After stepping down 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.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, McConnell is stepping down from his position in the upcoming Congress. He intends to use his power in ways that may cause conflict with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky and the Senate leader for the longest time, will be resigning from his position in January. Photo by Kent Nishimura for The New York Times.
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Written by Catie Edmondson.
Providing coverage from the legislative
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 a significant role in supporting him and helping to advance his policies.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell is resigning from his post in January. This time, he seems to be preparing 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.
Recently, Mr. McConnell, who is 82 years old, has expressed to his colleagues that stepping down from his leadership position has made him feel free and relieved. This was mentioned during a late-night voting session on the Senate floor last week.
He has shown doubt towards 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 establish his legacy in the Senate, he will focus on two issues that he strongly disagrees with Mr. Trump on.
Senator McConnell, whose term lasts until 2027 and has not confirmed if he will run again, has expressed his intention to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy in the next two years. This approach contrasts with the incoming president’s "America First" strategy. Additionally, McConnell aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy amidst President Trump’s strong desire to influence the chamber as he sees fit with his upcoming control over the executive and legislative branches.
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