President Donald Trump has a simple message for Democrats ahead of the November 3, 2026, midterm elections: if they take control of Congress, he plans to block their bills — one by one. In an interview with the New York Post’s “Pod Force One” podcast, hosted by Miranda Devine, Trump said he is ready to turn the Oval Office into a veto factory if Republicans lose their narrow majorities. “I think we’re going to do great. But if we didn’t win, I veto everything. I’ll be vetoing, vetoing,” Trump said in the interview, a preview of which aired on Fox News on Sunday, November 1, before the full episode dropped on Monday, November 2 — just one day before voters head to the polls. The remarks give a rare public look at how Trump plans to govern in a divided Washington, and they have already become one of the final flashpoints of the 2026 campaign season.
What Trump Said in the Interview
Trump did not hide his strategy. He described a scenario where Democrats send bills to his desk, and he rejects them until they are ready to negotiate. “They’ll be sending stuff up. You veto it,” Trump told Devine. “And eventually, after a month or two of getting all vetoed, they’re just wasting [time], they come over, and you make a deal”.
The president even gave himself a new nickname. “I guess I’ll become Mr. Veto,” he said. “I’m not going to let them ruin it”. Trump added that divided government would not be new for him. “And then at some point, we’ll probably make deals. That’s what’s happened. I mean, this wouldn’t be the first time,” he said.
A separate quote from the interview, reported by Times of India, captured an even blunter version of the plan. “They’ll send bills, I’ll veto them, and at some point, a month or two later, they’ll become garbage. Then you bring them together and make a deal,” Trump said.
The comments came as Trump campaigned across the country to keep Republicans in control of Congress. He has repeatedly told supporters that the midterms are a referendum on his presidency, even though his name is not on the ballot.
The White House Already Has a Backup Plan
The veto threat is only one part of a much larger strategy. According to Reuters, the White House has spent months preparing for a possible Democratic takeover. 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 to find executive actions Trump can take without congressional approval.
Those plans include new tariffs on imports of critical minerals and wind turbines, tighter visa rules for international students and temporary foreign workers, and measures aimed at lowering housing and construction costs. White House counsel Will Scharf and his team are also looking at “what Trump can legally do on his own, where he could push the limits of his authority and how to defend those decisions in court,” a White House official told Reuters.
Vought, who runs the Office of Management and Budget, is examining which priorities can move forward using money already appropriated by Congress. He also wants to change federal grant rules to give political appointees more say in which programs receive taxpayer money, potentially giving the White House more influence over federal spending without asking Congress.
The preparation shows that even if Democrats win Congress, Trump intends to keep pushing his agenda through executive power. “This administration and commonsense Republicans will continue to secure our borders, restore law and order, putting more money back into the pockets of hard-working Americans, and deliver wins for the American people,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said in a statement.
How Vetoes Actually Work
A presidential veto allows the president to reject a bill passed by Congress. Congress can still override the veto, but only if two-thirds of members in both the House and Senate vote to do so. That is a high bar, especially in a closely divided Congress.
Trump has used the veto sparingly so far. He issued two vetoes during his second term and 10 during his first term, for a total of 12. The two second-term vetoes, issued in late December 2025, blocked a Colorado water pipeline project and a bill that would have expanded land for the Miccosukee Tribe in Florida.
If Democrats win the House, they will have the power to investigate Trump, block legislation, and constrain his spending priorities. But Trump would keep broad executive authority over trade, foreign policy, and the federal bureaucracy — powers he has already used aggressively during his second term.
What Democrats Are Planning
Democrats have promised a flurry of investigations if they win control of Congress. According to Newsweek, those inquiries could include the Trump family’s finances and business ventures, the administration’s handling of the Iran war, and even impeachment proceedings against Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Democrats would also have the power to block Trump’s judicial and executive branch nominees, including potential Supreme Court picks. They could vote to end national emergencies Trump has invoked to expand his ability to act without legislation — though the president could veto such a move.
Trump warned that a Democratic victory in both chambers, followed by a Democratic presidential win in 2028, would leave the country “finished.” He claimed Democrats plan to expand the Supreme Court to 23 seats, eliminate the Senate filibuster, and restrict rights protected under the Second Amendment.
The Numbers Behind the Midterm Battle
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 Senate seats are up for election on November 3, 2026. Republicans currently hold the House 218-214, with two seats vacant, and the Senate 53-47.
Democrats need a net gain of about four seats in the Senate to take control, and a small swing in the House. A CBS News poll published in late October projected Democrats on pace for 229 House seats, which would give them a majority. Republicans still have a narrow path to hold the chamber, according to the same model.
Decision Desk HQ’s November 2 forecast gave Democrats an 84% chance of winning the House and a 65% probability of taking the Senate, with a projected 241 House seats and a 52-48 Senate advantage.
The economy is a major factor. Voters are concerned about inflation and the cost of living, and more voters say they would be worse off if Republicans win than if Democrats do, according to the CBS News poll. Trump dismissed unfavorable polling as “rigged,” claiming polling organizations failed to contact real voters.
Trump on Pardons, Musk, and 2028
The interview also touched on whether Trump would protect his allies from Democratic investigations. Asked about reports that Democrats could target Elon Musk and seek to seize his assets, Trump said he would consider pre-emptive pardons. “It’s talk. But if it is talk, we’ll have to protect them,” Trump said. “I would if I needed to. Sure. I would not even think about it. I’d do it”.
Musk spent more than $445 million on the 2026 election cycle to support Republicans, according to federal filings cited by Bloomberg.
Trump also addressed his political future. He said he would “love” to run for a third term in 2028, but acknowledged that the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution prevents him from doing so. “I’d love to run again if I had the chance, but the language is very exacting,” he said. He praised Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a strong potential presidential ticket.
Final Pitch at the Reflecting Pool
Trump made his closing argument to voters on Monday, November 2, at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. The venue was notable because its renovation had been plagued by problems, and critics called it a strange backdrop for a final campaign speech.
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“This is the last day before the midterm elections, the most important midterm I believe in our lifetime,” Trump declared during the speech. He spent much of the address talking about his renovation projects, but the core message remained the same: if Republicans lose, he will become Mr. Veto.
Also Read: Harry Sisson Mocks Trump’s Elvis Presley Face Swap Before Midterms: ‘MAGA Is So Cooked’
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