The 2026 midterms are over. Democrats won. But there’s something I think people need to keep in mind as we move forward.
Donald Trump is still president.
And apparently, he wanted to remind everyone of that fact himself. Following the election, Trump made a social media post featuring an image of himself alongside the message that he is still president.
Now, I don’t know about anyone else, but the way I read that post was less like a simple reminder and more like an ominous warning. Almost as if he was saying, Don’t forget. I’m still here. And I still have power.
Well, yes. We know. And that’s precisely the point.
And here’s where things get interesting.
Before the election, Trump was already talking about what he would do if Democrats took control of Congress. He specifically said, and I’m paraphrasing here, that if Republicans lost, he would veto everything. He even embraced the idea of becoming “Mr. Veto.”
And now? Well, Democrats won both chambers of Congress, and Trump has already started emphasizing that veto power.
Folks, we need to pay attention to this.
Because here’s the thing: Trump still has the constitutional authority to veto legislation. Democrats can take control of the House and Senate, pass bills, and send them to his desk. But if he decides to veto those bills, they’re going to need two-thirds majorities in BOTH chambers to override him.
And unless they can get substantial Republican support, that’s going to be an uphill battle.
I can already envision the next two years becoming an endless cycle of political gridlock. Democrats propose something. Trump vetoes it. Democrats get pissed. Republicans dig their heels in. Nothing gets accomplished. Rinse and repeat.
And here’s another thing that concerns me.
With Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer slated to take the reins as the Democratic majority leaders, I’m not exactly expecting some dramatic confrontation with Trump.
In fact, given their records and the positions they’ve taken on various issues, including Iran and funding for Israel, I have serious doubts about how willing they’ll be to challenge the administration.
And let’s be honest about something else: I certainly wouldn’t count on these two making impeachment a priority.
Now, impeachment is a separate process, and it takes the House initiating proceedings and the Senate conducting a trial. But if Democrats aren’t willing to use the powers they have, then what exactly are we expecting them to accomplish?
And that’s ultimately my concern.
People celebrated the Democratic victories, and I understand why. But winning an election doesn’t automatically mean things are going to get better. There are still enormous obstacles ahead, and Trump isn’t suddenly going to lose his presidential powers because his party lost control of Congress.
The next two years could be an absolute shitshow.
And I think people would be wise to remember that before getting too comfortable celebrating.
Because the midterms might be over, but the political circus certainly isn’t.
Factual context: Trump’s veto comments and the White House’s “still your president” messaging were reported November 3–4. Congress can override a veto with two-thirds votes in both chambers. PolitiFact+2