After stepping down from his position as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his own battles and plans to use his power in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader, is ready to take on new challenges.
After stepping down from his long-held position as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his own battles and intends to exercise his influence in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky and the Senate leader for the longest period of time, will be resigning from his position in January.
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Written by Catie Edmondson
Reporting live from the Capitol building
During President Donald J. Trump’s previous term in the White House, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who held the position of majority leader at the time, played a significant role in supporting him and helping to advance his policies.
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 take a different approach, by prioritizing issues that may lead to disagreements with Mr. Trump regarding policies and personnel as he begins his second term.
Lately, Senator McConnell, who is 82 years old, has been expressing to his colleagues that stepping down from his leadership position has made him feel free. This was particularly evident during a late-night voting session on the Senate floor last week.
He has shown doubts about some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his team, choosing not to comment on their appointments and stating that it was the right decision for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general. Mr. McConnell has indicated that as he works to establish his legacy in the Senate, he will focus on two key issues that he does not see eye to eye with Mr. Trump on.
Mitch McConnell is currently serving a term that will end in 2027, but it’s uncertain if he will run for another term. He has expressed his intention to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy approach over the next two years, which contradicts the incoming president’s “America First” strategy. McConnell also aims to protect the Senate’s independence from the influence of President Trump, who will have control over all branches of government starting in January.
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