Mitch McConnell, who has been the Senate leader for the longest period, will be stepping down from his position in the upcoming Congress. He is now looking to assert his influence in ways that may lead to conflicts with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell is no longer bound by his leadership role and is ready to choose his own battles.
After stepping down from his role as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his own battles and use his influence in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell, who has served as Senate leader for the longest time, is ready to take on new challenges in the next Congress.
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.
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Written by Catie Edmondson
Providing updates from the legislative
During President Donald J. Trump’s time 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 him and advancing his policies.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down from his position in January. This time, he seems to be preparing to shift his focus towards issues that may lead to disagreements with Mr. Trump regarding policies and personnel at the beginning of his second term.
Lately, Mr. McConnell, who is 82 years old, has been expressing to his fellow senators that stepping down from his leadership position has made him feel free and relieved. This was especially 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 team, not commenting on their appointments and recently stating that the decision for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general was the right one. Mr. McConnell has indicated that he will focus on two key issues in his final time in the Senate, which happen to be areas where he and Mr. Trump strongly disagree.
Mitch McConnell, whose term ends in 2027 and has not confirmed if he will run again, intends to prioritize advancing his interventionist foreign policy stance over the next two years. This approach contrasts with the incoming president’s "America First" strategy. McConnell also aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy in the face of President Trump’s strong desire to exert control over the chamber with his majority in January.
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