After serving as Senate leader for a long time, McConnell is stepping down from his position in the next Congress. He is now free from leadership responsibilities and is prepared to choose his own battles, potentially conflicting with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
After stepping down from his leadership position in the Senate, Mitch McConnell is prepared to choose his own battles and assert his influence in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell, who has been the Senate leader for the longest period of time, is freeing himself from the constraints 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.
Backed by
Written by Catie Edmondson
Covering news from the Capitol
During President Donald J. Trump’s previous term in office, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who was the majority leader at the time, played a significant role in supporting and advancing his policies.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be leaving that position in January. It seems like this time he is planning to take a different approach, prioritizing issues that may lead to disagreements with Mr. Trump regarding policies and personnel as he 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 feeling was particularly evident during a late-night voting session on the Senate floor last week.
He has expressed doubt about certain controversial choices made by the president-elect for his administration, choosing to remain silent on their appointments. Last week, he mentioned that he believed it was the right decision for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general. Additionally, Mr. McConnell has hinted that he will focus on two specific issues during his final time in the Senate, which happen to be topics on which he and Mr. Trump strongly disagree.
Mr. McConnell, whose term is set to end in 2027, has not confirmed if he will run for another term. He has announced his intention to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy in the next two years, which contrasts with the incoming president’s "America First" strategy. Additionally, McConnell aims to safeguard the Senate’s autonomy at a time when President Trump, who will have control of the executive and legislative branches, has indicated his desire to exert influence over the Senate.
We are currently experiencing difficulties in accessing the article’s content.
To use this website properly, make sure to turn on JavaScript
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm your access. If you are currently using Reader mode, please close it and sign in to your Times account, or consider subscribing to access all of The Times’ content.
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access.
Have you already signed up as a member? Please log in
Interested in having full access to The Times? Subscribe now to stay
Prom
Index of the website
Navigational information about the