After stepping down from his role as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his own battles and use his power in ways that may clash with President-elect Trump. He has served as Senate leader for the longest period.
After being freed from his leadership position, McConnell is prepared to choose his battles independently. The Senate’s longest-serving leader is stepping down from his role in the upcoming Congress and intends to exert his influence in ways that may lead to conflicts with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Senator Mitch McConnell, who is a Republican from Kentucky and has been the Senate leader for a long time, will be resigning from his position in January. Photo credit goes to Kent Nishimura for The New York Times.
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Authored by Catie Edmondson
Covering news from the government
When President Donald J. Trump was in office, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who was the majority leader at the time, played a significant role in supporting his administration and advancing his policies.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down from his post in January. It seems that this time he is aiming to take a different approach, concentrating on matters that may lead to disagreements with Mr. Trump regarding policies and staff at the beginning of his second term.
Lately, Mr. McConnell, who is 82 years old, has been telling his colleagues that stepping down from his leadership position has made him feel free. This includes conversations 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, keeping quiet on their appointments and recently stating that the removal of former Representative Matt Gaetz from consideration as attorney general was the right decision. Mr. McConnell has also indicated that as he works to solidify his legacy in his remaining time in the Senate, he intends to focus on two key issues that happen to be areas where he strongly disagrees with Mr. Trump.
Mitch McConnell’s current term will end in 2027, and it is uncertain whether he will run for another term. McConnell has expressed his intention to prioritize advancing his interventionist foreign policy agenda over the next two years, despite it conflicting with President-elect’s "America First" strategy. Additionally, McConnell aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy as President Trump, who will have control over the executive and legislative branches, has indicated his intent to exert influence over the Senate.
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