Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell intends to play a central role in the midterm elections, using his affiliated super PAC to block insurgent Republicans and help his party withstand the headwinds from President Trump’s low approval ratings.

The Kentucky Republican in a late Thursday interview basked in the glow of the historic tax overhaul that cleared Congress this week. But McConnell was candid about challenges Republicans face next year, both in selling tax reform to skeptical voters and weathering a brewing political storm generated by Trump’s polarizing leadership.