After serving as Senate leader for a long time, McConnell is stepping down from his position in the upcoming Congress. He is now free to choose his battles and may find himself in disagreement with President-elect Donald J. Trump as he uses his influence in different ways.
After stepping down as the Senate leader, Mitch McConnell is prepared to choose his battles independently. McConnell, who has held the position for a long time, intends to use his power in a manner that may conflict with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who has held the position of Senate leader for the longest period of time, will be resigning from his position in January. Photo credit: Kent Nishimura for The New York Times.
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Written by Catie Edmondson
Updating from the government building
During President Donald J. Trump’s previous term in the White House, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who held the position of majority leader at the time, played a significant role in supporting and advancing Trump’s agenda.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down in January. It seems that this time he is changing his focus, possibly conflicting with Mr. Trump’s policies and personnel choices at the beginning of his second term.
Recently, Mr. McConnell, aged 82, has been expressing to his colleagues, including during a late-night voting session in the Senate last week, that stepping down from his leadership role has made him feel free and liberated.
He has expressed doubt about some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his administration, choosing not to comment on their selections. He mentioned that it was right for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general. Mr. McConnell has indicated that he will focus on two issues in his remaining time in the Senate, which happen to be areas where he disagrees with Mr. Trump.
Mr. McConnell, whose term expires in 2027 and has not confirmed if he will run again, intends to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy over the next two years. This differs from the incoming president’s "America First" approach. Additionally, McConnell aims to protect the Senate’s independence as President Trump has indicated he plans to exert influence over the chamber with his majority.
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