00:12.400 --> 0:00:13.880 According to the Associated Press. 0:00:13.920 --> 0:00:16.920 Just ran this headline a moment ago, coming a day 0:00:16.960 --> 0:00:20.720 after we watched the driveway outside the West Wing, a 0:00:20.760 --> 0:00:23.319 big meeting with the Big Four, of course, on a 0:00:23.360 --> 0:00:27.720 budget and potentially funding our allies in Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan. 0:00:27.840 --> 0:00:31.560 Everyone came out except Mitch McConnell. He got in the 0:00:31.600 --> 0:00:34.480 suv and went back to the capital, of course, knowing 0:00:34.479 --> 0:00:36.720 that we'd be talking about this today, but also potentially 0:00:36.760 --> 0:00:38.760 giving Mike Johnson a little bit of cover so they 0:00:38.760 --> 0:00:41.239 didn't have to publicly disagree about went on inside. And 0:00:41.280 --> 0:00:44.000 that's something we want to talk about with Wendy Benjaminson. 0:00:44.080 --> 0:00:47.479 Of course, Washington's senior editor is with us here. Wendy, 0:00:47.520 --> 0:00:49.160 this is not what we expected to be talking about. 0:00:49.200 --> 0:00:50.479 And I want to ask you about what happened in 0:00:50.479 --> 0:00:53.840 Michigan last night because it's important. But Mitch McConnell, my gosh, 0:00:53.880 --> 0:00:56.840 a record run in this powerful post. What does it 0:00:56.880 --> 0:00:59.320 say that he's stepping down, that he's too old to 0:00:59.360 --> 0:00:59.959 keep doing the job. 0:01:00.240 --> 0:01:00.960 The parties left. 0:01:00.840 --> 0:01:03.560 Him well, obviously we don't know yet, because all we 0:01:03.680 --> 0:01:05.480 you and I know so far as the saidline from 0:01:05.520 --> 0:01:08.040 the AP and I'm sure we're all scrambling to find 0:01:08.080 --> 0:01:09.880 out exactly the answer to that question. 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:12.600 It very well could be his age. 0:01:12.600 --> 0:01:16.319 He's had those two public incidents, at least two public 0:01:16.360 --> 0:01:17.840 incidents where he just. 0:01:17.800 --> 0:01:19.639 Seemed to freeze and lose. 0:01:20.280 --> 0:01:21.920 I don't know if the ability to speak or the 0:01:21.959 --> 0:01:25.480 ability for his brain to catch up, but clearly that 0:01:25.880 --> 0:01:28.280 struck us as an age related problem. 0:01:28.319 --> 0:01:30.080 He is eighty two years old, well was. 0:01:30.120 --> 0:01:32.080 Doctor did make the point that it followed a fall, 0:01:32.120 --> 0:01:32.759 he had a spell. 0:01:32.920 --> 0:01:33.399 That's right. 0:01:33.600 --> 0:01:36.560 It may have could have been related or something like that, 0:01:36.680 --> 0:01:41.120 so right, but clearly it certainly gave the impression. 0:01:40.680 --> 0:01:41.520 Of an old leader. 0:01:41.600 --> 0:01:45.120 And then also there is this sense now that the 0:01:45.720 --> 0:01:50.320 transformation of the Republican Party with Trump coming back as 0:01:50.360 --> 0:01:54.200 the front runner and probable nominee, is complete, that that 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:58.360 transformation is done, and what we all thought of conservatives, 0:01:58.640 --> 0:02:02.520 what being conservative for the last thirty forty years, no 0:02:02.600 --> 0:02:06.120 longer means that. And Mitch McConnell is, you know, one 0:02:06.120 --> 0:02:10.000 of those lions of the Senate really into procedure, really 0:02:10.000 --> 0:02:13.120 into trying to do bipartisan where he can, trying to 0:02:13.120 --> 0:02:15.680 stick it to Democrats where he can. And it's a 0:02:16.000 --> 0:02:18.800 but it's not a let's own the Libs sort of 0:02:18.840 --> 0:02:22.480 attitude that a lot of new Republicans Trump Republicans have, 0:02:22.960 --> 0:02:26.200 and so he may What we may find in our 0:02:26.240 --> 0:02:29.600 reporting today is that he's just decided that a party 0:02:29.720 --> 0:02:30.200 left him. 0:02:30.560 --> 0:02:31.080 That's right. 0:02:32.120 --> 0:02:37.240 He's watched Donald Trump disparage his wife publicly. Yeah, he's 0:02:38.040 --> 0:02:40.880 lost apparently the argument over Ukraine funding, at least in 0:02:40.919 --> 0:02:42.359 the way he wanted it to be done. 0:02:42.639 --> 0:02:42.880 Right. 0:02:43.760 --> 0:02:47.200 You wonder if he stays on then past the election, 0:02:47.320 --> 0:02:49.280 is he going to be having lunch with Nancy Pelosi 0:02:49.320 --> 0:02:50.400 talking about the old days? 0:02:51.360 --> 0:02:54.240 Yeah? They probably, They probably will. I mean they have 0:02:54.360 --> 0:02:54.880 known each. 0:02:54.720 --> 0:02:59.200 Other, said something incredibly important. Though the transformation is complete. 