Mitch McConnell, who has been the Senate leader for the longest time, is stepping down from his position in the upcoming Congress. He is now looking to assert his influence in ways that may lead to disagreements with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Mitch McConnell, who has served as Senate leader for the longest period of time, is stepping down from his position in the upcoming Congress. He intends to use his power to engage in conflicts that may not align with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell is no longer bound by the constraints of leadership and is prepared to assert his influence in new ways.
Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who has been the Senate leader for the longest period of time, will be resigning from his position in January. Photo credit: Kent Nishimura for The New York Times
Backed by
Written by Catie Edmondson
Updating from the government building.
During President Donald J. Trump’s previous term, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky and the majority leader at the time, played a significant role in supporting and advancing Trump’s policies and goals while in office.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down from his position in January. It seems that this time he is planning to take a different approach by focusing on issues that may conflict with Mr. Trump’s 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 role has made him feel free and unburdened. This feeling 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, choosing not to comment on their selections. He recently stated that the decision for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general was the right one. Additionally, Mr. McConnell has indicated that as he works to solidify his legacy in the Senate, he will focus on two important issues that he and Mr. Trump strongly disagree on.
Mitch McConnell, whose term goes until 2027 and has not confirmed if he will run again, intends to prioritize his foreign policy agenda in the coming years. This contrasts with the incoming president’s "America First" stance. McConnell also aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy, especially as President Trump looks to exert his influence over the chamber with his upcoming majority.
We are currently experiencing difficulties in accessing the content of the article.
To use this website properly, you need to turn on JavaScript
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm your access. If you are currently in Reader mode, please close out and sign in to your Times account, or consider subscribing for full access to The Times.
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access.
Are you already a member? Sign in.
Looking to access all the content from The Times? Subscribe now.
Prom
Index of Pages
Navigation for Site Information