US Midterms | Trump’s ‘VETO’ warning: Can Democrats stop his agenda in Congress?

A red MAGA cap with one word — ‘VETO’ — has become Donald Trump’s answer to the Democratic surge in the 2026 US midterm elections. The US President says he is ready to cooperate with the opposition, but he has also made clear that he will not allow Congress to dictate the direction of his administration.

The election has handed Democrats control of the Senate, while the race for the House of Representatives remains too close to call. The shift could transform the final two years of Trump’s presidency, giving Democrats greater power to scrutinise his government and challenge his legislative priorities.

Trump congratulates Democrats but warns he can veto their bills

In a phone interview with CBS News after the results began coming in, Trump offered congratulations to the opposition. "My message is, congratulations to the Democrats, and I look forward to working with you for the good of our country," he said.

But the conciliatory tone came with a warning. "I know a lot of Democrats, I have total veto power and I'm sure we'll be able to work things out." He added: "I think they're gonna want to work with me," before warning, "Otherwise I'd just veto everything and they're not gonna want that."

Trump also told Fox News that the presidential veto was among the strongest powers available to him. "It's been done before, as you know, numerous times. It's the power of veto — it's one of the stronger powers that a President has. They'll send over things that are insane and I'll veto them."

Why the ‘VETO’ message matters for Trump’s final two years

The Constitution gives the US President the power to reject legislation passed by Congress. However, a veto is not an absolute block: lawmakers can override it with a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate.

A Democratic-controlled Senate will also have significant influence over presidential nominations, including appointments to federal agencies and the judiciary. If Democrats secure the House, they could use committee hearings, investigations and subpoenas to examine the administration’s decisions and conduct.

Trump has also pointed to a recent Supreme Court ruling, Trump v. Slaughter, as strengthening presidential authority over federal agencies. In his interview with CBS News, he said the decision gave the presidency powers it had not previously possessed.

Trump blames his absence from ballot as voters turn away from GOP

Despite the losses, Trump has repeatedly argued that Republicans would have performed better had he contested the election. "I feel that I wasn't on the ballot, and there was nothing that could be done about that," he told CBS News. "If I was, we would have won."

The results, however, exposed Republican vulnerabilities in traditionally conservative states, with Democrats flipping Senate seats in Texas, Kansas and South Carolina, among others.

The Associated Press reported that voters were driven by concerns over the cost of living, the Iran war and government corruption. AP voter polling also found that many wanted Congress to do more to check presidential power.

Trump has separately told The New York Times that he is willing to accept the election results and work with Democrats. But his warning that the Iran war would end "when I say it ends" offers another glimpse of the assertive approach he intends to maintain.

For Washington, the next two years could be defined by a difficult question: can Trump and a strengthened Democratic Congress find common ground, or will the veto become the defining instrument of a prolonged political standoff?

(With inputs from ANI)