"Senate Republicans' Border Bill Block Signals Trump's Strength and McConnell's Waning Influence"

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's influence within the Republican party is waning as his conference rejected his pitch to support a long-awaited immigration and foreign aid bill, leaving it for dead with just four Republicans voting for it. McConnell's struggle to rally support for the bill reflects the party's transformation into the right-wing populist mold of Donald Trump, who fiercely opposed the border deal. The collapse of the package leaves U.S. aid to Ukraine at risk, as McConnell's pleas to prevent Russian incursions into Europe have fallen on deaf ears with conservative lawmakers and voters aligned with the Trump wing. McConnell's diminishing sway extends beyond Ukraine and immigration, as his once-functional relationship with Trump broke down after Jan. 6, 2021, and attacks on his leadership have become common among right-wing Senate Republicans.