After stepping down from his role as Senate leader, McConnell is prepared to choose his battles independently. With his newfound freedom, he intends to use his power in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Mitch McConnell, who has served as Senate leader for the longest time, is stepping down from his position in the upcoming Congress. He intends to use his power in ways that may lead to conflicts with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell feels free from the constraints of leadership and is prepared to choose his battles.
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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Written by Catie Edmondson
Live coverage from the Capitol
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 an important role in supporting and advancing the President’s agenda.
After holding the position of Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down in January. It seems that this time he is planning to take a different approach, prioritizing topics that may lead to disagreements with Mr. Trump in terms of policy and personnel as he begins his second term.
Lately, Mr. McConnell, who is 82 years old, has been expressing to his colleagues a sense of freedom and liberation now that he is stepping down from his leadership position. This was 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, choosing not to comment on their appointments and stating that the decision for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general was fitting. Mr. McConnell has indicated that as he works to establish his legacy in his remaining time in the Senate, he intends to focus on two issues that happen to be areas where he strongly differs from Mr. Trump.
Mr. McConnell, whose term will end in 2027 and has not confirmed if he will run for another term, has stated that he will prioritize advancing his interventionist foreign policy agenda in the next two years. This approach contrasts with the president-elect’s "America First" philosophy. Additionally, he aims to protect the Senate’s independence from the influence of President Trump, who will have control over the government starting in January and has shown intentions of exerting his authority over the Senate.
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