This is McConnell unplugged, three weeks into the Trump administration, and his new role as no longer the Senate GOP leader but one of 100 senators. It is testing the strength, but also the limits, of his influence on the institution, where he has been a monumental presence for nearly 40 years.

Out of power in the Senate and serving likely his last term, Sen. Mitch McConnell has often found himself on an island among Republicans in opposition to Trump.