The White House has issued a public service announcement stating that “Trump is still your president”, following the Republican drubbing at the US midterm elections which saw the Democrats take control of Congress.
But while still in office for the next two years, Donald Trump is facing a new reality following the dramatic shift in power on Capitol Hill, which has diminished the American leader’s political capital.
The president told voters to pretend he was on the ballot paper and they responded by inflicting a string of historic defeats in one-time Republican strongholds.
It has led to claims by opponents that he is a “failed lame duck president”.
– What does the new political landscape look like in Washington?
For the last two years, the president has been able to operate relatively unchecked by Congress, with both chambers in Republican hands.
Following the midterm elections this has been turned on its head with the Democrats commanding a majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
– What does this mean?
Democrats will have the power to block the president’s legislative agenda, reject his appointees and investigate his administration.
– So Mr Trump is helpless – ‘in office but not in power’?
No. As president, he retains executive authority over key areas, including trade and foreign policy, which during his second term he has actively exercised rather than seek congressional support, highlighted by his imposition of tariffs and launching the Iran war.
Should Congress seek to curb some of his actions, he also has a veto, which would need a two-thirds majority in both chambers to overturn.
The president could use the same power to reject Democrat legislation he disagrees with.
It has the makings for a stand-off.
There have been suggestions that if Mr Trump finds himself hindered domestically, he may seek to take an even more active role on the international stage, where he can flex his presidential muscle – a potential prospect likely to cause jitters in the UK and elsewhere.
– But what about the congressional inquiries?
Senior Democrats have already warned Mr Trump and his team to “lawyer up” in the face of threatened investigations into the conduct of his administration.
However, this pursuit of the president could backfire and actually rally support for him.
He won the 2024 presidential race despite having been twice impeached by the House of Representatives, although subsequently acquitted by the Senate.
In punishing the Republicans at the polls, US voters also signalled that their priority for politicians was tackling the cost-of-living crisis.
– Is it all plain sailing for the Democrats with their control of Congress?
No. The midterms campaign exposed divisions within the Democrats and these are unlikely to disappear once they return to Washington.
Tensions are set to persist over the direction of the party and messaging in the run-up to the next race for the White House.
– Have we seen ‘peak’ Trump?
Doubtful. Even before the midterms, Washington watchers predicted that as the controversial president entered the second half of his current term in office he would become increasingly anxious to remain centre stage.
Accusations of being a “lame duck” and attention turning towards the 2028 presidential race and potential successors is only likely to fuel this, in defiance of his detractors.
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