MAGA Republicans secured a crucial victory in their battle to control the GOP after Senator Mitch McConnell this week announced plans to step down from his leadership position.
McConnell, the Kentucky Republican who serves as Senate minority leader, said Wednesday he intends to step down from his role in November, sparking celebrations from conservatives closely aligned with former President Donald Trump. These so-called "MAGA Republicans" have sought to expand their power in the GOP against more traditional conservatives such as McConnell, who in recent years emerged as one of the most powerful conservative Trump critics.
McConnell's stepping down will give Trump-aligned conservatives an opportunity to elect someone more in line with the former president's vision as his successor. They could potentially expand their power in the Senate, which has generally been more resistant to Trump's influence compared to the House of Representatives.
Newsweek reached out to McConnell's office for comment via email.
His announcement is the latest blow to the more traditionally conservative wing of the Republican Party. Several more moderate Republicans have retired in recent years, and only a handful may remain after the elections later this year.
While McConnell often aligned with Trump on key policies such as immigration and the economy, he was also viewed at times as a key leader willing to defy the former president on some issues.
McConnell broke with Trump over his claims the 2020 election was stolen from him via widespread fraud. McConnell said "very little" election fraud occurs in the U.S. while speaking to reporters in 2022, knocking Trump for "trying to prevent the orderly transfer of power" after his defeat.
Earlier this year, McConnell said Trump "provoked" the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol when a group of the then-president's supporters violently protested the election results.
McConnell's exit as Republican leader isn't the only loss for Republicans in November.
Utah Senator Mitt Romney, who was the GOP's 2012 presidential nominee, is not running for reelection this year. Romney is among Trump's most vocal critics following January 6 and was one of the seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump after his 2021 impeachment.
In fact, of the seven Republican senators who voted in favor of conviction, only three—Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska—may return to the Senate next year.
Former Senators Richard Burr of North Carolina, Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania have all retired since 2021.
MAGA Takeover Pushes GOP to 'Ideological Extremes:' Expert
Tammy Vigil, a senior associate dean at Boston University's College of Communication, told Newsweek on Thursday that anti-Trump Republicans stepping away is a "sign of fatigue" while also pushing the party to "the ideological extremes."
"We saw the first movements in this direction with the Tea Party Republicans, but the MAGA group has become much more fervent, less interested in governing, and more interested in power for the sake of power."
Grant Davis Reeher, a professor of political science, told Newsweek on Thursday that a lot of the success of Trump-aligned Republicans depends on whether Trump wins the presidential election later this year.
"I think we'll have the presence of Trump-sounding or Trump-lite sounding Republicans for a long time, but whether they drive the party is another issue. The primaries are showing us that there is still room for more traditional Republicans—Haley is getting 30-40 percent of the vote against the real thing," he said.
If Trump loses in November, it is possible to see "that 30-40 percent changing to 60-70 percent against a Trump wanna-be," Reeher said.
Meanwhile, the race to replace McConnell has already begun, with a key conservative senator providing hints about who Trump-aligned conservatives may support as McConnell's successor.
Senator Josh Hawley, a Missouri Republican closely aligned with Trump, floated Senator Rick Scott of Florida and Steve Daines as Montana as potential replacements. However, Texas Senator John Cornyn, South Dakota Senator John Thune and Wyoming Senator John Barrasso are generally viewed as the leading contenders.
Reeher noted that many of the leading candidates to replace McConnell are not particularly pro-Trump.
Vigil said MAGA gaining more power is troubling for the Republican Party because it plays to "the worse impulses of politicians rather than reward a drive for true leadership and responsible governance."
"This will undoubtedly fracture the party and create a scenario in which true conservatives will need to find representation and voice elsewhere. It might be difficult for some to support Democratic candidates, but it would be easy for them to remove themselves from the electoral process," Vigil said.
Both major parts have gone through "political transformations" throughout history and will likely continue to do so, she said.
Update 2/29/24, 2:25 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Tammy Vigil.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