0:02:59.680 --> 0:03:01.640 He was the last hold out exactly. 0:03:01.760 --> 0:03:04.440 And I don't I think he's he may be worried 0:03:04.520 --> 0:03:08.000 about leading the party after the twenty twenty four election. 0:03:08.520 --> 0:03:11.440 You know, if Donald Trump wins, well, if Biden wins, 0:03:11.440 --> 0:03:15.560 he's the minority leader. If Trump wins, and I'm sorry 0:03:15.600 --> 0:03:18.480 I shouldn't say that, if Democrats control the Senate, he's 0:03:18.480 --> 0:03:22.560 the minority leader. If Republicans flip the Senate, he's the 0:03:22.600 --> 0:03:25.440 majority leader, but always with a guy who doesn't see 0:03:25.440 --> 0:03:27.680 the world in the White House the same way that 0:03:27.760 --> 0:03:28.480 mcconnald does. 0:03:28.680 --> 0:03:30.639 Right, And if yeah, my goodness, if Donald Trump is 0:03:30.680 --> 0:03:32.880 the next president of the United States, he could be 0:03:32.919 --> 0:03:34.280 dead in the water. And we are going to be 0:03:34.720 --> 0:03:36.760 asking a lot of questions about the role that Donald 0:03:36.760 --> 0:03:37.520 Trump played in this. 0:03:37.640 --> 0:03:39.600 Right, he could have given him an ultimatum. 0:03:39.960 --> 0:03:41.800 We have no idea what happened behind the scenes here, 0:03:41.800 --> 0:03:44.520 because this is quite the breaker if you're just joining us. 0:03:44.600 --> 0:03:47.320 Mitch McConnell's stepping down or at least announcing that he 0:03:47.360 --> 0:03:50.400 will as the Senate Republican leader in November. 0:03:50.680 --> 0:03:53.480 And you know, we know that the McConnell team and 0:03:53.520 --> 0:03:56.440 the Trump team have been talking recently behind the scenes 0:03:56.680 --> 0:03:59.680 about whether McConnell will endorse Trump. Yes, and I think 0:03:59.680 --> 0:04:01.800 if mc donald does endorse Trump, I'm going back to 0:04:01.880 --> 0:04:04.920 that lion of the Senate school kind of guy. If 0:04:04.960 --> 0:04:09.000 Trump is clearly the Republican nominee, then McConnell will hold 0:04:09.000 --> 0:04:10.800 his nose, explain to his. 0:04:10.680 --> 0:04:13.320 Wife and you know, and go. 0:04:13.240 --> 0:04:16.200 Ahead and endorse them, because the public he's a loyal Republican. 0:04:16.240 --> 0:04:18.279 When you see this headline, though, then you start because 0:04:18.320 --> 0:04:20.680 that has been the big conversation. Is this his way 0:04:20.680 --> 0:04:22.640 of saying, no, I'm not endorsing Donald Trump. 0:04:22.680 --> 0:04:23.360 Why I don't know? 0:04:23.480 --> 0:04:26.200 That would be something that would be something talk about 0:04:26.200 --> 0:04:29.279 the last holdout As we spend time with Wendy Benjaminson, 0:04:29.920 --> 0:04:31.960 this is remarkable and we'll have a lot more to 0:04:32.000 --> 0:04:34.760 talk about with our panel. Rick and Genie will be 0:04:34.800 --> 0:04:36.400 here about ten minutes, and of course we're going to 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:39.680 get their take. They'll be here and even less than that, Wendy, 0:04:39.800 --> 0:04:41.400 the Michigan primary is behind us. 0:04:41.400 --> 0:04:42.760 Now, that was interesting. 0:04:43.080 --> 0:04:43.760 How about that? 0:04:43.839 --> 0:04:45.560 I want to hear why you think it was because 0:04:45.560 --> 0:04:47.480 we knew all I guess we all thought we knew 0:04:47.520 --> 0:04:49.360 Donald Trump and Joe Biden were going to win, right, 0:04:49.400 --> 0:04:50.719 And they did, and they did. 0:04:50.720 --> 0:04:52.200 We can't mistake that, right. 0:04:52.560 --> 0:04:54.320 But when you look under the hood here, it didn't 0:04:54.320 --> 0:04:56.599 come without a little bit of pain, especially for Joe Biden. 0:04:56.640 --> 0:04:58.920 One hundred thousand uncommitted. 0:04:58.400 --> 0:05:00.880 One hundred thousands essentially protest votes. 0:05:01.120 --> 0:05:04.640 Well, it really shows us for the very first time 0:05:05.279 --> 0:05:10.679 the depth of concern among both voters of color, Muslim 0:05:10.720 --> 0:05:15.520 American voters, and young voters who are extremely worried about 0:05:16.000 --> 0:05:18.279 or who want to at least put Joe Biden on 0:05:18.360 --> 0:05:21.839 notice that he cannot take them for granted. That he 0:05:22.000 --> 0:05:24.400 has to take steps on the Middle East, and he 0:05:24.480 --> 0:05:27.520 has to take other steps toward things that they've wanted 0:05:27.520 --> 0:05:30.400 that he promised them in twenty nineteen and twenty twenty. 