After stepping down from his position as Senate leader, McConnell is now free to choose his battles and use his power in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump. McConnell, who has been in the Senate for a long time, is no longer tied to leadership responsibilities and is looking to assert his influence in new ways.
After stepping down from his position as Senate leader, Mitch McConnell is now free to choose his own battles. Despite his long tenure in office, he is looking to exert his influence in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Senator Mitch McConnell, who is a member of the Republican party and represents Kentucky, has announced that he will be resigning from his position as Senate leader in January.
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Written by Catie Edmondson
Reporting live from the seat of
When President Donald J. Trump was in office, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who was the majority leader at the time, significantly supported and helped advance his agenda.
After serving as the Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be stepping down from that role in January. It seems that this time he is planning to shift his focus to address issues that may conflict with Mr. Trump’s views on policy and personnel as he begins his second term in office.
Lately, Mr. McConnell, who is 82 years old, has been expressing to his colleagues that stepping down from his leadership position has made him feel free and relieved. This was particularly evident during a late-night voting session in the Senate last week.
He has expressed doubt about some of the president-elect’s controversial choices for his administration, choosing not to comment on their selections and stating that the decision for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general was the right move. Additionally, Mr. McConnell has hinted that he will focus on two issues during his remaining time in the Senate, which happen to be topics where he disagrees with Mr. Trump.
With his term ending in 2027, Mr. McConnell has not yet confirmed if he will run for another term. He has expressed his intention to prioritize advancing his interventionist foreign policy agenda over the next two years, despite conflicting with the incoming president’s "America First" strategy. Additionally, McConnell aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy as President Trump has indicated his desire to exert influence over the chamber with his upcoming trifecta in government.
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