After being in a leadership position for a long time, McConnell is stepping down in the next Congress and preparing to use his power in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
After stepping down from his position as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his battles and use his influence in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell, who has served as Senate leader for the longest time, will be taking on a different role in the upcoming Congress.
Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky and the Senate’s longest-serving leader, will be resigning from his position in January. Photo by Kent Nishimura for The New York Times.
Backed by
Written by Catie Edmondson
Updating from the government building
When President Donald J. Trump was last in the White House, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who was the majority leader at the time, played an important role in supporting him and helping pass his plans.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down from his position in January. This time, he seems to be preparing to take a different approach by concentrating on topics that may lead to disagreements with Mr. Trump regarding policies and staff at the beginning of his second term.
Recently, Mr. McConnell, who is 82 years old, has mentioned 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 free and unburdened.
He has expressed doubt about certain controversial choices made by the incoming president for his administration, choosing to remain silent on their appointments. Last week, he mentioned that former Representative Matt Gaetz withdrawing from consideration as attorney general was the right decision. Mr. McConnell has hinted that in his final days in the Senate, he will focus on two issues that he strongly disagrees with Mr. Trump on, as he works to solidify his legacy.
Mitch McConnell’s term ends in 2027, and it is unknown if he will run again. He intends to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy in the next two years, which contrasts with the incoming president’s "America First" strategy. McConnell also aims to protect the Senate’s independence as President Trump has shown intentions of exerting control over it with his upcoming trifecta in January.
We are experiencing difficulties accessing the information in the article.
You need to turn on JavaScript in your browser settings.
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm your access. If you are currently using Reader mode, please log out and sign into your Times account, or consider subscribing to access all of The Times content.
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access.
Are you currently a member? Please sign in.
Interested in accessing all of The Times content? Subscribe now.
Prom
Index of the website
Navigation to find information on