After stepping down from his position as the longest-serving 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.
After stepping down from his role as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his own battles and plans to exert his influence in ways that may conflict with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell, who has served the longest in this position, is looking to assert his independence.
Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who has served as the Senate leader for the longest period of time, will be resigning from his position in January.
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Written by Catie Edmondson
Covering news from the seat
During President Donald J. Trump’s previous term in the White House, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who was the majority leader at the time, played a significant part in supporting and advancing his policies.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down from his position in January. It seems that this time he is preparing to take a different approach, focusing on topics that may lead to disagreements with Mr. Trump regarding policies and personnel as he begins his second term.
Lately, Mr. McConnell, aged 82, has been expressing to his colleagues that his upcoming departure from a leadership position has made him feel free. This sentiment was shared during a late-night voting session on the Senate floor last week.
He has shown doubt about some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his administration, not publicly commenting on their selections and mentioning last week that the removal of former Representative Matt Gaetz from consideration as attorney general was the right decision. Mr. McConnell has indicated that as he works to solidify his legacy in his remaining time in the Senate, he intends to focus on two issues that happen to be areas where he strongly disagrees with Mr. Trump.
Senator McConnell’s term will end in 2027, but it is unclear if he will run for re-election. He has expressed his intention to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy agenda over the next two years, which contrasts with the incoming president’s "America First" strategy. Additionally, McConnell aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy amidst concerns that President Trump may try to exert his influence over the chamber.
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