After stepping down from his role as the longest-serving 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 in the upcoming Congress.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, McConnell is stepping down and preparing to use his power in ways that may clash with President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky and the Senate leader for the longest time, will be resigning from his position in January. Photo credit goes to Kent Nishimura for The New York Times.
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Written by Catie Edmondson
Reporting live from the Capitol
During President Donald J. Trump’s time in the White House, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who served as the majority leader at the time, played a significant role in supporting Trump and helping to advance his policies.
Mr. McConnell, who has been the Senate leader for the longest time, will be stepping down from his position in January. This time, it seems like he is planning to shift his focus to topics that might cause disagreements with Mr. Trump regarding policies and personnel at the beginning of his second term.
Lately, Senator McConnell, who is 82 years old, has been telling his fellow senators that stepping down from his leadership position has made him feel free and unburdened. This was 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, avoiding commenting on their appointments and stating that it was fitting for former Representative Matt Gaetz to withdraw from consideration as attorney general. Mr. McConnell has indicated that as he works to solidify his legacy in his remaining time in the Senate, he intends to focus on two issues that happen to be areas where he strongly disagrees with Mr. Trump.
Senator McConnell, whose term expires in 2027 and has not confirmed if he will run again, intends to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy in the next two years. This approach clashes with the incoming president’s "America First" strategy. McConnell also aims to protect the Senate’s autonomy, especially with President Trump set to have control over all branches of government in January.
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