After stepping down from his position as Senate leader in the upcoming Congress, Mitch McConnell is looking to assert his influence in new ways that may lead to conflicts with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
After stepping down from his leadership role, McConnell is prepared to choose his battles independently. As the Senate’s most experienced leader, he is looking to use his power in a manner that may lead to disagreements with President-elect Trump in the upcoming Congress.
Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who has been the Senate leader for the longest period of time, will be resigning from his position in January.
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Written by Catie Edmondson
Reporting live from the Capitol building
During President Donald J. Trump’s time in office, Senator Mitch McConnell from Kentucky, who was the majority leader at the time, played a significant role in supporting him and helping to advance his policies.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will no longer hold that position starting in January. It seems that he is now planning to shift his focus to issues that may lead to disagreements with Mr. Trump regarding policy and personnel as Trump begins his second term.
Recently, there have been instances where Mr. McConnell, who is 82 years old, expressed to his colleagues that stepping down from his leadership position has made him feel free and relieved. This was even mentioned during a late-night voting session in the Senate last week.
Showing doubt, he has expressed reservations about certain controversial choices made by the incoming president for his team. He has chosen to not comment on their selections and mentioned recently that it was fitting for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw himself from consideration as attorney general. Additionally, he has indicated that as he works to solidify his reputation during his remaining time in the Senate, he intends to focus on two key issues that he strongly disagrees with Mr. Trump on.
Mitch McConnell, whose term ends in 2027 and has not indicated if he will run again, intends to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy in the next two years. This approach contrasts with the incoming president’s "America First" strategy. McConnell also aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy as President Trump plans to assert his influence over the chamber with his majority in January.
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