0:05:30.680 --> 0:05:33.039 The interesting thing was that some of those hundred thousand 0:05:33.080 --> 0:05:36.200 protest votes did not just come from the Muslim American 0:05:36.279 --> 0:05:39.599 sort of enclaves of Dearborn and places like that. It 0:05:39.640 --> 0:05:42.280 came from ann Arbor, It came from East Landsing. Those 0:05:42.279 --> 0:05:45.640 are college towns and they have a, you know, a 0:05:45.680 --> 0:05:49.279 more liberal population than a lot of Michigan, but also 0:05:49.440 --> 0:05:53.799 a lot of those young people who are extremely dissatisfied help. 0:05:53.640 --> 0:05:57.480 To get him there in twenty you know, we hear 0:05:57.520 --> 0:06:00.000 the analysis young people don't vote anyway, They're going to 0:06:00.080 --> 0:06:02.080 probably sleep in that day. But I wonder if this 0:06:02.120 --> 0:06:05.440 starts to resonate in other college towns like Madison, where 0:06:05.440 --> 0:06:09.320 the president needs those votes to win in razor thin 0:06:09.480 --> 0:06:10.440 margins exactly. 0:06:10.480 --> 0:06:13.480 And we've seen going all the way back to Bill 0:06:13.520 --> 0:06:17.040 Clinton and especially with Barack Obama, young people will vote 0:06:17.080 --> 0:06:19.360 when they believe they have a reason to vote. When 0:06:19.400 --> 0:06:21.400 they will believe I mean, you always have a reason 0:06:21.440 --> 0:06:24.880 to vote, as I tell my kids. But they but 0:06:25.200 --> 0:06:28.520 they when they feel inspired, when they feel that they 0:06:28.520 --> 0:06:30.359 are going to have a choice to pick a leader, 0:06:30.640 --> 0:06:33.599 even if it's to vote against Donald Trump. But then 0:06:33.640 --> 0:06:35.680 you have to give them a good reason to vote 0:06:36.120 --> 0:06:39.240 for something. And they're not a lot of them, at 0:06:39.320 --> 0:06:41.320 least are not seeing it. You know, the news for 0:06:41.360 --> 0:06:44.160 Donald Trump wasn't all one hundred percent Rosie last night. 0:06:44.200 --> 0:06:50.120 Either's Nikki Hilly is still getting a significant portion of 0:06:50.320 --> 0:06:53.640 the Republican primary voters, which tells you that in the 0:06:53.760 --> 0:06:57.039 general election, there will be Republicans who will look for 0:06:57.080 --> 0:06:57.880 an alternative. 0:06:58.120 --> 0:06:59.320 Whether it's RFK. 0:06:59.200 --> 0:07:02.000 Junior, whether it's You'll Stein, whether it's Joe Biden, They're 0:07:02.000 --> 0:07:03.360 going to look something else. 0:07:03.760 --> 0:07:06.359 Thanks we saw like we saw in Georgia, you know, 0:07:06.400 --> 0:07:08.640 where they're Republican all the way down the ballot, but 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:12.720 they never or they wrote in someone for president. Wendy 0:07:12.720 --> 0:07:14.840 Benjaminson is with us on balance of power. That's with 0:07:14.920 --> 0:07:16.720 ninety nine percent of the ballots counted, by the way, 0:07:16.760 --> 0:07:19.480 eighty one to thirteen eighty one percent of thirteen percent 0:07:19.520 --> 0:07:22.720 for Joe Biden running against himself almost in this case. 0:07:22.760 --> 0:07:26.760 It's kind of interesting. And he's got a big data 0:07:26.800 --> 0:07:29.600 mars going to the border. Yes, so is Donald Trump. 0:07:29.560 --> 0:07:31.880 They're both going to really understand how this happened. Well, 0:07:31.880 --> 0:07:34.360 they're going to be one hundreds miles apart. I think 0:07:34.360 --> 0:07:36.280 Biden is going to Brownsville, which is on the seople 0:07:36.320 --> 0:07:38.120 are going to see this as a standoff though, like 0:07:38.160 --> 0:07:38.840 they plan it that. 0:07:38.800 --> 0:07:42.640 Way, right, yeah, right, It will be sort of a 0:07:42.680 --> 0:07:45.440 standoff on the Mexican border, so you know, cue the 0:07:45.800 --> 0:07:49.640 Clint Eastwood music. But it's it will be interesting because 0:07:49.640 --> 0:07:51.920 they will both be trying to say the border is important. 0:07:51.960 --> 0:07:54.480 They will both be trying to say I can fix it. 0:07:54.680 --> 0:07:56.640 And it will be a matter of who who. 0:07:57.040 --> 0:07:59.080 Joe Biden need to show up with something or do 0:07:59.160 --> 0:08:00.960 you save that for the state of the Union and 0:08:01.000 --> 0:08:03.360 say I just got back from the border and I 0:08:03.400 --> 0:08:05.680 am taking this action here tonight, or does he need 0:08:05.720 --> 0:08:07.560 to say more than hey here, I am take my 0:08:07.600 --> 0:08:08.200 picture tomorrow. 