Donald Trump struck a surprisingly conciliatory tone after the Democratic sweep of the US midterm elections rendered him a lame-duck president this week. How long that will last is anyone’s guess.
From renewed military action against Iran to vetoing Democratic legislation, the volatile 80-year-old could still use his remaining powers to cause major disruption in his last two years in office.
“Every time Trump has been backed into a corner, he has shouted more and come out fighting,” Peter Loge, director of George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs, said.
Vetoes
Trump congratulated the Democrats on Tuesday and said he would be ready to work with them. He may have to, especially if Republicans turn on him over a defeat many of them blame on the Iran war.
But at the same time Trump repeatedly boasted of his executive power to veto any Democratic legislation that crosses his desk in the Oval Office. He even posted a picture of a red baseball cap with the word “VETO”.
Trump’s administration has reportedly drawn up a plan to use executive orders to push through his hardline immigration policies, much as he did in his first 100 days of his second term.
The twice-impeached Trump, the first convicted criminal ever to be elected US president, has said he is also ready to fight back against Democratic-led investigations.
Iran
Foreign policy is the one area in which lame-duck US presidents still have wide-ranging powers.
Trump may renew large-scale military operations against Iran, although he indicated on Tuesday that he was still seeking a deal to end the war he launched in February.
“Otherwise I’ll just finish the job,” he told Fox News.
“I don’t think he wants his legacy to be a warmonger. He wants his legacy to have left America stronger,” Ryan Hass of the Brookings Institution said.
Trump also dismissed speculation that he could fire Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth as the Iran war drags on, as part of a cabinet reshuffle.
Ukraine, detente and trade
Trump has long wanted to be seen as a peacemaker and is likely to continue to push Ukraine to agree to a settlement with Russia. Fresh trilateral talks are set for next week.
But Trump’s leverage with the leaders he views as his great power equals — Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin — may be hit by his midterms defeat.
The election hammering comes less than two weeks before the three could potentially meet at a summit in China later this month.
Monuments to himself
Construction tycoon Trump may however choose to step back from confrontation and focus on his favorite subject — stamping his physical legacy on Washington.
In his closing midterms speech, Trump barely mentioned policy and instead talked about his renovation of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and other plans to beautify Washington.
His pride and joy is the giant $400 million (R6,5 billion) ballroom that he is building at the White House, and which is due to be completed in late 2028 — shortly before he leaves office for good.
