After stepping down from his position as Senate leader, Mitch McConnell is preparing to choose his battles independently and potentially clash with President-elect Donald Trump. McConnell, who has held the position for a long time, is looking to use his influence in new ways.
After stepping down from his role as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his battles and plans to leverage his power in ways that may conflict with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell, the Senate’s longest-serving leader, is prepared to assert his influence independently.
Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky and the Senate leader for the longest time, will be resigning from his position in January. (Photo credit: Kent Nishimura for The New York Times)
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Written by Catie Edmondson
Reporting live from the seat of
During President Donald J. Trump’s previous term in office, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky and the majority leader at the time, had a significant influence in supporting Trump and helping to advance his policies.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down from that role in January. It seems like he is now planning to focus on different issues that may cause disagreements with Mr. Trump regarding policies and personnel at the beginning of his second term.
Lately, 82-year-old Mr. McConnell has been expressing to his colleagues that stepping down from his leadership position has made him feel free. This was evident during a late-night Senate voting session last week.
He has shown doubt about some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his team, choosing not to comment on their appointments and stating that the decision for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general was the right one. Mr. McConnell has also hinted that he will focus on two key issues during his remaining time in the Senate, which happen to be topics where he and Mr. Trump do not see eye to eye.
Mitch McConnell, whose term ends in 2027 and has not confirmed if he will run again, intends to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy in the next two years. This approach contrasts with the incoming president’s "America First" strategy. McConnell also aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy, especially as President Trump prepares to have control over the three branches of government in January.
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