After stepping down from his role as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his battles in a way that may not align with President-elect Trump’s agenda. As the longest-serving Senate leader, McConnell plans to use his influence differently in the next Congress.
After stepping down as the longest-serving Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his battles and use his influence in ways that may lead to disagreements with President-elect 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 role in January. Photo credit: Kent Nishimura for The New York Times.
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Written by Catie Edmondson
Covering news from the headquarters
During President Trump’s time in office, Senator Mitch McConnell, who was the majority leader at the time, played a significant role in supporting and advancing his agenda at the White House.
After serving as Senate leader for the longest time, Mr. McConnell is planning to step down from his position in January. Instead of aligning with Mr. Trump, he seems to be preparing to concentrate on topics that may cause disagreements with the President regarding policies and personnel as he begins his second term.
Lately, Mr. McConnell, 82, has been expressing to his colleagues, including during a late-night Senate voting session, that stepping down from his leadership position has made him feel free and relieved.
He has shown doubt about some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his team, not commenting on their appointments and stating that it was right for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general. Additionally, Mr. McConnell has indicated that he will focus on two issues that he disagrees with Mr. Trump on as he works to leave his mark on the Senate before his time is up.
After his current term ends in 2027, Mr. McConnell has not indicated if he will run for another term. He has stated that he will prioritize advancing his interventionist foreign policy in the next two years, which contrasts with the incoming president’s "America First" stance. Additionally, McConnell aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy amidst President Trump’s plans to exert influence over the chamber with his trifecta of power starting in January.
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