In the aftermath of Mitch McConnell’s Senate leadership resignation, MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” discussed who could potentially replace the longest-serving party leader in Senate history – and they all have something in common.
“First elected to the Senate from Kentucky in 1984, McConnell has led the GOP caucus since 2007,” co-host Mika Brzezinski said, making him the longest-serving congressional leader in history.
Senior political columnist for Politico Jonathan Martin said that the reaction to McConnell’s resignation was not a surprise, but the timing of his announcement came as a shock.
“I think it was widely assumed, Mika, he’d step down from his leadership post after the elections this fall,” Martin continued. “The fact that he revealed this in February, just last year, I think speaks to the political challenges that he’s facing.”
“Somebody he despises, Donald Trump, is about to be his party’s nominee for the third consecutive campaign,” Martin added. “His party is drifting towards an isolationism that he finds, frankly, revolting. And he is perhaps most painfully of all seeing his own power sort of ebbing in the Senate.”
Martin argued that McConnell is “Trying to get ahead of the jailer if you will. He’s trying to go out on his own terms. He doesn’t want to be forced out by a doctor’s orders or rebellion of his colleagues.”
Martin speculated that there are “three obvious figures” in the current Senate that could replace McConnell, “all named John.”
The Politico columnist was referring to John Barrasso of Wyoming, John Cornyn of Texas, and John Thune of South Dakota. Who will become the next GOP Senate leader will “depend on who wins the presidential election,” according to Martin.
“If Trump wins, this is his party. He wants to have a say in who the next leader is. He could find somebody beyond the three Johns,” Martin added. “If Trump loses, and this is purely a choice of the Senators, I think John Thune starts out with an advantage.”
