After serving as Senate leader for a long time, McConnell is stepping down from his position in the next Congress. He is now free to choose his battles and may use his influence in a way that goes against President-elect Donald J. Trump.
After being freed from his leadership role, McConnell is prepared to choose his own battles. As the Senate’s longest-serving leader, he will step down in the upcoming Congress and intends to exert his influence 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 duration, 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 seat
During President Donald J. Trump’s previous term in office, Senator Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky who was the majority leader at the time, played a significant role in supporting and advancing Trump’s policies in the White House.
After serving as Senate leader for a long time, Mr. McConnell will be resigning from his position in January. It seems that this time he is preparing to take a different approach, concentrating on matters that may lead to disagreements with Mr. Trump regarding policies and personnel at the beginning of his second term.
Recently, Mr. McConnell, who is 82 years old, has been expressing to his colleagues that stepping down from his leadership position has made him feel "liberated." This was particularly 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, 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 fitting. Additionally, Mr. McConnell has indicated that as he works to solidify his legacy during his remaining time in the Senate, he intends to focus on two issues that happen to be areas where he strongly differs from Mr. Trump.
Mr. McConnell, whose term will end in 2027, has not confirmed if he will run for another term. He has expressed his intention to prioritize his interventionist foreign policy over the next two years, which contrasts with the "America First" approach of the incoming president. Additionally, McConnell aims to protect the Senate’s independence as President Trump has indicated his desire to exert influence over the chamber with his majority in the government.
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