[News Figures] "The End of an Era in the US" Republican Veteran 'McConnell' Announces Resignation

Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving Senate Majority Leader in the United States Senate, announced that he will step down from his leadership position around the November presidential election. The official reason for his resignation is "now is the time for the next generation of leadership," but it appears to be a combination of recent health issues and an uncomfortable relationship with former President Donald Trump, who is a leading Republican presidential candidate. However, he stated that he will complete his remaining Senate term until January 2027. Local media have described McConnell's announcement as "a signal marking the end of an era."

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Born in 1942 in Sheffield, Alabama, McConnell graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1967. After working as an aide to the Attorney General, he ran for the U.S. Senate in Kentucky in 1984 and was elected. At that time, President Ronald Reagan, who came to campaign for him, even mispronounced his name, indicating that he was not yet a prominent figure within the party. However, he continued to win re-election through the 2020 election, successfully serving seven terms as a federal senator. Since 2007, he has also served as the Republican Senate Majority Leader.

Although he is currently considered one of the most conservative figures within the Republican Party, early in his political career, he made statements supporting abortion rights and public employee unionization, which classified him as a moderate within the party. However, he gradually became more conservative and is now regarded as a leading representative of traditional conservatism symbolized by former President Reagan. His recent decision to cooperate with Democrats to pass additional aid for Ukraine in the Senate, despite opposition from former President Trump, is widely analyzed as a decision based on the ideology of traditional conservatism that values 'liberalism' and 'international relations.'

As a result, his relationship with isolationists who have emerged as the new mainstream within the Republican Party under former President Trump has been strained. McConnell did not support Trump's claim in December 2020 that Joe Biden's victory was fraudulent, and he criticized Trump for his responsibility in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. To this day, he has not endorsed Trump, who is running for president again. This has contributed to his image as the longest-serving Republican leader opposing Trump within the party.

Among Democratic supporters, he is sometimes called the 'Grim Reaper.' This nickname stems from his opposition to various agendas during the Obama administration, including the Affordable Care Act, immigration reform executive orders, and corporate tax reform. Federal judicial appointments were also repeatedly blocked by him. A notable example was in 2016 when Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia passed away in February, and President Obama nominated Merrick Garland in March. McConnell opposed the nomination, arguing that a president with less than a year left in office could not reflect the will of the people. However, in September 2020, less than 50 days before the presidential election, he supported the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, nominated by then-President Trump, showing a double standard.

McConnell also has a long-standing relationship with President Biden. Although they belong to different parties, they have maintained a 'partnership' since McConnell became a senator in 1985. Notably, in July 2011, when Biden was Vice President, McConnell played a leading role in negotiating a resolution during the national debt default crisis. McConnell once said to Biden near the end of his vice presidency, "You were a true friend and a trusted partner."