After stepping down from his role as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his own battles and use his influence in ways that may not align with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
After stepping down from his position as Senate leader, Mitch McConnell is preparing to choose his own battles and exert his influence in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald Trump. McConnell, who has been in office for a long time, is freeing himself from the responsibilities of leadership to pursue his own agenda.
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 goes to Kent Nishimura for The New York Times.
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Written by Catie Edmondson
Updating from the legislative building.
During President Donald J. Trump’s term in office, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who served as the majority leader at the time, significantly supported and helped advance Trump’s policies while Trump was in the White House.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down from his post in January. Instead of aligning with Mr. Trump on policy and personnel, he seems to be preparing to focus on issues that may cause disagreement between them at the beginning of Trump’s second term.
Recently, Mr. McConnell, 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 position has made him feel "liberated."
Expressing doubt, he has shown hesitation towards certain controversial choices made by the president-elect for his administration. He has chosen not to comment on these selections and recently stated that it was the right decision for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration for attorney general. Additionally, he has indicated that as he works to leave a lasting impact during his remaining time in the Senate, he will focus on two issues that he strongly disagrees with Mr. Trump on.
Mitch McConnell’s current term will end in 2027, and it is uncertain if he will run for another term. He has expressed his intention to prioritize advancing his interventionist foreign policy stance in the next two years, which contrasts with the incoming president’s "America First" strategy. McConnell also aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy, as President Trump has indicated his desire to exert influence over the chamber with his upcoming governing power.
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