0:08:08.280 --> 0:08:11.240 Yeah. I think what he'll do tomorrow is probably, you know, 0:08:11.360 --> 0:08:14.320 smack around Republicans a little bit for tanking the last 0:08:14.320 --> 0:08:17.240 bipartisan border bill. Explain that he can't do it with 0:08:17.320 --> 0:08:21.600 executive orders because he, as he said earlier this week, Dad, 0:08:21.640 --> 0:08:26.120 fixing the border requires personnel, which requires money, which requires appropriations, 0:08:26.240 --> 0:08:28.880 which requires Congress. So that I think will be his 0:08:29.000 --> 0:08:31.000 message down there. I want to fix it. He's a 0:08:31.040 --> 0:08:33.480 little late to the party, but he wants to fix it. 0:08:33.600 --> 0:08:34.679 And there we go. 0:08:34.840 --> 0:08:37.040 We're hearing the voice now of Mitch McConnell, and we 0:08:37.080 --> 0:08:39.080 want to bring you live to the Senate floor. As 0:08:39.080 --> 0:08:41.360 we just told you, he's announced that he will step 0:08:41.400 --> 0:08:42.760 down as leader in November. 0:08:42.840 --> 0:08:44.760 Let's listen live on Bloomberg. 0:08:44.880 --> 0:08:49.719 There's a certain intro spectrum that accompanies the grieving process. 0:08:51.520 --> 0:08:55.440 Perhaps it is God of reminding you of your own 0:08:55.480 --> 0:09:03.120 life's journey to reprioritage the impact of the world that 0:09:03.200 --> 0:09:10.480 we will all inevitably leave behind. I turned eighty two 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:17.240 last week. The end of my contributions are closer than 0:09:17.240 --> 0:09:21.880 i'd prefer. My career in the United States Center began 0:09:23.360 --> 0:09:30.160 amidst the Reagan Revolution. The truth is, when I got here, 0:09:31.400 --> 0:09:36.160 I was just happy if anybody remembered my name. President 0:09:36.160 --> 0:09:46.520 Reagan called me Mitchell O'Donnell close enough. I thought. My wife, Elaine, 0:09:46.520 --> 0:09:51.600 and I got married on President Reagan's birthday, February sixth. 0:09:52.600 --> 0:09:56.160 It's probably not the most romantic thing to admit, but 0:09:56.360 --> 0:09:57.320 Reagan meant. 0:09:57.200 --> 0:09:59.679 A lot to both of us. 0:10:01.440 --> 0:10:03.760 For thirty one years, Elaine has been the love of 0:10:03.800 --> 0:10:09.160 my life, and I'm eternally grateful to have her by 0:10:09.200 --> 0:10:16.000 my side. I think back to my first days in 0:10:16.040 --> 0:10:20.800 the Senate with deep appreciation for the time that helped 0:10:20.800 --> 0:10:27.400 shape my view of the world. I'm unconflicted about the 0:10:27.440 --> 0:10:32.880 good within our country and the irreplaceable role we play 0:10:33.600 --> 0:10:38.520 as the leader of the free world. It's why I 0:10:38.559 --> 0:10:41.480 work so hard to get the National Security Package passed 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:48.120 earlier this month. Believe me, I know the politics within 0:10:48.160 --> 0:10:51.439 my party at this particular. 0:10:50.960 --> 0:10:52.360 Moment in time. 0:10:53.760 --> 0:10:58.640 I have many faults, this understanding politics is not one of. 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:04.599 That said, I believe more strongly than ever that America's 0:11:04.640 --> 0:11:10.080 global leadership is essential to preserving the Shining City on 0:11:10.160 --> 0:11:15.880 a Hill that Ronald Reagan discussed. As long as I'm 0:11:15.960 --> 0:11:21.160 drawing breath on this earth, I will defend American exceptionalism. 0:11:21.360 --> 0:11:24.079 So as I've been thinking about when I would delivered 0:11:24.160 --> 0:11:29.280 some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment 0:11:30.640 --> 0:11:36.640 when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset 0:11:37.720 --> 0:11:42.840 of my work, a moment when I'm certain I have 0:11:42.920 --> 0:11:50.480 helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe that day 0:11:50.600 --> 0:11:56.280 arrived today. My goals when I was narrowly elected to 0:11:56.320 --> 0:11:58.960 the Senate back in nineteen eighty four were fairly modest. 0:12:00.480 --> 0:12:04.560 Do good job with the people of Kentucky and convince 0:12:04.640 --> 0:12:06.640 them that by doing so, they might rehire me for 0:12:06.679 --> 0:12:11.600 a second term. That was it. That was the plan. 0:12:13.520 --> 0:12:17.280 If you would have told me forty years later that 0:12:17.360 --> 0:12:19.959 I would stand before you as the longest serving Senate 0:12:20.040 --> 0:12:24.880 leader in American history, frankly, I would have thought you'd 0:12:24.880 --> 0:12:29.640 lost your mind. I have the honor of representing Kentucky 0:12:29.679 --> 0:12:33.480 in the Senate longer than anyone else in our state history. 