The Tragedy That Changed Mitch McConnell's Family Forever

Mitch McConnell has been a polarizing figure over his decades-long career. He made enemies on both sides of the governmental aisle and regularly came under fire from politicians and the press alike. Still, many were understandably moved by the family tragedy McConnell suffered in February 2024, which led to the announcement that he was stepping down as leader of the Senate Republican Conference after nearly two decades in the job.

McConnell was under ever-increasing pressure from the GOP to retire ever since his relationship with Donald Trump nosedived when he refused to back 45's claim that President Joe Biden's 2020 election win was the result of voter fraud. Trump issued a scathing takedown of McConnell in February 2021. He called him "a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack" in a statement released by his "Save America" PAC. "He will never do what needs to be done or what is right for our Country," Trump claimed.

It took three years, but McConnell finally caved and threw in the towel. "One of life's most underappreciated talents is to know when it's time to move on to life's next chapter," he said in his retirement speech on February 28. "So I stand before you today ... to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate." However, it wasn't Trump who was the driving force behind McConnell's decision. Instead, it was down to the death of his sister-in-law, Angela Chao.

Mitch McConnell and his wife, Elaine Chao, were rocked by the news that her sister, Angela Chao, died unexpectedly in a car crash. The 50-year-old was discovered dead on February 11 in a car submerged in the pond of a private ranch in Johnson City, Texas. "EMS attempted emergency measures on her, but she succumbed from being under the water," the Blanco County Sheriff's office said in a statement (via The Austin-American Statesman).

"As some of you may know, this has been a particularly difficult time for my family," McConnell said in his Senate retirement announcement. "When you lose a loved one, particularly at a young age, there is a certain introspection that accompanies the grieving process. Perhaps it is God's way of reminding you of your own life's journey to reprioritize the impact on the world that we will all inevitably leave behind."

It was initially believed that Angela had drowned as part of an automobile accident. However, authorities announced on February 29 that they were launching a criminal investigation into her death. "This incident was not a typical accident," the Blanco County Sheriff's Office asserted in a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (via CNBC). "The Sheriff's Office is still investigating this accident as a criminal matter until they have sufficient evidence to rule out criminal activity."

It was announced on February 29 that a criminal probe had been launched into Angela Chao's death. However, authorities appeared to backtrack on March 4, insisting they were sticking to their original hypothesis that she had drowned. "Nothing has changed," the Blanco County Sheriff's Office announced in a statement (via ABC KVUE). "Our preliminary investigation has determined this to be an unfortunate accident."

Either way, Mitch McConnell's in-laws were of course devastated by the news of their youngest daughter's death. "Although born in America, she never forgot her roots and throughout her life helped build bridges of understanding between East and West," her father said in a statement (via Marine Link). "Losing her at such a young age is something we never imagined, and our entire family is devastated with grief."

Per the AP, Angela and her older sister, McConnell's wife, Elaine Chao, were the children of parents who emigrated to the U.S. from China in the late 1950s. In 1996, she became the CEO of the family's shipping business, the Foremost Group, and was a well-respected figure in the field. "Angela Chao was a formidable executive and shipping industry leader, as well as a proud and loving daughter, sister, aunt, wife, and mother," the company said in a statement.