After stepping down from his position as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his own battles and wield his influence in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell, who has served as Senate leader for the longest time, is preparing to assert his influence in new ways in the upcoming Congress.
After stepping down from his role as Senate leader in the upcoming Congress, McConnell is now free to choose his own battles and use his influence in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Senator Mitch McConnell, who represents Kentucky as a Republican and has been the Senate leader for the longest period, will be resigning from his position in January. Photo credit goes to Kent Nishimura for The New York Times.
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Written by Catie Edmondson
Covering news from the government
During President Donald J. Trump’s time in the White House, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who served as the majority leader at the time, played a significant role in supporting and advancing Trump’s agenda.
However, Mr. McConnell, who has been the Senate leader for the longest time, will be resigning from his position in January. It seems that this time he is planning to take a different approach by concentrating on topics that may cause disagreements with Mr. Trump regarding policies and personnel at the beginning 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 and relieved. This sentiment was shared during a late-night voting session in the Senate last week.
He has expressed doubt about some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his team, choosing not to comment on their appointments and stating that it was the right decision for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general. Mr. McConnell has indicated that he will focus on two particular issues during his remaining time in the Senate, which happen to be topics where he and Mr. Trump strongly disagree.
Mr. McConnell’s term goes until 2027, but it’s unclear if he will run for another term. He aims to push his interventionist foreign policy and maintain the Senate’s independence, in contrast to the incoming president’s "America First" agenda. Despite the president’s power, McConnell is determined to keep the Senate functioning independently.
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