Trump Administration Prepares to Govern Without Congress Ahead of Midterms

The White House has spent the past several months preparing for a scenario in which Democrats take control of Congress. According to a Reuters report published on Sunday, plans are being drawn up that would let President Donald Trump advance his main agenda through executive power without congressional approval. The report cited a White House official and two people familiar with the planning.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the three sources said senior officials including Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Budget Director Russell Vought have been working with the White House Counsel's Office since April. Their goal is to identify executive actions on immigration, tariffs, housing costs and federal spending that Trump could implement without congressional approval.

A White House official said White House Counsel Will Scharf and his team are examining 'what Trump can legally do on his own, where he can push the limits of his power, and how those decisions can be defended in court.'

The preparations also include bracing for possible investigations of the administration by Democrats, according to the report.

The planning highlights a paradox of Tuesday's midterm elections. If Democrats win control of Congress, they will gain the power to investigate Trump's actions, block legislation and restrict his spending priorities. Yet Trump's broad executive authority over trade, foreign policy and the federal bureaucracy would remain intact — authority he has already used forcefully in his second term.

Republicans currently hold narrow majorities of 218–214 in the House of Representatives and 53–47 in the Senate. Democrats would need a net gain of at least four seats in each chamber to flip control. Polls suggest Democrats are more likely to win the House, while the Senate race is too close to call.

Over the past month Trump has held campaign rallies across the country aimed at preserving Republican control of Congress. At the same time, his aides have quietly been preparing behind the scenes for a completely different political landscape in 2027. The White House has dismissed the possibility of a Republican defeat and accused the media of promoting a false narrative.

White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said: 'This administration and sensible Republicans will continue working to secure our border, restore law and order, put more money back in the pockets of hardworking Americans, and deliver success for the American people.'

A White House official said the executive actions under consideration include new tariffs on imports of critical minerals and wind turbines, stricter rules for visas for international students and temporary foreign workers, and steps to reduce housing and construction costs. One person familiar with the planning said federal agencies have submitted proposals and legal reviews of steps the administration could take on its own.

Two people familiar with the planning said Vought, who oversees federal spending through the Office of Management and Budget, is examining which priorities can be advanced using funds already authorised by Congress. They said he also wants to change the rules for awarding federal grants so that political appointees have more say over which programmes receive taxpayer money — a change that would further increase White House influence over federal spending without congressional approval.