WASHINGTON, Nov. 5 — The Democrats’ sweeping victory in the U.S. midterm elections could give the party greater leverage to challenge President Donald Trump’s policies, but the extent of their influence remains uncertain.
With Democrats poised to take control of Congress, the party is expected to step up scrutiny of Trump’s military actions against Iran, seek to roll back some of his tariffs and push for stronger support for Ukraine.
However, the president’s executive authority and veto power, along with persistent political divisions inside the Beltway, could limit the extent to which Democrats can translate their electoral gains into concrete policy changes.
ON IRAN WAR
The Republican losses in the midterm elections have intensified scrutiny of Trump’s decision to launch the war against Iran, raising questions about whether the incoming Democratic-controlled Congress could exert greater pressure on the administration to bring the conflict to an end.
People close to Trump have blamed the war for contributing to the Republican defeat, with some White House officials and Republican allies reportedly arguing that the conflict was misguided, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Trump himself acknowledged that the war was partly responsible for the party’s losses, although he said he did not regret launching it.
The election outcome could give Democrats greater leverage to challenge the administration’s approach to the conflict.
That leverage could take several forms. Democrats could push for further votes on war powers resolutions, which seek to limit or terminate unauthorized military operations, or use the appropriations process to restrict funding for prolonging the conflict.
Colorado Democratic Rep. Jason Crow, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, told CBS News that lawmakers had already voted on seven resolutions concerning the conflict, with two passing so far, arguing that Congress should continue holding votes.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, on the other hand, said Wednesday that the incoming majority could use Congress’ control over federal spending to pressure Trump to end the war.
“The American people don’t know what the heck we’re fighting for in Iran,” Schumer told journalists, later noting that the “power of the purse” is “one of the ways of deterring a president who does war without the consent of the American people.”
However, congressional opposition does not automatically translate into an end to military operations. The president retains substantial authority over military command and foreign policy, while legislative efforts to restrict military action could face procedural and political obstacles.
Under the War Powers Resolution, a federal law passed in 1973, the president, after notifying Congress of the use of military force, must terminate the action within 60 days unless Congress authorizes continued military action. The president can then issue a veto, which can only be overcome by a two-thirds supermajority in both the House and Senate.
Despite the sweeping victory in the midterm elections, Democrats are well short of those supermajority thresholds.
Whether Democrats can turn their electoral gains into an effective constraint on Trump’s Iran policy will therefore depend on their ability to secure sufficient support for funding restrictions or war powers legislation.
ON TARIFFS
The Democrats’ gains in the midterm elections could give the party new opportunities to challenge Trump’s tariff policies, but their ability to reverse the measures is likely to be constrained by the president’s veto power and the administration’s reliance on executive authority.
Democrats are expected to push for legislation to repeal some of Trump’s tariffs and reform the laws that have allowed him to impose duties with limited congressional involvement.
One of the most obvious priorities would be repealing Trump’s tariffs on Canada, which are raising prices and harming communities on both sides of the border, Reuters reported, citing Ron Wyden, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee.
However, even if such legislation passes Congress, Trump could veto it. Overriding a veto would require a two-thirds majority in both chambers, making a legislative rollback difficult.
Democrats could more immediately challenge Trump’s trade agenda through congressional oversight. With control of key committee leadership positions, they could hold hearings and investigate the administration’s implementation of tariff policies.
Areas of scrutiny could include tariff exemptions for individual companies, the impact of duties on small businesses, and the implementation of investment commitments made by Japan, South Korea and other trading partners.
Although such probes would not directly change tariff rates, they could increase public scrutiny and pressure the administration to explain its decisions.
Democrats could also use tariffs-related votes and proposals to reform trade laws to shape the debate ahead of the 2028 presidential election.
Greta Peisch, a former general counsel at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, told Reuters that even unsuccessful legislative efforts could help lay the groundwork for a broader Democratic trade policy.
At stake is the balance of trade authority between Congress and the president. Although the Constitution gives Congress the power to regulate foreign commerce and impose duties, successive laws have delegated some of that authority to the executive branch.
Democrats’ efforts to reclaim or limit those powers would therefore face significant legal and political hurdles, including Trump’s veto power. While the midterm results could give them greater leverage to scrutinize his tariff policies, they are unlikely to force an immediate reversal of his broader trade agenda.
ON TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS
While the Democrats’ sweeping victory has raised hopes among some European leaders for the future of transatlantic ties, many remain skeptical that the election results will do much to bridge the widening divisions between Europe and the United States over trade, security and other issues.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed hope that the Democrats’ victory would translate into greater support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
In an interview with German broadcaster ZDF on Wednesday, Zelensky thanked Republicans for their support but said Democrats had been particularly clear in their commitment to backing Ukraine and strengthening ties between the United States and Europe.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said he expects cooperation with the U.S. government and Congress to become broader and more extensive, expressing hope that the change of power in Congress will bring new momentum to support for Ukraine.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store called the election outcome “a powerful political signal about a change of course among American voters,” noting that voices more closely aligned with Norway’s positions were emerging in American policy circles, particularly on climate, the environment and development aid.
Nevertheless, concerns persist that political polarization in the United States will deepen, making its foreign policy increasingly unpredictable and complicating relations with the Europeans.
Brando Benifei, chair of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the United States, warned that Trump could pursue an increasingly erratic foreign policy over the next two years. His decisions on Ukraine and the Middle East, Benifei said, would have significant implications for Europe.
“It would be a mistake for Europeans to assume there will be warmer transatlantic relations,” even if Democrats gained control of Congress, warned Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the Munich Security Conference.
If constrained by Congress on domestic policy, Trump could shift more of his attention to foreign policy and trade, Ischinger argued, warning that Europe should brace for “not more harmonious transatlantic relations but more acrimony and even more Trump demands on Europe.”
The election results should not distract Europe from “the vital and urgent need” to guarantee its interests, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, noting that Europe must become stronger, more prosperous and more democratic.
Ian Kenny, executive director of the John Adams Institute in Amsterdam, said divisions could emerge within the U.S. decision-making process, with the House of Representatives potentially taking a more active role in oversight.
Therefore, he said, Europe might have to contend with “two very different realities” in its dealings with the United States.
Peter Filzmaier, a political scientist at the University of Graz in Austria, urged Europe not to become blindly optimistic too soon. He noted that Trump could exercise his power to veto legislation and budget bills passed by Congress over the next two years, potentially plunging the U.S. government into political deadlock or even paralysis.
The White House’s current foreign policy and its broader approach to transatlantic relations are unlikely to change significantly in the short term, he said. (Namibia Daily News/Xinhua)