0:12:34.840 --> 0:12:38.840 I just never could have imagined, never could have imagined 0:12:38.880 --> 0:12:42.720 that happening when I arrived here in nineteen eighty four. 0:12:43.800 --> 0:12:51.080 At forty two, I'm filled with heartfelt gratitude and humility 0:12:51.800 --> 0:12:58.640 for the opportunity. But now it's twenty twenty four, I'm 0:12:58.640 --> 0:13:05.760 now eighty two. As Ecclesiastics as these tells us, to 0:13:05.880 --> 0:13:09.319 everything there is a season and a time to every 0:13:09.360 --> 0:13:15.640 purpose under heaven. To serve Kentucky in the Senate has 0:13:15.760 --> 0:13:20.200 been the honor of my life. To lead my Republican 0:13:20.240 --> 0:13:28.280 colleagues has been the highest privilege. But one of life's 0:13:28.320 --> 0:13:34.840 most underappreciated talents is to know when it's time to 0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:39.839 move on to life's next chapter. So I stand before 0:13:39.840 --> 0:13:43.680 you today, mister President, and my colleagues to say this 0:13:43.720 --> 0:13:47.400 will be my last term as Republican leader to the Senate. 0:13:49.360 --> 0:13:55.440 I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. However, I'll complete my 0:13:55.559 --> 0:13:59.400 job my colleagues has given me until we select a 0:13:59.440 --> 0:14:06.600 new leader November and they take the helm next January. 0:14:07.360 --> 0:14:09.880 I'll finish the job that people of Kentucky hired me 0:14:09.960 --> 0:14:13.040 to do. As well, i will be it from a 0:14:13.040 --> 0:14:21.120 different seat, and I'm actually looking forward to that. So 0:14:21.200 --> 0:14:27.600 it's time for me to think about another season. I 0:14:27.680 --> 0:14:32.360 love the Senate sent our life. There may be more 0:14:32.400 --> 0:14:36.200 distinguished members of this body throughout our history, but our 0:14:36.200 --> 0:14:40.440 doubt there were any with any more admiration for the Senate. 0:14:42.600 --> 0:14:46.320 After all this time, I still get a thrill walking 0:14:46.360 --> 0:14:52.000 into the Capitol, and especially on this venerable floor, knowing 0:14:52.040 --> 0:14:56.920 that we each of us have the honor to represent 0:14:56.960 --> 0:15:01.280 our states and do the important work of our country, 0:15:04.200 --> 0:15:09.480 but father time remains undefeated. I'm no longer that a 0:15:09.480 --> 0:15:13.680 young man fitting in the back hoping colleagues would remember 0:15:13.720 --> 0:15:19.440 my name. It's time the next generation of the leadership. 0:15:21.160 --> 0:15:24.160 As Shenry Place said in this very body in eighteen fifty, 0:15:25.600 --> 0:15:30.280 the Constitution of the United States was not made merely 0:15:30.480 --> 0:15:41.160 for the generation that then existed, but for posterity, unlimited, undefined, endless, 0:15:42.160 --> 0:15:45.320 perpetual posterity. 0:15:46.960 --> 0:15:48.240 So time rolls on. 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:53.000 There will be a new custodian of this great institution 0:15:53.240 --> 0:15:57.360 next year. I won't surprise you know, I tend to 0:15:57.400 --> 0:16:00.000 turn this job over to a Republican majority of life. 0:16:02.200 --> 0:16:04.800 I have full confidence in my conference to choose my 0:16:04.920 --> 0:16:12.040 replacement and lead our country forward. There'll be other times 0:16:12.320 --> 0:16:18.120 to reminisce. I'm immensely proud of the accomplishments I've played 0:16:18.200 --> 0:16:23.320 some role in obtaining for the American people. Today is 0:16:23.400 --> 0:16:27.560 not today to discuss all of that, because, as I 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:33.200 said earlier, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. There are 0:16:33.200 --> 0:16:36.760 many challenges we must meet to deliver for the American people, 0:16:38.080 --> 0:16:43.280 and each will have my full effort and attention. I 0:16:43.360 --> 0:16:46.640 still have enough guests in my tank to thoroughly disappoint 0:16:46.680 --> 0:16:50.760 my critics, and I intend to do so with all 0:16:50.760 --> 0:16:58.080 the enthusiasm with which they become accustomed. So to my colleagues, 0:17:00.000 --> 0:17:04.080 thank you for in trusting me with our success. It's 0:17:04.119 --> 0:17:07.520 been an honor to work with each of you. There'll 0:17:07.560 --> 0:17:10.359 be plenty of time to express my gratitude in greater 