Trump Braces for Midterm Loss: "I'll Be Mr. Veto"

Hints at strategy for responding to a midterm defeat
"If I keep vetoing bills, they'll eventually come to negotiate"
Democrats favored to retake the House; Senate race also close

U.S. President Donald Trump said he would actively use his veto power if Democrats take control of both the House and Senate in the Nov. 3 midterm elections. His strategy is to block legislation and force negotiations, even if Democrats regain control of Congress.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a Halloween party held at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, on Oct. 31 (local time). AP-Yonhap News

In an interview with the New York Post podcast "Pod Force One" on Nov. 1 (local time), Trump said of the possibility that Democrats could take control of Congress, "Maybe I'll be 'Mr. Veto,'" adding, "I won't let them ruin everything." A veto is an act that blocks a bill or decision from taking effect by opposing it.

"If Democrats send me bills, I can just veto them," he said. "If their bills keep getting vetoed for a month or two, they'll realize they're just wasting time and come to negotiate." He added, "In the end, we'll reach an agreement," and said, "This isn't the first time this has happened." He said, "I think we're going to do very well," but reiterated, "If we lose, I'll veto every bill. I'll keep vetoing them."

This suggests that Trump intends to maintain control of the government by wielding his veto power, even if Democrats take control of Congress. During his first term, Trump vetoed 10 bills. So far in his second term, he has vetoed two bills.

According to the New York Post, U.S. election forecasters see Democrats as having a strong chance of retaking the House in this midterm election. The Senate race is close. Nine of the Senate seats held by Republicans are classified as competitive, compared with three competitive seats among those held by Democrats.

The Cook Political Report has rated Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Ohio and Texas, traditionally strong states for Republicans, as competitive. Since 1938, there have been only two midterm elections in which the party in power did not lose House seats. Republicans currently hold only a narrow majority in the House.

If Democrats regain control of Congress, they are expected to step up their scrutiny of The Trump Administration. Democrats have warned that if they retake either the House or the Senate, they will launch sweeping investigations into Trump, his administration and his allies.

Trump also warned about Democrats taking control of Congress. He said, "Democrats want to take away the people's Second Amendment rights and make everyone transgender." He also claimed that Democrats want to make Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., states and increase the number of Supreme Court justices to keep Republicans out of power.

He also claimed that Democrats want to abolish the Senate filibuster, a procedural tactic that can delay or block legislative action. Trump also agreed with Tesla CEO Elon Musk's warning that if Democrats win a landslide in the midterm elections, the United States could be "destroyed, perhaps forever."

Trump also expressed regret about the limits on presidential terms. Referring to the 22nd Amendment, he said, "I'd love to run again if I had the opportunity, but the language in the Constitution is very strict." He added, "We still have more than two years left. We can do a lot in that time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.