Trump White House prepares to rely heavily on executive power if Democrats capture Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections
President Donald Trump’s White House has spent months preparing to advance major parts of his agenda through executive power if Democrats take control of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections, according to Reuters.
Senior officials, including Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought and White House Counsel Will Scharf, have been working since April to identify policies Trump could pursue without new congressional approval.
The preparations cover immigration, tariffs, housing costs and federal spending, while White House lawyers are examining the limits of presidential authority and how to defend potentially contested actions in court.
Among the measures under consideration are new tariffs on imports of critical minerals and wind turbines, tighter visa rules for international students and temporary foreign workers, and executive measures aimed at lowering housing and construction costs.
Federal agencies have also submitted proposals and legal reviews identifying actions that could be implemented unilaterally.
Vought is examining which administration priorities could be pursued using funds Congress has already appropriated. He is also considering changes to federal grant rules that would give political appointees greater influence over which government programs receive federal money.
Trump has been briefed on the preparations and has participated in discussions about them, Reuters reported. Asked how comfortable Trump would be governing through executive authority under a Democratic Congress, one person familiar with the planning said: “Very comfortable.”
The administration is simultaneously preparing for a wave of congressional investigations if Democrats win. White House lawyers have been briefing political appointees and agency officials on how to respond to subpoenas, document requests and congressional inquiries.
They have also sought a Justice Department opinion that could support invoking executive privilege to shield some communications with private presidential advisers from congressional scrutiny.
Democrats need a net gain of four seats in both the House and Senate to overturn Republicans’ current 218-214 House majority and 53-47 Senate advantage. Polls favor Democrats in the House, while control of the Senate remains too close to call.
Trump acknowledged Sunday that a Democratic-controlled Congress could force him to rely heavily on his veto power before eventually negotiating.
“I guess I’ll become Mr. Veto,” Trump said. “And then at some point, we’ll probably make deals.”