Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell announced Wednesday morning that, at 82 years old, he’s stepping down from senate leadership in November, after serving in congress for more than 20 years. Of course, Jimmy Fallon is pretty sure that just means McConnell is now running for even higher office.
“One of life’s most under-appreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter,” McConnell said on Wednesday. “So I stand before you today … to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate.”
Fallon was quick to remind viewers of how old McConnell is though, just one year older than President Biden.
“McConnell just turned 82, so that can only mean one thing,” Fallon joked. “He’s running for president.”
McConnell began working in congress in 1985, so the NBC host then pulled up a photo of the minority leader back then. Granted, it wasn’t a real photo, but rather a photo of present-day McConnell, with photoshopped hair and clothes that were stereotypical of the ’80s.
“McConnell said it’s time for the next generation of leadership. Then he looked around the senate and realized the next generation is 75,” Fallon said with a chuckle.
Following McConnell’s announcement on Wednesday, the senator was swiftly met with cheers online, with a significant portion of people echoing the same sentiment: “good riddance.” You can see more of the public’s reaction to McConnell stepping down here.
You can watch Jimmy Fallon’s full monologue in the video above.