White House Prepares Executive Actions Ahead of US Midterm Elections
The US administration is preparing contingency plans for a potential Democratic takeover of Congress, focusing on unilateral executive actions and bracing for parliamentary investigations ahead of the midterm elections.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has spent months preparing for the potential takeover of Congress by the Democratic Party, developing a series of contingency plans to advance key parts of its agenda through executive powers while bracing for congressional investigations. According to a White House official and two sources familiar with the matter speaking to Reuters, the accelerated preparations come ahead of the midterm elections, where Democrats seek to erase the narrow Republican majority in both chambers.
Senior White House officials, including Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, have been working since April with the White House Counsel's Office. The objective is to identify executive actions on immigration, tariffs, housing cost reductions, and federal spending that Trump can enact unilaterally without congressional approval.
White House Counsel Will Scharf and his team are carefully reviewing what the president can legally accomplish independently, where the boundaries of executive authority can be stretched, and how these decisions can be defended against court challenges. In an interview with the New York Post's "Pod Force One" podcast, Trump addressed the prospect of Republicans losing their majority in Washington, stating he expects to become "Mr. Veto" before eventually reaching deals with lawmakers.
To seize control, Democrats need a net gain of four seats in both the House of Representatives, where Republicans hold a 218-to-214 majority, and the Senate, where the balance stands at 53 Republicans to 47 Democrats and independents. While opinion polls lean toward a Democratic victory in the House, the battle for the Senate remains fiercely contested.
The White House officially dismissed predictions of Republican losses and accused the media of promoting a false narrative. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated that the administration and common-sense Republicans will continue securing borders, restoring law and order, and delivering results for the American people.
