Trump strengthens his grip on the White House

US President Donald Trump strengthened his grip on the White House by appointing his close advisor Stephen Miller as his chief of staff, succeeding Susie Wiles, in the first major reshuffle of his administration after the resounding defeat of the Republicans in the midterm elections. The appointment, according to the president's critics, reflects his adherence to a confrontational approach with the Democrats who seized the majority in both chambers of Congress. Trump reinforced this message by posting a picture of himself bearing the phrase “Mr. Veto,” indicating his willingness to use his powers to obstruct the agenda of the new majority.

The decision comes amid escalating divisions within the Republican Party regarding Trump's political future. Despite their control of Congress, Democrats will find it difficult to pass their legislation and override the presidential veto, but their majority gives them tools to open investigations into the administration and restrict government spending.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he had asked the Department of Justice to investigate the Democrats' threat to exploit their control of Congress to isolate officials in his administration, accusing them of practicing "blackmail." Trump now faces a completely different political scene, after the Democrats succeeded in controlling the Senate and the House of Representatives in the midterm elections on Tuesday, and pledged to open investigations targeting officials in his Republican administration, including Attorney General Todd Blanche and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“Democrats continue to threaten many people,” Trump said in a post on his platform, Truth Social. He added that these practices "amount to the highest levels of blackmail, and they must be held accountable," noting that officials of his Republican administration did not commit any practices that require impeachment, according to Agence France-Presse. He indicated that he had issued instructions to the Ministry of Justice to "investigate this criminal act," adding that "prison should be the fate of these extortionists." With their control of the committees in both chambers, Democrats can now subpoena officials and demand that they submit documents and hold public hearings, thus tightening oversight of Trump and his senior aides. The alleged investigations are likely to include business deals concluded by Trump and members of his family, his activities related to cryptocurrencies, government contracts linked to billionaire Elon Musk, cuts to federal agencies and immigration enforcement measures, as well as the management of the war in Iran and the Jeffrey Epstein case. The US administration's refusal to provide testimony or documents threatens to spark legal battles. Democrats could launch, for the third time, procedures to impeach Trump, although party leaders have not yet committed to doing so. While impeachment requires a simple majority in the House of Representatives, removing the president requires a vote of two-thirds of the Senate, a number that far exceeds the Democrats' share of seats in it.