The new battle for Congress: Trump's veto
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Summary
Democrats will charge into January with a sweeping mandate — but as President Trump has repeatedly noted, his veto power can deliver a robust roadblock to his opponents' agenda. Why it matters: Democrats may be forced to compromise to get legislative priorities through. Trump will have to decide how frequently he'll use the power — and whether he'll strike down bills popular among Americans. State of play: Democrats have secured 54 seats in the upcoming Senate, per the AP's projections , and are leading in two tight races in Mississippi and Alaska that have yet to be called. In the House, they've won 254, per AP , with several race calls still to come. Neither majority will be large enough to cross the two-thirds threshold Democrats would need to override a presidential veto on their own. Friction point: Trump knows that — and has teased his plans to impede Democrats' progress by using the power liberally. On Tuesday night, as election results rolled in, Trump posted an image of a red MAGA-esque hat that read "VETO" in all caps. A similar hat was displayed on the Resolute Desk during a Thursday signing ceremony. Asked on Fox News how he'd work with a Democratic Congress, Trump pointed to the veto: "They're in control, but they're really not in control because they can send over, you know, 50 different great bills that they're all excited about and I send them back with a nice stamp, veto." White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said in a statement provided to Axios that Trump is "willing to work with anyone to continue delivering victories for hardworking Americans." She added, "If Democrats choose to pursue radical left policies, they are choosing to work against the American people." Worth noting: Lawmakers secured enough support to override a Trump veto across party lines during his first term on the National Defense Authorization Act in 2021. Yes, but: While Trump could use veto threats to force lawmakers to negotiate or to halt legislation altogether, vetoing popular measures could benefit Democrats' messaging for 2028, when a potential trifecta in all three branches of government would let them enact their agenda with little interference. Responding to an image of Trump's "VETO" hat Thursday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote , "If Donald Trump wants to be Mr. Veto, let's test that out. The new Democratic majority in Congress should pass bills to make life more affordable and our government less corrupt." But doing so will still require coalition-building on the Hill, says Jonathan Lewallen, an associate professor at the University of Tampa who has studied policy agenda-setting and veto threats. He highlights two key issue areas where Trump has already threatened vetoes in the first half of his administration that Democrats have pledged to tackle: defense policy and consumer protection . Yes, but: "There may come a point in the next two years where Trump is still issuing lots of veto threats and potentially even vetoing the occasional bill, and it just becomes less effective as a strategy," Lewallen says. That means the administration might instead use another tactic with legislation they disagree with: quietly letting them become law automatically after 10 days without Trump's signature. The bottom line: Reversing Trump's agenda from Capitol Hill isn't expected to be smooth sailing. But winning back control of both chambers isn't just about passing bills, with Dem-led investigations, hearings and subpoenas expected on the horizon . Go deeper: House Republicans vote to sustain Trump vetoes
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