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McConnell’s Liberation: A Shift in Influence and Priorities Post-Leadership

In Citizen
November 28, 2024

After stepping down from his role as Senate leader, McConnell is looking to use his influence in new ways that may lead to disagreements with President-elect Trump. McConnell is ready to choose his own battles now that he is no longer bound by leadership responsibilities.

After serving as Senate leader for a long time, McConnell is stepping down from his position in the upcoming Congress. He is now planning to use his influence in ways that may lead to conflicts with President-elect Donald J. Trump.

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

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Written by Catie Edmondson

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During President Donald J. Trump’s previous term in office, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who was serving as the majority leader at the time, was instrumental in supporting and advancing Trump’s policies and initiatives.

After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell is resigning from his position in January. This time, he seems to be preparing to take a different approach by concentrating on matters that may conflict with Mr. Trump’s views on policies and personnel at the start of his second term.

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

He has shown doubts about certain controversial choices made by the president-elect for his administration, refusing to comment on their appointments. He also mentioned that the decision for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general was the right choice. Mr. McConnell has indicated that he will focus on two key issues in his remaining time in the Senate, even though he strongly disagrees with Mr. Trump on these topics.

Senator McConnell, who will be in office until 2027 and has not confirmed if he will run for re-election, has expressed his intention to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy in the next two years. This approach contrasts with the incoming president’s "America First" stance. Additionally, McConnell aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy in the face of President Trump’s plans to exert influence over the chamber with his upcoming control of the executive and legislative branches.

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