President Trump has a plan to deal with Democrat antics after they take over control of both the House and Senate in January following big midterm victories.
Trump is preparing to rely heavily on his veto authority after Democrats captured both chambers of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections. Democrats secured majorities in the House and Senate, setting up two years of divided government during the remainder of Trump’s second term.
Trump had already outlined his response before Election Day, predicting that Democratic congressional control would transform him into “Mr. Veto.” “I have the ultimate power — it’s called ‘veto,’” Trump told CBS News before polls closed Tuesday.
Trump said he was prepared to reject Democratic legislation when necessary while using presidential leverage to eventually force negotiations. “Historically, you veto for a couple of months and then they come and say, ‘We’ve got to make a deal,’” Trump said.
The president’s strategy became immediately relevant after Democrats exceeded the 218-seat threshold required to control the House and captured the Senate. The exact size of those majorities remained unsettled Wednesday morning because dozens of House races and two Senate contests had not been called.
One live results tracker showed Democrats with 228 called House seats and a 54-seat Senate caucus early Wednesday, with additional races unresolved. Ballotpedia reported Democrats had secured at least 231 House seats and a 54-44 Senate advantage based on its latest race calls.
Regardless of the final margins, Democrats will control the legislative agenda when the new Congress convenes in January. Trump’s veto authority provides the White House with a formidable constitutional defense against legislation Democrats pass without substantial Republican support.
Congress can override a presidential veto, but doing so requires two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate. The emerging Democratic majorities are well short of those thresholds, making successful veto overrides difficult without significant Republican defections.
Trump’s strategy therefore could prevent Democrats from unilaterally enacting major portions of their agenda despite controlling both congressional chambers.
The president could also continue relying on executive authority in areas where federal law gives the executive branch substantial discretion. The White House spent months preparing potential unilateral actions in case Republicans lost Congress, according to Reuters.
Deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought have been central to those discussions. Administration officials have examined possible executive actions involving immigration, tariffs, housing, federal spending and other policy areas.
Those actions would still face statutory limits and possible court challenges, particularly when they involve spending or authority specifically reserved for Congress.
Democrats will possess powerful tools of their own after taking control. House Democrats will control committees and subpoena authority, while the Democratic Senate will oversee confirmation proceedings for Trump administration nominees.
Congress will also retain its constitutional power over appropriations, potentially producing major confrontations over government funding and federal spending. White House attorneys have reportedly been preparing administration officials for investigations, subpoenas and document requests expected from Democratic-controlled committees.
