After stepping down from his role as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his own battles and use his influence in ways that may conflict with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
After being freed from his leadership position, McConnell is preparing to choose his own battles. As the Senate’s longest-serving leader, he will step down in the upcoming Congress and intends to use his power in ways that may lead to disagreements 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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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 the majority leader at the time, played a significant role in supporting him and advancing his policies.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down in January. This time, it seems like he is planning to shift his focus to 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 position has made him feel free and unburdened. This sentiment was shared during a late-night Senate floor session last week.
He has shown doubt about some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his team, staying silent on their appointments and stating that the decision to withdraw former Representative Matt Gaetz from consideration as attorney general was the right one. Mr. McConnell has indicated that as he works to establish his legacy during his remaining time in the Senate, he intends to focus on two issues that happen to be areas where he strongly disagrees with Mr. Trump.
Mitch McConnell, whose term ends in 2027 and has not indicated whether he will run again, intends to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy in the next two years. This stance contrasts with the incoming president’s "America First" strategy. McConnell also aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy as President Trump plans to exert his influence over the chamber with his upcoming governing power in January.
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