Edition · Thu 05 Nov 2026
Politics Desk
Chandeliers and a Shrinking Mandate: Trump Begins Life as a Lame Duck With Two Years Left to Fight
After a decade at the centre of American politics, the president is wounded and his power is diminished. Those around him say the next two years could bring deals, vetoes, executive orders and possibly a return to war with Iran.
By Rachel · Edited by Chanan Zevin - Chief Editor and Head of Desks
Published
A day of celebration, of a sort
On the morning after his party's historic defeat, President Trump called an impromptu event to show off the construction of the new White House ballroom. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum called it "a day of celebration." As the last beam rose toward the roof, the president described his vision to reporters. "Envision chandeliers all over here soon. Envision marble floor. Oh, it's going to be beautiful," he said.
A day of celebration, of a sort
For a president who had just lost both chambers of Congress, the scene was striking. But those who know him say it may be a preview of what comes next. With voters no longer able to punish him at the ballot box, Mr. Trump is expected to spend more time on foreign policy and the building projects he has been pursuing in Washington, including three major international summits in the coming weeks.
Deal-maker or 'Mr. Veto'?
Mr. Trump has not ruled out striking deals with the new Democratic majorities, and some advisers believe his talent for unlikely partnerships could serve him well. Democrats, no longer the opposition, will face pressure to show they can govern, which could push them toward the negotiating table.
Deal-maker or 'Mr. Veto'?
Yet the president has also called himself "Mr. Veto" when musing about a Democratic Congress, and his first-term record does not suggest much appetite for compromise. "If you have a Congress that's willing to strike deals, he's a deal-maker," one person involved in internal discussions said. "If you have a Congress that's going to come in and immediately only focus on investigations, then you're going to get a very different version of Trump."
The executive pen and the Iran question
His team has spent months exploring how to use executive authority to advance parts of his agenda that now look unlikely to pass Congress, including immigration and federal spending. People close to the president say he is ready to push the limits of that power.
The executive pen and the Iran question
The biggest question is Iran. Mr. Trump has strongly hinted that he is prepared to resume the war once the election season is over, even as American and Iranian negotiators have spent recent days trying, so far without success, to reach a new deal. Many of his top political advisers privately blame the war for the party's losses.
Bracing for subpoenas
Democrats have made clear they will use their majorities to hold hearings and issue subpoenas. "Lawyer up," Representative Robert Garcia, the expected next chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said in a two-word statement. The White House counsel's office has hired about 15 additional lawyers in recent months to prepare for oversight fights, and some officials have hired their own attorneys.
Bracing for subpoenas
Mr. Trump, who has pointed to history to argue that a president's party usually loses ground in midterms, has so far declined to take responsibility for the defeat. Whether he becomes a deal-maker, a fighter or a builder of monuments, his time as the unchallenged master of his party is ending. Republicans have already begun looking for his successor.