Trump Says He'll Become 'Mr. Veto' if Democrats Take Congress as White House Readies a Backup Plan
President Donald Trump says he already knows what he will do if Democrats win one or both chambers of Congress on Tuesday.
"I guess I'll become Mr. Veto," Trump said in an interview with New York Post columnist Miranda Devine on her "Pod Force One" podcast, when asked how he would govern with Democrats running Capitol Hill.
Trump said he would block Democratic bills he opposes and then try to negotiate deals once an initial period of confrontation had passed.
A Veto Democrats Probably Can't Override
Reuters reported that Democrats would be unlikely to have enough votes in the House to override a Trump veto even if they win the chamber.
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Trump has issued two vetoes in his second term, after vetoing 10 measures during his first four years. Even so, the veto pen would give him significant leverage over legislation in his final two years.
Trump argued that repeated vetoes would eventually push Democrats to the bargaining table rather than keep sending him bills he would reject. He pointed to his first term, when Democrats controlled the House for his last two years while Republicans held the Senate.
That arrangement severely limited what either party could pass without some bipartisan agreement, and Trump could face an even more divided Washington if Democrats capture both chambers on Tuesday.
The White House Has a Plan B
The White House has spent months preparing for the possibility of losing one or both chambers, according to the New York Post.
Deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and budget director Russell Vought have worked with the White House Counsel's Office on executive actions involving immigration, tariffs, housing costs and federal spending that would not require new laws.
White House lawyers are studying what Trump can do through executive authority and how those actions would hold up in court. Reuters noted that Trump would keep broad powers over trade, foreign policy and the management of the federal government.
That approach could let Trump keep pursuing parts of his agenda even with Democrats in charge of the legislative branch.
Investigations and Impeachment Threats
A Democratic Congress would still have real power. It could block legislation, fight over spending and launch investigations, and senior House Democrats and committee aides have already discussed probes into Trump, his administration and his allies.
White House lawyers have been preparing political appointees and agency leaders for possible subpoenas, hearings and document requests.
Trump has warned Republicans that a lost majority could bring another impeachment push. In January, he told GOP lawmakers that Democrats would "find a reason to impeach me" if Republicans lost the midterms.
Government funding and the debt ceiling could become flashpoints in 2027 under divided government, and executive actions would remain open to legal challenges from opponents who say the president has overstepped.
Trump acknowledged that critics would call him a lame duck if Republicans lose Congress. He said he would prefer to run again if the Constitution allowed it but recognized that the 22nd Amendment rules out another campaign.
He stressed that more than two years of his presidency would remain after Tuesday. For now, he is campaigning to keep Republicans in control while his team prepares for the alternative.