After stepping down from his position as the longest-serving Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his battles and plans to leverage his influence in ways that may lead to conflicts with President-elect Donald J. Trump in the upcoming Congress.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, McConnell is stepping down from his position in the upcoming Congress. He is now free to choose his own battles and may use his power in ways that differ from President-elect Donald J. Trump’s plans.
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. Photo credit goes to Kent Nishimura for The New York Times.
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Authored by Catie Edmondson
Reporting live from the Capitol
During President Donald J. Trump’s time in the White House, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who was serving as the majority leader at the time, played a significant part in supporting him and advancing his policies.
After serving as Senate leader for the longest period of time, Mr. McConnell is set to resign from the position in January. This time around, he seems to be preparing to diverge from Mr. Trump on policy and personnel matters as the president begins his second term.
Lately, Mr. McConnell, who is 82 years old, has been expressing to his fellow senators 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 doubt about some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his administration, keeping quiet about their appointments and stating that former Representative Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal from consideration as attorney general was the right decision. Mr. McConnell has also indicated that he will focus on two key issues during his remaining time in the Senate, even though they are topics on which he disagrees with Mr. Trump.
Mitch McConnell, who will continue serving until 2027 and has not confirmed if he will run for another term, intends to prioritize promoting his interventionist foreign policy views in the next two years. This stance contrasts with the incoming president’s "America First" approach. McConnell also aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy, especially as President Trump has indicated his intention to exert control over the chamber with his upcoming governing power.
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