This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Longtime Republican Senate leader, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., announced on Wednesday that he will step away from leadership this year.
A report from Fox News reported McConnell, now 82, announced his decision in the well of the Senate.
He arrived in the powerful body in 1985 and has been in its leadership for almost two decades.
"One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter," he said. "So I stand before you today ... to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate."
He said, "I know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time. I have many faults. Misunderstanding politics is not one of them."
At this time, President Trump is more than likely to be the choice for the GOP's 2024 presidential nominee, and polls show he is leading incumbent Joe Biden in almost every state, in almost every poll.
However, his blunt and brash style is far from the negotiate and compromise agenda McConnell has exercised for years.
In recent weeks, he's experienced a concussion as well as several episodes in which he appeared to freeze during news conferences or presentations.
A report at Just the News said he became the Senate Republican Conference leader in 2007 and he's the longest-serving Senate party leader in the U.S.
His most recent election to the Senate was in 2020.
He explained, "Father Time remains undefeated. I am no longer the young man sitting in the back, hoping colleagues would remember my name. It is time for the next generation of leadership."
