US President Donald Trump, who suffered a crushing defeat from voters on Tuesday, enters the final stage of his political career, burdened by wounds but determined to cling to power.
Many of his allies acknowledge that the final years of his presidency will be frustrating, and he will become a “lame duck,” a term given to American presidents at the end of their terms because they are without much influence, as the Democrats launch investigations they promised, which could topple the American president and his close allies.
Amid these struggles, Republicans will ultimately seek to identify Trump's successor, perhaps at a faster pace than Trump expected.
Trump has not ruled out trying to make deals with Democrats who have gained new influence, and some of his advisers say his ability to build unexpected partnerships could benefit him greatly as the end of his term approaches.
Now that Democrats have become the opposition party, they will face pressure to prove their ability to govern, which may encourage them to make deals with Trump.
But he recently called himself "Mr. Veto" in reference to his veto power when talking about how he would handle Democratic control of the legislature, and his record during his first term as president does not inspire confidence in bipartisan cooperation.
A source familiar with the internal discussions told CNN that while Trump may appear peaceful in the moment immediately after the election, his behavior in the coming years will depend on how Democrats use their power.
The source added: “If you have a Congress that is willing to make deals, it is a deal maker. But if you have a Congress that will immediately focus only on investigations, you will get a completely different version of Trump.”
Tuesday's result was expected and prepared by Trump and his advisors, even as he embarked on an intense, month-long campaign in Republican states seeking to maintain the Republican majority in Congress, and to demonstrate his unique status as head of the party.
The intense election campaign, as Trump himself admitted, exhausted him and made him need a break.
However, the result was the worst possible scenario for Trump.
Ten years into office, the prospect of being labeled an outgoing president has him considering new ways to assert his importance, officials and advisers said, even as many members of his own party begin to envision a future without him as their leader. In the near term, this could mean a rapid resumption of the war against Iran, which Trump has strongly indicated he is ready to resume once the midterm elections are over. American and Iranian negotiators have worked unsuccessfully over the past few days to reach a new agreement, and Trump's team has spent months exploring ways to use his broad executive powers to advance items of his program that are no longer likely to win congressional approval, including immigration and federal spending. Those close to the president say that he is ready to expand the scope of his executive authority to impose his goals. Having shaken off voters' concerns about his excessive preoccupation with foreign policy and his personal projects, Trump is expected to immerse himself in both areas, as he will attend three major international summits in the coming weeks and devote more time to the various construction projects he has been pursuing in Washington, according to sources familiar with the matter. The day after the election, Trump called a surprise event to showcase construction of the White House Ballroom. In the hours that followed the announcement of the Democrats' victory in the House of Representatives and the Senate, the US President did not seem ready to take responsibility for the Republican defeats. He regularly pointed to historical precedents showing the losses of the current president's party in the midterm elections. Trump also complained about the popularity of some candidates and their inability to collect donations effectively, even though he was the one who chose many of them. Trump has privately criticized Republicans who have questioned his approach of making the midterm elections about him, blaming his past losses on candidate mistakes or allegations of fraud, and rarely correcting course after his previous political setbacks. However, he has not ruled out the possibility of staff changes, and several administration officials have begun looking for job opportunities outside the White House, according to several Trump aides. His senior political advisers have privately blamed Republican shortcomings on the Iran war, and many believe Trump may be looking for a scapegoat. Expect the worst about the investigations
