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 clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
After stepping down as Senate leader, McConnell is looking forward to choosing his own battles and using his sway in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell, who has held the position for a long time, feels freed from the constraints of leadership and is ready to assert his influence independently.
Senator Mitch McConnell, a member of the Republican party representing Kentucky, has announced he will be resigning from his position as Senate leader in January.
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Written by Catie Edmondson
Sending updates from the government building
During President Donald J. Trump’s time in office, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who was the majority leader at the time, helped to support and advance his agenda.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down from that role in January. This time, he seems to be preparing to shift his focus to issues that may lead to disagreements with Mr. Trump on policy and personnel as he begins his second term.
Lately, Mr. McConnell, who is 82 years old, has been expressing to his colleagues, including during a late-night Senate floor voting session last week, that stepping down from his leadership position has made him feel free.
He has shown doubt towards some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his administration, choosing not to comment on their selections. He stated last week that it was the right decision for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general. Mr. McConnell has indicated that as he works to solidify his legacy in his remaining time in the Senate, he will focus on two issues that he strongly disagrees with Mr. Trump on.
Mr. McConnell, who will be in office until 2027 and has not confirmed if he will run again, intends to prioritize advancing his interventionist foreign policy agenda over the next two years. This approach contradicts the president-elect’s "America First" strategy. Additionally, McConnell aims to safeguard the Senate’s autonomy amidst concerns that President Trump plans to exert control over the chamber with his upcoming governing majority.
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