President Donald Trump said he could begin by vetoing bills from a Democratic-controlled Congress before negotiating, outlining his response to an election that will decide control of both chambers.
He made the remarks in an interview with New York Post columnist Miranda Devine for the newspaper’s Pod Force One podcast. Fox News posted a clip from the interview Sunday, Nov. 1, in which Trump said, “I guess I’ll become Mr. Veto.” He described lawmakers sending bills to him, his vetoing them and negotiations following after “a month or two.”
The congressional election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 3. All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and about one-third of the Senate seats are on the ballot. The results will determine which party controls each chamber for the next two years.
Federal law places congressional elections on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November in even-numbered years; in 2026, that date is Nov. 3.
Congress can override a presidential veto if, with a quorum present, two-thirds of those present and voting in each chamber vote to pass the bill again. Senate records list two vetoes during Trump’s second administration, both on Dec. 29, 2025, and 10 in his first term, when one was overridden.
Reuters reported, citing a White House official and two people familiar with planning, that Democrats could investigate the administration, block legislation and constrain Trump’s spending priorities if they take control. Reuters also reported that Trump would retain executive authority in areas including trade and foreign policy.
Reuters’ account also said Senate control could allow Democrats to hold up Trump’s choices for federal courts and executive posts, including a Supreme Court nominee, and that courts could block actions exceeding his authority. EconoTimes previously reported on White House planning for a possible Democratic victory in Congress. Reuters said the review began in April and that the White House Counsel’s Office was assessing which steps could proceed without Congress and how the administration could defend them in court.
