Democratic Midterm Wave Leaves Trump a Lame Duck for His Final Two Years

Summary

Republicans lost control of Congress in midterm elections that coverage describes as a Democratic blue wave, leaving President Donald Trump to serve the final two years of his term as a lame duck facing constant resistance to his agenda. A New York Times video from Times Opinion gathers columnists' predictions for that period, and columnist Carlos Lozada says of Trump: “When he feels cornered, when he feels attacked, he fights back.” The video says the predictions are “not pretty.” Coverage expects the loss to push the White House toward a more aggressive foreign policy and greater reliance on executive orders, with Trump's options ranging from clogging the courts to attacking Iran. The New York Times reports that Trump is politically wounded and has diminished power, and that people who know him expect the next two years to be unpredictable. The South China Morning Post reports that Trump has suggested he could use his veto pen for “a month or two” before negotiating agreements with Democratic leaders.

Timeline

1. New York Times

   6 Nov 2026, 10:02 UTCSource ↗

   In a Times Opinion video, columnists from across the section predict what the final two years of Trump's lame-duck term might look like, and Carlos Lozada says Trump fights back when he feels cornered or attacked.