Democrats have made clear their intention to use their majority in Congress to issue subpoenas and hold hearings focused on the actions of the president and his allies. Trump warned during his election campaign that he could be impeached again. Opinion polls showed voters' concerns about corruption rising ahead of the elections. “Get lawyers,” said a brief two-word statement from Democratic House Oversight Committee Chairman-elect Robert Garcia after his party’s victory. Administration lawyers have been anticipating potential investigations for months. However, as of September, the extensive preparations that some in the West Wing had expected to prepare the president and his senior advisers for potential investigations from Democrats were not well underway, Trump advisers told CNN, even as some officials turned to lawyers in person. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, in particular, often ended any discussion of the possibility of broad oversight investigations into officials at the highest levels of the administration, believing it might take focus away from the campaign, one adviser said. "She always said, 'We're going to win, and we're going to do everything we can to win,'" the adviser noted of Wiles' stance in the months leading up to the midterm elections. Other White House officials claimed that Wiles secretly told the White House Counsel's Office to prepare for what Democrats might do, even as she directed staff to focus on the desired goal, as one described it. “Calmly preparing for this scenario does not mean implementing it,” one official said. The Office of Legal Counsel also hired 15 additional lawyers in recent months to protect the administration from future oversight investigations. “If hard-line Democrats want to abuse their power, politicize the subpoena process, and try to destroy people’s lives, they should remember that we still control the federal government and its full powers,” a White House official said. However, some officials have hired their own lawyers or considered purchasing legal insurance to cover what many expect to be huge costs if they become involved in an investigation. After several senior administration employees incurred heavy expenses during the investigation of January 6, 2021, when Trump supporters stormed Congress in protest of his loss of the presidential election, other junior employees secretly considered staying in their jobs, indicating that they expected Democrats to expand the scope of their investigations. There were also discussions between Trump, White House Counsel Will Scharf, and others about the feasibility of issuing pre-emptive pardons for employees. They have not yet decided whether to move forward, although Trump has not ruled it out. Many in the White House believe the president personally expects the worst regarding the Democrats' investigations, having gone through two impeachment trials during his first term. "He's been through this before, so naturally he expects the worst," a source told CNN. Sources familiar with the discussions reported that during his private discussions with his closest allies, the president acknowledged the importance of what it would mean for Democrats to control Congress during the last two years of his term. A White House official said: “He remembers well how his family and aides were smeared, as well as facing two impeachment proceedings.” Executive decisions on immigration, spending, and tariffs
White House officials are keenly aware that divided government means any sweeping legislation Trump wants to pass will be nearly impossible but they are also quick to remind him that his agenda throughout his second term has been largely implemented via executive orders without relying on Congress. Consultants say this pattern will intensify as Democrats control the House and Senate by overwhelming majorities. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Budget Office Chief Russell Vogt have led the broad use of the president's executive powers. Both played a key role in planning some of Trump's most controversial actions early in his term, such as tightening immigration controls and sharply cutting spending on federal government programs. Administration lawyers are now looking at measures on immigration, federal spending and tariffs, which could advance aspects of Trump's agenda where congressional action appears unlikely. Possible measures include tightening visa rules, imposing new tariffs on imports, and relaxing some regulations. The slim Democratic majority in the Senate may not make a radical difference in Trump's legislative strategy. Parliamentary filibuster rules require most major legislation to receive 60 votes. However, this excludes presidential nominations, including federal judge nominations, where Democrats could block any potential Supreme Court nominee if a position becomes vacant within the next two years, something several Republican officials have expressed concern about. Some Trump advisers believe that Democrats, seeking to demonstrate their ability to govern, will look for areas of consensus, at least during the short period before the start of the 2028 presidential election cycle. “I'm a person who likes to get things done, and there are things we can work on,” Trump told Fox News on Tuesday evening, citing only immigration as one potential area of consensus without going into detail. Trump pledged to use his veto against any legislation presented by the Democrats if it contradicts his electoral promises, and on Tuesday he published a picture of a red hat with the word “veto” written in large white letters. To override a presidential veto, it requires the approval of two-thirds of the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. In a statement to the “New York Post” podcast before Election Day, Trump said: “I think I will become Mr. Veto, and then at some point, perhaps we will reach agreements.” More room to move in foreign policy
