After stepping down from his role as Senate leader, Mitch McConnell is now free to choose his battles independently. He intends to leverage his influence in ways that may lead to conflicts with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
After being in a leadership position for a long time, McConnell is stepping down from his role in the Senate and is now free to choose his own battles. He 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 amount of time, 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
Covering news from the government
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 the longest period of time, Mr. McConnell has decided to step down from his post in January. Instead of aligning himself with Mr. Trump, he seems to be moving towards focusing on different issues that may lead to disagreements with the president on policy and personnel during his second term.
Lately, 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. This was evident during a late-night voting session on the Senate floor last week.
He has expressed doubt about some of the controversial choices made by the president-elect for his administration, choosing not to comment on their selections. He also mentioned that he felt it was the right decision for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general. Additionally, Mr. McConnell has hinted that he will focus on two issues that he strongly disagrees with Mr. Trump on as he looks to solidify his legacy in the Senate before he leaves.
Mitch McConnell, whose term lasts until 2027, has not confirmed if he will run for another term. He has expressed his intention to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy agenda over the next two years, despite conflicting with the incoming president’s "America First" stance. McConnell also aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy in the face of President Trump’s intentions to exert influence over the chamber with his control over the executive branch and both houses of Congress.
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