Before Stepping Down, McConnell Is Focused On Flipping The Senate

(PatriotPostNews.com) – Rep. Mitch McConnell said over the weekend that he is more concerned about Republicans regaining control of the Senate than he is about who the next president will be.

The Kentucky lawmaker, who leads the GOP in the chamber as the Senate Minority Leader, is set to step down from his leadership role at the end of the 2024 presidential election. However, he will remain in Congress until his term expires in 2027.

During remarks made on Sunday April 28, McConnell said that the “single most important” task for him before stepping down is to ensure that his “successor is the majority leader,” regardless of the results of the November election. The 2024 presidential race is expected to come down to a competition between Democratic President Joe Biden, who is running for reelection, and former president and last remaining GOP candidate Donald Trump.

McConnell made the comments during an interview with Margaret Brennan of CBS News’ “Face the Nation.” The show host then asked the Senate Minority Leader his thoughts on a CBS News poll that showed GOP voters consider Trump a reliable source of information related to the war between Russia and Ukraine. In response, McConnell said he “is not” paying such close attention to the presidential election but is instead prioritizing “getting the Senate back.”

He added that, during his decades-long career in Congress, he has served as both a majority and minority leader in the chamber, saying that “majority is better.” McConnell holds the record of years served as a Senate leader. He has been elected to a leadership position in the chamber nine times since 2006. From 2015 until 2021, he was the Senate Majority Leader.

Moving forward, McConnell expressed the need for defense spending to be raised in response to current issues, regardless of which candidate takes office next year. Additionally, the Kentucky lawmaker said that the nation must take steps against isolationism. McConnell emphasized his plans to work towards convincing the Senate to increase defense spending so the government can “get ready” for what lies ahead instead of “just looking backward.”