After spending much of the past two years focused intensely on wars abroad, Trump sought to marginalize the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine during the midterm election campaign. Now, efforts to put a decisive end to these two conflicts are expected to intensify. In their final years, presidents often shift toward foreign policy, enjoying broader individual powers, while Congress's ability to restrict their actions remains limited. This path may also contribute to strengthening the president's political legacy. For Trump, who publicly aspires to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, this issue has been a source of frustration. The war on Iran has lasted longer than expected, and Trump has privately expressed his belief that this has seriously harmed his party's chances in the midterm elections. Some Trump allies expect that he will look for someone to hold him accountable now that the election campaign is over. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who has been a supporter of the war, is seen as being in a position where he could be held accountable; Democrats, and some Republicans as well, have indicated that Hegseth would be a prime target for potential impeachment proceedings, among other investigations. Meanwhile, Trump - who is always keen to poll others' opinions - has been asking his allies about their assessment of Hegseth's recent performance. “The bottom line is that Trump feels he was misled about the war, he was misled, and someone should pay for that,” a Trump adviser said. For his part, Trump told Fox News on Tuesday that he does not plan to make changes in his cabinet, and a source close to Trump said that the president made clear that Hegseth must confront any attempts to isolate him. Trump has defended Hegseth and rejected Democrats' efforts to oust him, calling him a "great warrior." In 2006, then-President George W. Bush quickly announced the departure of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, following the Republican Party's severe defeat in that year's midterm elections, driven in part by the unpopular Iraq War. It is not clear whether Trump will make changes in his team before reaching a decisive end to the conflict with Iran. For weeks, his senior advisers have been discussing plans to launch new strikes against Iran, in the hope of ending the eight-month-old conflict once and for all. However, not all members of the president's team see imminent action as fruitful; Some are pushing to give more time to try to reach an agreement. Either way, the war with Iran has become a burden on a president who had previously promised not to involve the country in foreign conflicts. Likewise, the war in Ukraine, which Trump pledged to end within a day of taking office, is an unfulfilled promise. Talks between Ukraine and Russia, mediated by the United States, are scheduled to resume this week in the UAE, and a tripartite meeting is being planned that includes Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, during their upcoming meeting in Shenzhen, China, later this month. Choosing his successor
For more than a decade, Trump has tightened his grip on the Republican Party, alienating dissenting voices and alienating those who have not shown loyalty to him, and even his allies acknowledge that era is coming to an end. Some Republicans believe that regaining Trump's influence in light of this week's results will be a difficult task. Once seen as a party leader whom no one dared challenge, his political standing has declined, and many now view him as a "lame duck" early in his term. But Trump sees things from a different perspective, and he is not ready to give up his influential role as the party prepares for the 2028 primaries. His advisers point out that, unlike in the first year of his second term - when he immediately shut down any talk about his future successor - the president is now more open to discussing his ideas and visions for 2028. A source close to Trump said that the president realizes that once he names a successor, his position as president will be consolidated in During his last period, he lost a large part of his political influence. Advisers indicated that serious discussions on this issue could begin in January. Trump said on Tuesday: "I don't want to talk about specific names; it's too early to do that. We still have a long way to go, but maybe now is the time to start thinking about this matter." During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump kept in mind a fundamental question when choosing his running mate: Who is the most suitable person to succeed him in the future and continue the approach of the “Make America Great Again” (MAGAA) movement? This consideration was pivotal in his decision to choose J.D. Vance. However, as Trump surveys those around him about who the future GOP presidential nominee should be, Vance's name is not the only one that appears; The name of Foreign Minister Marco Rubio is also being mentioned. Trump has told allies that he wants to monitor the course of the primaries first. Initially, sources familiar with the talks said, Trump's pro-Rubio advisers hope the president will make his decision sooner rather than later, noting that despite Rubio's fame, they believe he will need longer than Vance to get to know the American people. During his trips across the country last month, Trump made little reference to the role he would play after leaving the White House. But he made clear he had no intention of giving up his power, telling a crowd of supporters in Sioux City, Iowa, who booed him: "You know, we've only got a little over two years left. Can you believe it?" He then added: "But I'm going to have a lot of power when I leave."
