After stepping down from his position as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his battles and use his influence in ways that may conflict with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader, is preparing to assert his power in new ways in the upcoming Congress.
After being freed from his leadership role, McConnell is prepared to choose his own battles. The Senate’s longest-serving leader will be stepping down in the next Congress and is looking to exert his influence in ways that may lead to disagreements with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Senator Mitch McConnell, a member of the Republican party from Kentucky and the Senate leader with the longest tenure, will be resigning from his position in January. Photo credit goes to Kent Nishimura for The New York Times.
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Written by Catie Edmondson.
Reporting live from the Capitol
During President Donald J. Trump’s time in the White House, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who was the majority leader at the time, played an important role in supporting and advancing his policies.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down from that role in January. This time, it seems he is planning to shift his focus towards issues that may lead to disagreements with Mr. Trump regarding policies and personnel as he begins his second term.
Lately, Senator McConnell, who is 82 years old, has mentioned to his colleagues that stepping down from his leadership position has made him feel free. This was even brought up during a late-night voting session on the Senate floor last week.
Expressed doubt about some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his administration, choosing to stay silent on their appointments and stating that it was right for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general. Additionally, McConnell has indicated that he will focus on two key issues during his time left in the Senate, which happen to be areas where he and Trump strongly disagree.
Mr. McConnell, whose term ends in 2027 and has not confirmed if he will run again, intends to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy approach in the next two years. This approach contrasts with the president-elect’s "America First" policy. Additionally, McConnell aims to safeguard the Senate’s autonomy, especially as President Trump plans to exert influence over the chamber with his upcoming trifecta of power in January.
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