0:17:10.480 --> 0:17:16.439 detail as I sprint towards the finish line, which is 0:17:16.520 --> 0:17:20.280 now in sight. How are you poor? 0:17:26.880 --> 0:17:30.879 Senator Mitch McConnell there live in the chamber, the majority leader, 0:17:30.960 --> 0:17:33.760 once now minority leader. We'll be stepping down from his 0:17:33.840 --> 0:17:37.359 leadership post in November. As we brought you here just 0:17:37.400 --> 0:17:40.680 a short time ago. A breaking situation today in Washington, 0:17:40.720 --> 0:17:42.240 d C. I would love to just get a quick 0:17:42.280 --> 0:17:45.040 thought from Wendy Benjaminson. Wendy before you leave us. The 0:17:45.080 --> 0:17:46.800 news broke while you were in the chair here. We 0:17:46.880 --> 0:17:51.359 just listened to that together, A very emotional addressing How 0:17:51.400 --> 0:17:53.800 would you describe it? Does he feel defeated or does 0:17:53.840 --> 0:17:55.520 he feel like he's leaving on top? 0:17:55.720 --> 0:17:57.840 No, I don't think he feels defeated. 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:01.359 My impression was sort of confirmed everything you and I 0:18:01.400 --> 0:18:04.480 were talking about right before we went to that speech, 0:18:04.920 --> 0:18:09.960 which is that he really he and Nancy Pelosi too. 0:18:10.320 --> 0:18:13.960 They are sort of such creatures of that institution in 0:18:14.000 --> 0:18:16.760 the way that we've always understood that institution to be, 0:18:17.480 --> 0:18:19.680 you know, I mean almost part of the furniture, if 0:18:19.680 --> 0:18:23.800 you will, because these the chambers did not operate without. 0:18:23.560 --> 0:18:26.240 One of them, yes, exactly. 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:32.240 And yet he's he's giving the sense that what I 0:18:32.240 --> 0:18:35.359 said before, that you know, the things have changed. This 0:18:35.440 --> 0:18:37.399 is a new century, this is a new way of 0:18:37.440 --> 0:18:43.080 approaching politics. Seniority doesn't guarantee access to being junior, doesn't, 0:18:43.359 --> 0:18:47.080 you know, deny access. And the whole place is run 0:18:47.119 --> 0:18:50.040 in a much different way than it was in the 0:18:50.040 --> 0:18:52.680 Reagan era. And he must have mentioned Ronald Reagan three 0:18:52.760 --> 0:18:56.479 or four times there. He longs for that era and 0:18:56.640 --> 0:18:59.879 that era doesn't exist anymore, you know. And you know, 0:19:00.000 --> 0:19:04.920 I love him or hate him. He really is an institutionalist, 0:19:05.080 --> 0:19:07.520 and I think he feels like, you know, he's either 0:19:07.560 --> 0:19:11.399 too old or too out of style to run that 0:19:11.480 --> 0:19:12.320 chamber anymore. 0:19:12.600 --> 0:19:13.879 Thanks for sticking around with us. 0:19:14.280 --> 0:19:17.320 Happy I always look forward to Wendy Benjaminson's insights Bloomberg's 0:19:17.400 --> 0:19:18.639 Washington Senior Editor. 0:19:18.640 --> 0:19:19.200 Thank you, Wendy. 0:19:19.240 --> 0:19:22.000 As we assembled our panel, didn't think we'd be talking 0:19:22.040 --> 0:19:23.840 about this, but need to hear from Rick Davis and 0:19:23.880 --> 0:19:27.200 Genie Shanzanoh Bloomberg Politics contributors on news that Mitch McConnell 0:19:27.240 --> 0:19:29.240 is in fact stepping down as leader. 0:19:29.640 --> 0:19:31.080 Ricky spent a number of years. 0:19:31.160 --> 0:19:33.159 I think, as we all know working with John McCain 0:19:33.200 --> 0:19:36.760 in the United States Senate, you have every sense of 0:19:36.800 --> 0:19:40.200 the importance of this particular tenure. What does it mean 0:19:40.240 --> 0:19:41.520 that it's coming to an end? 0:19:41.560 --> 0:19:41.760 Now? 0:19:42.840 --> 0:19:44.880 Yeah, I think what Wen you just said about it's 0:19:44.920 --> 0:19:47.400 really the end of an error. We saw Nancy Pelosi 0:19:47.440 --> 0:19:52.960 and her eighties be retired, and now we have Mitch 0:19:53.040 --> 0:19:57.680 Mcconnelady two retiring from this leadership post. We're going to 0:19:57.760 --> 0:20:02.600 have a whole new generation that comes into power power 0:20:02.960 --> 0:20:07.879 positions in Washington in the very near future, and I 0:20:07.880 --> 0:20:11.120 think that era is going to be ushered in is. 0:20:11.160 --> 0:20:12.240 To youthful leadership. 0:20:12.240 --> 0:20:14.800 It'll be interesting to see what happens in the Senate 0:20:14.840 --> 0:20:16.840 as far as the elections go and whether or not 0:20:17.280 --> 0:20:19.560 we're picking a minority leader or a majority leader in 0:20:19.640 --> 0:20:22.400 this cycle. But at the end of the day, we're 0:20:22.400 --> 0:20:26.359 going to lose a master strategist at legislation and politics. 