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What a Democratic Win Would Mean for Trump

November 1, 2026 · 12:21 pm ET · Leave a Comment

“In his second term, President Donald Trump so far has benefited from his Republican Party holding majorities in both houses of Congress, as he did in the top half of his first turn in the White House. When one party controls both the presidency and Congress, ambitious legislation can become law, as evidenced by the tax-cut measures enacted under Trump in 2017 and 2025. And with party faithful running congressional committees, a presidential administration is insulated, to some extent, from tough scrutiny from such bodies,” Bloomberg reports.

“Now, public disapproval of Trump’s job performance threatens to bring one-party Republican government to a crashing halt in Nov. 3 congressional elections. A ‘wave election‘ that breaks in favor of the Democrats would, in Trump’s final two years in the White House, expose his administration to greater oversight and force it to accept compromise if it wants to enact legislation.”

“At the same time, there’s a lot a president can do without Congress. Trump already has tested the bounds of a president’s power by issuing expansive executive orders, including some that have been struck down by the courts, and waging war against Iran without congressional authorization.”

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Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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