After stepping down as the Senate leader, McConnell is free to choose his battles and use his influence in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
After stepping down as the 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 who has held the position of 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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Written by Catie Edmondson
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During President Donald J. Trump’s previous term in the White House, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican 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 the longest time, Mr. McConnell is set to step down from that role in January. Instead of aligning with Mr. Trump, he seems to be preparing to prioritize issues that may cause disagreements with the President regarding policies and personnel as he begins 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. This feeling was particularly evident during a late-night voting session on the Senate floor last week.
He has expressed doubt about some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his administration, keeping quiet about their selections and stating last week that the decision for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general was the right one. Mr. McConnell has also 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.
Mitch McConnell, whose term in office ends in 2027 and has not confirmed if he will run again, intends to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy agenda in the coming years. This approach contrasts with the incoming president’s "America First" stance. McConnell also aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy, especially as Trump prepares to have control over all branches of government in January.
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