00:04So what next for Donald Trump? He is still the President of the United States. He still has the
00:09White House. He still has the Air Force One. He still has the nuclear football too. But here's
00:15the problem. He no longer has a friendly Congress. And in American politics, that can change almost
00:22everything. Democrats have taken control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate in
00:28the 2026 midterm elections. So what happens now? Does Trump become a lame duck president? Can
00:35Democrats stop his agenda? And how much power does he actually have left? Let's break it down.
00:41First, legislation. Trump can make promises, announce policies, and post all the executive
00:47orders he wants. But if he wants to turn major policy proposals into law, he needs Congress.
00:53And now, Democrats control both chambers. That means his big-ticket MAGA proposals, tax
00:59changes, immigration legislation, and other legislative priorities could face serious resistance.
01:05But here's the catch. Democrats cannot simply block everything. Some legislation can still
01:09pass with bipartisan support. And the Senate's 60-vote threshold for ending debate on most
01:15legislation makes the numbers even more complicated. Still, getting Trump's agenda through Congress
01:21just became a much bigger headache. Second, the money. In Washington, money is power. Congress
01:28controls federal spending. It approves budgets, appropriations, and funding for government programs.
01:34So if Trump wants billions of new initiatives, border enforcement, or other priorities, he will need
01:40to negotiate with Democrats. And Democrats now have considerable leverage. They cannot simply cancel
01:46every existing program overnight, but they can make funding negotiations extremely difficult.
01:52The third one, accountability. This could be Trump's biggest political headache. A
01:57Democratic-controlled Congress can launch investigations, hold hearings, demand documents,
02:02and issue subpoenas. Expect renewed scrutiny of the administration's decisions, spending,
02:08and the possible controversies now. And yes, impeachment is back on the political table.
02:13The House can impeach a president with a simple majority. But removing him is a different story.
02:19That requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate. So Democrats can now make impeachment a political
02:26reality, but removing Trump would be much harder. The fourth one, appointments and foreign policy.
02:32Trump can nominate federal judges, ambassadors, and senior officials. But many of these appointments
02:38need Senate confirmation. A Democratic Senate can reject nominees, delay confirmations, and force the
02:44White House to negotiate. On foreign policy, Trump still has the considerable executive authority.
02:49He remains commander-in-chief. But treaties need Senate approval. Trade agreements require
02:55congressional involvement, and major military funding decisions depend heavily on Congress.
03:00In other words, he can still make foreign policy. But getting Washington behind his decisions
03:05could become much harder. So is Trump now a lame duck president? Well, not quite. He still commands
03:13the executive branch. He can issue executive orders, direct federal agencies, conduct diplomacy and
03:19exercise presidential powers. But executive orders are not a substitute for legislation. Courts can strike
03:25them down if they violate the law or the constitution. And Congress can pass legislation to counter his
03:32policies subject to the president's veto power. So here's the real story. Trump has not lost the White
03:38House. He has lost the luxury of governing with Congress largely on his side. The next two years
03:44could mean investigations, budget battles, legislative deadlock, and a much more combative Washington.
03:51And there is a bigger political question. Will Trump compromise to get things done? Or will he
03:56double down and govern through executive power?
