Democrats seized control of Congress after Tuesday night’s defeat, leaving President Trump as a lame duck. He must now decide whether to cut deals or fight back. Trump said, "the war will end when he decides to end it." He also faces pressure regarding staff changes and Supreme Court nominations.
Good morning. Democrats have seized control of Congress and sent immediate signals that they plan to go right after President Trump. He must decide quickly whether to cut deals with them, try to use them as a foil or continue leading the way he has since January 2025. He is now officially a lame duck, and after Tuesday night’s thorough defeat he likely won’t have the same control over his own party that he had before.
Foreign policy: The White House has unfinished business in Iran, Ukraine, Venezuela and a host of other places. Trump will have to decide whether to intensify military strikes against Iran in an attempt to end that conflict. He told the Journal that the war will end when he decides to end it. Similarly, he will have to decide whether to change tactics with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who continues to attack Ukraine. And Trump will face pressure to better define his relationship with Israel.
Supreme Court: Democrats will now be able to block any Trump nomination to the Supreme Court when they take control of the Senate in January. Justice Samuel Alito will be under pressure to resign, perhaps as soon as this week, so that Republicans can nominate a replacement and seat the person during this lame-duck period. Will Trump pressure Alito to step down?
Staff: There have been rumors for weeks of a White House staff shake-up after the midterms. And that might extend to cabinet secretaries and a range of other officials. Does Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth leave? Trump said Tuesday night he didn’t have plans for big personnel changes, but these often happen quickly after a big electoral setback.
Congress: Trump didn’t cut any deals with Democrats at the beginning of this term, but he will have plenty of opportunities to do so now. He could use the new dynamic to his advantage, as Democrats inevitably will have intraparty squabbles to sort out. If Trump splinters them, settling on a group that might be more willing to cut deals with him on the budget, foreign policy and issues such as housing, he could find success. If he antagonizes them en masse, though, it might push Democrats together.
Projects: Trump has a number of Washington, D.C., projects that remain unfinished and tied up in court. The White House ballroom has survived legal challenges, but there’s the golf course, triumphal arch (or arc, as he called it Monday) and a number of other things. Does he continue to devote a lot of energy to these activities if voters have sent him a signal they want him to focus on things such as gas prices and affordability—or does he start to let some of these things go?
This is an edition of the Politics newsletter, bringing you an expert guide to what’s driving D.C. every day. If you’re not subscribed, sign up here.
What Else Is Happening
Democrats will set a new agenda after big victories in the House and Senate.
The Supreme Court’s conservative justices indicated sympathy for Catholic schools in a case on LGBTQ protections.
The president declared war on the term “AI” and now CEOs are struggling to keep up.
Trump said he planned to cut off military aid to Israel by the end of the year.
Former Army Secretary Dan Driscoll joined OpenAI to oversee national-security operations.
What I’m Reading
Troy Jackson Defeats Susan Collins to Win U.S. Senate Seat (Portland Press Herald)
‘We Just Took Back Texas’: Talarico Celebrates Historic Senate Win Over Paxton (Dallas Morning News)
For the First Time Since 1998, South Carolina Elects a Democratic U.S. Senator (The State)
About Me
I’m Damian Paletta, The Wall Street Journal’s Washington coverage chief. I’ve covered Washington for 22 years as a reporter and editor. I’ve covered the White House, Congress, national security, the federal budget, economics and multiple market meltdowns.
WSJ Politics brings you an expert guide to what’s driving D.C., every weekday morning. Send your feedback to politics@wsj.com (if you’re reading this in your inbox, you can just hit reply). This edition was curated and edited in collaboration with Alistair Dawber, Joe Haberstroh and Mali Michelle Fleming. Got a tip for us? Here’s how to submit.