After stepping down from his role as Senate leader, Mitch McConnell is prepared to choose his own battles and use his power in ways that may lead to disagreements with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell, who has been in the Senate for a long time, is looking to exert his influence in new ways.
After stepping down from his position as the longest-serving Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his battles and assert his influence in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky and the Senate’s longest-serving leader, 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
Reporting live from the government building
During President Donald J. Trump’s previous term in office, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who served as the majority leader at the time, had a significant impact on helping Trump and advancing his policies while in office.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell has decided to step down from the 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, aged 82, has been expressing to his colleagues that stepping down from his leadership role has made him feel free. This was evident 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 team, remaining silent on their appointments and stating that it was right for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general. Mr. McConnell has indicated that as he works to leave a lasting mark in his remaining time in the Senate, he intends to focus on two issues that he strongly disagrees with Mr. Trump on.
With his current term lasting until 2027, Mr. McConnell has not confirmed if he will run for another term. He has expressed his intention to prioritize advancing his interventionist foreign policy over the next two years, despite conflicting with the incoming president’s "America First" approach. Additionally, McConnell aims to protect the Senate’s independence amidst the upcoming administration’s strong desire to control the chamber.
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