McConnell will step down as leader at the end of this year

Senator Mitch McConnell, for years the highest-ranking Republican in the Senate, said on Wednesday that he would give up his place as leader of the party at the end of this year. President Donald J. Trump.

“Believe me, I know the politics in my party at this particular moment,” Mr. McConnell, who turned 82 last week, said in a Senate floor speech announcing his intentions. “I have a lot of mistakes. Misunderstandings about politics are not part of that.”

His decision, previously reported by The Associated Press, was not a surprise. Mr McConnell suffered a serious fall last year and experienced a number of episodes where he momentarily froze in front of the media. He has also faced increasing resistance within his ranks because of his push to provide continued military aid to Ukraine, and because of his scrupulous leadership style.

Mr McConnell had previously said he would serve his full term in the Senate, ending in 2026, but was more unclear on whether he would seek to remain leader after the November election.

His announcement followed a meeting at the White House on Tuesday where he strongly advocated for congressional approval of a foreign aid bill that includes more than $60 billion in aid to Ukraine, and urged Chairman Mike Johnson, his Republican counterpart, calls for the proposal to be submitted to the House of Representatives.