WASHINGTON: The US midterm elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3, have emerged as a political test for President Donald Trump, with results set to determine whether Republicans retain control of Congress for the next two years or Democrats gain leverage over his administration.
According to Reuters, voters will decide all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the Senate’s 100 seats.
Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers. Election surveys suggest Democrats have a stronger chance of winning control of the House, while the Senate race remains closely contested and difficult to predict.
If Democrats take control of the House, they would gain greater authority to investigate Trump administration policies, summon officials to testify and influence decisions on government spending.
A Democratic majority in the Senate could also allow the party to block or delay confirmation of the president’s nominees for Cabinet positions and federal judgeships.
However, a Democratic victory would not strip Trump of his presidential powers. He would retain the authority to veto legislation and issue executive orders in several areas.
Trump said Monday that if Democrats win the midterm elections, he would become “Mr. Veto” and block bills backed by the opposition party.
Analyses by Al Jazeera and the Brookings Institution suggest that Democratic control of Congress could increase scrutiny of Trump’s policies and lead to more investigations, while disputes over the budget and government spending could intensify.
If Republicans retain their majorities in both chambers, Trump would likely face fewer legislative obstacles in pursuing his political agenda.
