Al Franken resigns: Five memorable moments from his Senate years

Show Caption Hide Caption Al Franken was never a typical politician Sen. Al Franken had a very unusual road to politics. Now he's walking away from Washington, amid sexual harassment allegations, with powerful parting words.

Sen. Al Franken says the nine years he spent in the Senate were the "greatest honor of my life."

After several women accused Franken of sexual misconduct, he announced Thursday that he intends to resign from his seat in the coming weeks. We looked back at the times the Minnesota Democrat made headlines during his time in office.

More: Sen. Al Franken says he will resign over sexual harassment charges, but denies misconduct

Winning by 312 votes

Franken's time in the Senate started with a bang. Though he won the 2008 election, the results were challenged by his predecessor, Republican Norm Coleman. The result? Franken won with a 312 votes, and finally took his seat in July 2009.

"I'm not going to waste this chance," he said.

Making faces

Back in 2010, when then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell delivered remarks opposing the Supreme Court nomination of Elena Kagan, Franken made faces and gestures while he was presiding over the Senate.

That led to McConnell to admonish the senator: “This is not Saturday Night Live, Al."

Franken apologized to McConnell afterward in a handwritten note and issued a public statement.

Roasting Trump

Franken briefly returned to his comedic roots when he took the Democratic National Convention stage in 2016, at the behest of Hillary Clinton's campaign.

"I’m Al Franken: Minnesotan, Senator, and world-renowned expert on right-wing megalomaniacs: Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, and now Donald Trump," he said during his speech.

He told USA TODAY he would do "anything for Hillary, including being funny."

Challenging DeVos and Sessions

After the election of Trump, Franken became a vocal critic against Trump's Cabinet nominees.

He blasted Betsy DeVos on the Senate floor: "During her hearing, Ms. DeVos proved beyond a shadow of a doubt not only that her ideology is fundamentally incompatible with the mission of the Department of Education, but that she is fundamentally incompetent to be its leader."

Franken also challenged Jeff Sessions during his confirmation hearings to be attorney general over contacts between the Trump campaign and the Russian government.

Announcing his resignation

Weeks after sexual misconduct allegations first surfaced against him, Franken announced that he would resign from his seat.

And he did so while taking a parting shot at President Trump and Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, both of whom also face accusations of sexual harassment and assault.

"There is irony that I am leaving while a man who has bragged on tape is in the Oval Office and a man who has repeatedly preyed on young girls is running for Senate with the full support of his party," he said.

More: Analysis: Trump mocks Franken, reticent on Moore, despite his own history

More: White House on sex assault allegations: 'Franken has admitted wrongdoing and the president hasn’t'