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McConnell Embraces Freedom from Leadership: A New Era of Political Independence and Conflict with Trump

In Citizen
November 28, 2024

After serving as Senate leader for a long time, McConnell is stepping down from his position in the upcoming Congress and preparing to assert his influence in ways that may lead to disagreements with President-elect Donald J. Trump.

After serving as Senate leader for a long time, McConnell is stepping down and preparing to use his power in ways that may lead to conflicts with President-elect Donald Trump.

Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky and the Senate leader for the longest period in history, will be resigning from his position in January. Photo credit goes to Kent Nishimura of The New York Times.

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Written by Catie Edmondson

Reporting live from the legislative building

When President Donald J. Trump was last in the White House, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who was the majority leader at the time, played a significant role in supporting him and getting his plans approved.

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 planning to shift his focus to issues that may conflict with Mr. Trump’s views on policies and staff as he begins his second term.

Lately, Mr. McConnell, who is 82 years old, has expressed to his colleagues that stepping down from his leadership position has made him feel free and relieved. This sentiment was particularly evident during a late-night voting session in the Senate last week.

He has shown doubt towards some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his administration, choosing not to comment on their selections and stating that it was the right decision for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration for attorney general. Additionally, Mr. 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 disagrees with Mr. Trump.

With his term ending in 2027, Mr. McConnell has not confirmed if he will run for another term. He intends to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy views over the next two years, despite conflicting with the president-elect’s "America First" stance. Additionally, McConnell aims to protect the Senate’s independence as President Trump plans to exert influence over the chamber with his upcoming governing power.

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