After being in charge for a long time, McConnell is stepping down from his leadership role in the Senate and is preparing to use his power in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
After holding the position of Senate leader for the longest time, McConnell is stepping down in the next Congress and preparing to assert his influence in ways that may lead to conflicts with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell is now free from leadership responsibilities and ready to choose his own battles.
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
Covering news from the government
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 key role in supporting and advancing his agenda.
After serving as Senate leader for the longest period of time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down from his position in January. It seems that this time he is planning to shift his focus towards issues that may lead to disagreements with Mr. Trump regarding policies and personnel at the beginning of his second term.
Lately, Mr. McConnell, who is 82 years old, has expressed to his colleagues that stepping down from his leadership position has made him feel free. This was mentioned during a late-night voting session on the Senate floor last week.
He has shown doubt about some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his administration, choosing not to comment on their appointments and stating last week that withdrawing former Representative Matt Gaetz from consideration for attorney general was the right decision. Mr. McConnell has also indicated that as he works to establish his legacy in his remaining time in the Senate, he intends to focus on two issues that he strongly disagrees with Mr. Trump on.
Senator McConnell, whose term will end in 2027 and has not confirmed if he will run again, intends to prioritize his foreign policy beliefs over the next two years. His approach contrasts with the incoming president’s "America First" strategy. Additionally, he aims to safeguard the Senate’s autonomy amidst President Trump’s intentions to exert control over the chamber with his upcoming trifecta of power in January.
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