White House Maps Post-Midterm Plan B: Trump Says He Would Become 'Mr. Veto' if Democrats Win Congress
The White House has spent months preparing for a possible Democratic takeover of Congress, developing plans to keep advancing major parts of President Donald Trump's agenda through executive power while bracing for investigations of his administration, Reuters reported on November 1, citing a White House official and two people familiar with the plans, all speaking on condition of anonymity.
Senior officials including Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and budget director Russell Vought have been working with the White House Counsel's Office since April. White House counsel Will Scharf and his team are looking at what Trump can legally do on his own, where he could push the limits of his authority and how to defend those decisions in court, the White House official said. Federal agencies have submitted proposals and legal reviews, and Vought is examining which priorities can move forward using money already appropriated by Congress, as well as possible changes to federal grant rules giving political appointees more say over funding.
Executive actions under consideration include new tariffs on imports of critical minerals and wind turbines, tighter visa rules for international students and temporary foreign workers, and measures aimed at lowering housing and construction costs, according to the report. Trump has been briefed on the preparations and has taken part in the discussions; asked how comfortable he would be governing through executive authority under a Democratic Congress, one of the people said, 'very comfortable.'
If Republicans lose control of Congress, Trump said he expects he could issue vetoes for 'a month or two' before reaching compromises with Democrats. 'I guess I'll become Mr. Veto,' Trump told the New York Post's Pod Force One podcast in an interview excerpt released on Sunday. 'And then at some point, we'll probably make deals.'
The White House pushed back on the prospect of Republican losses. 'This administration and commonsense Republicans will continue to secure our borders, restore law and order, putting more money back into the pockets of hard-working Americans, and deliver wins for the American people,' White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said.
Democrats need a net gain of four seats in both the House and the Senate to overturn Republicans' narrow 218-214 and 53-47 majorities in Tuesday's midterm elections. Polls favor Democrats to win the House, while the Senate remains too close to call. A Democratic Congress could also use hearings, subpoenas and document requests to investigate the administration, a prospect White House lawyers have been briefing appointees and agency leaders on for months, the report said.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国国会大厦黄昏实景（2026年2月12日摄于华盛顿）。摄影：Shawn Miller／国会图书馆，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The U.S. Capitol at sunset in Washington, February 12, 2026. Photo by Shawn Miller, Library of Congress, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