0:20:26.640 --> 0:20:29.040 I was actually happy to hear that he talked about 0:20:29.400 --> 0:20:32.679 his grasp of politics. I've never met a member of 0:20:32.720 --> 0:20:36.360 the United States Senate who knew more polling and strategy 0:20:36.640 --> 0:20:40.480 than Mitch McConnell did. He was a real study in politics, 0:20:40.600 --> 0:20:44.359 and for people like me that helped have conversations with 0:20:44.440 --> 0:20:47.200 him about the impacts of what happened in the United 0:20:47.240 --> 0:20:50.800 States Senate. They weren't in a vacuum politically. He calculated 0:20:50.800 --> 0:20:53.720 the politics of every move he made. 0:20:54.640 --> 0:20:57.960 Fascinating the quote that stuck half to me, Genie, the 0:20:58.080 --> 0:21:02.719 end of my contributions are closer than I'd prefer. And 0:21:02.760 --> 0:21:05.000 you wonder how much of this had to do with 0:21:05.040 --> 0:21:08.760 his age or the impact of Donald Trump on his party. 0:21:08.840 --> 0:21:10.440 Maybe you can't separate the two. 0:21:10.520 --> 0:21:11.040 What do you think? 0:21:12.520 --> 0:21:14.240 Yeah, I mean, I think I agree with you. I 0:21:14.280 --> 0:21:16.760 think it's really hard to separate the two. And I 0:21:16.840 --> 0:21:19.520 was struck by that as well, because, of course, this 0:21:19.640 --> 0:21:23.359 is a party that has changed enormously in the last 0:21:23.400 --> 0:21:27.840 several years, but certainly since Mitch McConnell took the helm 0:21:28.040 --> 0:21:31.000 in the Senate and since he joined the Senate, this 0:21:31.160 --> 0:21:35.200 is not the same Republican Party of Mitch McConnell's time, 0:21:35.280 --> 0:21:38.480 and we have seen challenges to his leadership in the 0:21:38.560 --> 0:21:42.400 Senate very very recently, and so I think that's part 0:21:42.440 --> 0:21:44.280 of it. And I think we have to take him 0:21:44.280 --> 0:21:46.920 at his word that he feels like it is now 0:21:47.040 --> 0:21:48.920 time to hand over the mantle. 0:21:49.320 --> 0:21:51.520 And this is something so many of. 0:21:51.440 --> 0:21:54.840 Our leaders are grappling with right now, right up to 0:21:54.920 --> 0:21:59.199 our presidential leading contenders and Joe Biden and Donald Trump, 0:21:59.240 --> 0:22:02.399 as you see new generations saying wait a minute, is 0:22:02.440 --> 0:22:05.320 it time for you to exit stage left? So so 0:22:05.480 --> 0:22:08.720 many you know of our leaders grappling with this challenge. 0:22:08.760 --> 0:22:12.280 And I think Mitch McConnell makes a really important point. 0:22:12.760 --> 0:22:16.160 Part of being a leader is having a succession plan. 0:22:16.840 --> 0:22:20.040 And we know that he's got the three Johns in waiting, 0:22:20.160 --> 0:22:22.280 and I would hope a couple of the women as 0:22:22.320 --> 0:22:25.320 well in the Senate leadership on the Republican side who 0:22:25.359 --> 0:22:27.399 may be able to fill his shoes. But that's a 0:22:27.400 --> 0:22:30.480 critical part of being a leader, is knowing when to 0:22:30.560 --> 0:22:33.440 exit and hand over the mantle to the next generation. 0:22:33.840 --> 0:22:35.479 He is right about that part of it. 0:22:36.760 --> 0:22:39.360 So what do you think about the succession plan here? Rick? 0:22:39.440 --> 0:22:41.720 It's always been about the three Johns in terms of 0:22:41.760 --> 0:22:44.320 recent history, Barasso, Foon and Cornn. 0:22:44.359 --> 0:22:47.320 Will it in fact be one of them? It could be. 0:22:47.920 --> 0:22:50.760 There's no question that the caucus itself is going through 0:22:50.800 --> 0:22:54.840 some turmoil. We saw attacks against Mitch McConnell earlier in 0:22:54.880 --> 0:23:00.480 the year related to his efforts to try and past 0:23:00.600 --> 0:23:03.920 Ukraine funding, and so I think you'd have to sort 0:23:03.960 --> 0:23:09.119 of see it as an opportunistic situation. Obviously, the three Johns, 0:23:09.119 --> 0:23:12.160 who have been participating in leadership for a very long time, 0:23:12.680 --> 0:23:15.000 know how the strings are pulled, understand how to get 0:23:15.080 --> 0:23:19.320 legislation passed, understand the dynamic within the caucus probably better 0:23:19.359 --> 0:23:22.080 than anyone else. But there are other people who have 0:23:22.240 --> 0:23:26.800 ambitions in leadership, people like Tom Tillis, who I think 0:23:26.880 --> 0:23:31.560 have studied Mitch McConnell's leadership for