Trump Says He Will Use Veto Power If Democrats Win Midterms
President Donald Trump said that he would use his presidential veto powers to block legislation if Democrats win control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections.
Trump Outlines Veto Strategy in Podcast Interview
Speaking to The New York Post’s Miranda Devine on her Pod Force One podcast, Trump detailed how he would respond if Democrats secure majorities in the House of Representatives and the Senate during the midterm elections. Excerpts from the conversation aired on Fox News, while the complete episode was scheduled for release on Monday. Bloomberg also reported on the remarks, noting that the interview clip aired Sunday on Fox News.
“If that happens, I believe I’ll be Mr. Veto. I’ll stop them from establishing themselves, and then we’ll probably make a deal,” Trump stated during the interview.
The president described a potential legislative stalemate where Democratic lawmakers would send bills to the White House, only for him to reject them outright. He suggested that repeated rejections would eventually force a compromise.
“They’ll send bills, I’ll veto them, and at some point, a month or two later, they’ll become garbage. Then you bring them together and make a deal,” Trump said.
Precedent and Past Vetoes Shape Legislative Outlook
Trump asserted that a Democratic majority would not completely halt negotiations or prevent his administration from reaching agreements with Capitol Hill. He added that utilizing the veto pen in a divided government would not be entirely unprecedented for his administration.
“And then at some point, we’ll probably make deals. That’s what’s happened. I mean, this wouldn’t be the first time,” Trump noted.
During his second term in office, Trump has issued two vetoes so far. In his first term, he vetoed a total of 10 bills.
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