After stepping down from his role as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose which battles to engage in. He intends to utilize his power in ways that may lead to disagreements with President-elect Trump.
After stepping down from his role as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his own battles and use his power 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, 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
Providing updates from the legislative
During President Donald J. Trump’s tenure in the White House, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who served as the majority leader at the time, played a significant role in supporting and advancing the president’s agenda.
After a long tenure as Senate leader, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down from his position in January. This time, he seems to be preparing to take a different approach by focusing on 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 been expressing to his colleagues that stepping down from his leadership role has made him feel free and unburdened. This was evident during a late-night voting session on the Senate floor last week.
Expressing doubt about certain controversial appointments made by the president-elect for his administration, he has chosen to not comment on these selections. He recently mentioned that it was the right decision for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general. Additionally, he has indicated that he will focus on two key issues during his remaining time in the Senate, which happen to be topics where he differs significantly from Mr. Trump.
Senator McConnell, whose term is set to end in 2027 and has not confirmed if he will run for re-election, has expressed his intention to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy agenda in the next two years. This approach differs from the president-elect’s "America First" stance. Additionally, McConnell aims to protect the Senate’s institutional autonomy, especially as President Trump, who will have control over the executive and legislative branches, has indicated his intention to exert influence over the Senate.
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