President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House armed with a clear-cut mandate from a popular-vote majority to put the interests of the United States first. This places his coming administration on a direct collision course with Republicans in the US Senate who staunchly identify themselves with the “multilateral” worldview of a Western progressive political establishment that finds its current home in America within the Democratic Party.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) may not be the upper chamber party leader anymore, but he has handed the baton to a close ally, Sen. John Thune (R-SD), and he will still be a force to be reckoned with over the final two years of his current term. Upon announcing in February that he would step down as Senate GOP leader at the end of 2024, McConnell took pains to stress a core conviction that will drive him…
