After stepping down from his position as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose the issues he wants to focus on and is prepared to use his power in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell, who has been in the Senate for a long time, is looking to assert his influence in different ways in the upcoming Congress.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, McConnell is stepping down from his position in the upcoming Congress. He is now looking to use his power in a way that may lead to disagreements with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky and 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
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During President Donald J. Trump’s time in the White House, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who was the majority leader at the time, played a significant part in supporting and advancing his agenda.
After serving as Senate leader for a significant amount of time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down from his position in January. It seems that he is now shifting his focus towards issues that may lead to disagreements with Mr. Trump in terms of policies and personnel as Trump begins 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 was particularly evident during a late-night voting session on the Senate floor last week.
He has expressed doubt about some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his administration, choosing not to comment on their selections and stating last week that it was right for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general. Mr. McConnell has hinted that as he works to establish his legacy in the Senate, he intends to focus on two issues that he strongly disagrees with Mr. Trump on.
Mitch McConnell, whose term as Senator ends in 2027, has not indicated whether he will run for another term. He has stated that he will prioritize promoting his interventionist foreign policy stance over the next two years, despite the incoming president’s "America First" ideology. McConnell also aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy in the face of President Trump’s plans to exert control over the chamber with his upcoming trifecta of power.
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