quite some time and 0:23:31.600 --> 0:23:33.919 may be ready to emerge. And so I think you 0:23:33.960 --> 0:23:37.719 can see also potentially a right flank attack. You know, 0:23:37.800 --> 0:23:40.640 Ted Cruz and some of his buddies have been very 0:23:40.720 --> 0:23:43.720 vocally opposed to Mitch McConnell and may put up a 0:23:43.760 --> 0:23:46.040 candidate that represents their point of view. 0:23:47.000 --> 0:23:50.400 Do you wonder, Genie, with all the talk lately of 0:23:51.720 --> 0:23:54.960 conversations happening that might bring Mitch McConnell to a Donald 0:23:54.960 --> 0:23:57.880 Trump endorsement, which we talked about yesterday and some think 0:23:57.960 --> 0:24:01.359 is inevitable. Was this this way of saying no, but 0:24:01.680 --> 0:24:03.159 I'm not going to be part of this. 0:24:04.600 --> 0:24:05.960 I was thinking about that. 0:24:06.080 --> 0:24:08.240 You know, I think it's a hard call. 0:24:08.359 --> 0:24:10.560 I think I veer on the side that Mitch McConnell 0:24:10.720 --> 0:24:14.720 is a real institutionalist and he is somebody who is 0:24:14.800 --> 0:24:18.359 deeply committed to the Republican Party. Since he committed to 0:24:18.480 --> 0:24:22.320 supporting whoever is the nominee, I believe he will probably 0:24:22.359 --> 0:24:25.199 in the end support Donald Trump. He may hold his 0:24:25.280 --> 0:24:27.639 nose like some other voters and do that, but I 0:24:27.680 --> 0:24:30.800 think he will as Donald Trump goes to take that 0:24:31.480 --> 0:24:34.199 mantle as the nominee this year. Again, you know, I 0:24:34.240 --> 0:24:36.720 would also again just let's add to the list of 0:24:36.800 --> 0:24:41.720 possible successors Ernst and Iowa, Shelley Moore Capito in West Virginia. 0:24:42.080 --> 0:24:45.760 There are women in the House Republican leadership who could 0:24:45.800 --> 0:24:48.960 really play a very important role. And so you know, 0:24:49.480 --> 0:24:51.760 in addition to all those folks that Rick just mentioned 0:24:51.800 --> 0:24:54.320 in the Three Johns, I think we also have to 0:24:54.359 --> 0:24:57.399 look to them because they have a very sort of 0:24:57.600 --> 0:25:00.720 interesting perspective and a path to the Senate and a 0:25:00.760 --> 0:25:03.680 lot that they could do in their house republic I mean, sorry, 0:25:03.720 --> 0:25:05.320 Senate Republican leadership. 0:25:05.640 --> 0:25:10.520 Yes, right, yeah, a lot to consider here as we 0:25:10.560 --> 0:25:14.160 move into this election cycle or further into it. Rick, 0:25:14.240 --> 0:25:17.159 I don't know if you see a McConnell endorsement of 0:25:17.200 --> 0:25:21.400 Trump in the offing, does he want to be remembered 0:25:21.400 --> 0:25:24.240 as a tried and true Republican or in this case, 0:25:25.000 --> 0:25:25.879 the guy who said no. 0:25:27.880 --> 0:25:30.480 I don't think it was an accident that he wistfully 0:25:30.920 --> 0:25:34.760 discussed on his floor speech just now how much he 0:25:36.359 --> 0:25:40.480 was impacted by Ronald Reagan's leadership, basically given credit to 0:25:40.560 --> 0:25:42.120 Rob Reagan for his marriage. 0:25:42.680 --> 0:25:44.920 But the reality is that is. 0:25:44.840 --> 0:25:48.040 The Republican Party that Mitch McConnell has fought so hard 0:25:48.119 --> 0:25:53.000 to be successful in the isolationist policies of Donald Trump 0:25:53.520 --> 0:25:56.320 may as well be in the Democratic Party, right, That's 0:25:56.320 --> 0:26:00.520 what he's fought his entire career, And so it wouldn't 0:26:00.560 --> 0:26:04.679 surprise me that in conjunction with a decision that I 0:26:04.760 --> 0:26:06.880 suspect has a lot more to do with being eighty 0:26:06.920 --> 0:26:10.400 two years old than anything political. Right now, Remember he's 0:26:10.480 --> 0:26:13.480 had some challenges with his health this last year. Yes, 0:26:13.880 --> 0:26:18.480 that he uses the opportunity to not feel compelled to 0:26:18.640 --> 0:26:21.159 have to play in this presidential election and may just 0:26:21.200 --> 0:26:22.920 skip an endorsement. 0:26:24.520 --> 0:26:25.720 If it's Donald Trump's to. 0:26:25.640 --> 0:26:30.040 Have Rick Davis and Genie Shanzino with the Instant Analysis. 0:26:30.080 --> 0:26:32.080 As we learned, Mitch McConnell will be stepping down from 0:26:32.080 --> 0:26:36.280 his leadership hosts in November. Not going anywhere anytime soon. 0:26:36.320 --> 0:26:39.119 He says he will continue to serve the state of Kentucky, 0:26:39.640 --> 0:26:40.640 this from a different seat. 0:26:40.760 --> 0:26:41.680 This is Bloomberg