The taming of the elephant: How the Democrats could shape Trump’s agenda if they win both the House and the Senate

The Democratic Party's potential to influence President Trump's agenda, should they manage to secure both the House and the Senate, is a hot topic ahead of the mid-term elections. The party hopes that their control over Congress will grant them the power to shape the remaining months of Trump's presidency, particularly in matters such as military support for Ukraine and economic pressure on Russia.

However, the reality is that Congress and the White House are often at odds, with the legislative branch lacking the administrative machinery to enforce its laws.

While Congress can pass laws and control the federal budget, the executive branch has the final say in implementing these laws, often delaying or revising them to suit the president's agenda. Impeachment, though possible, is rarely used to actually remove a president from office, as it requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate, a feat that has only occurred four times in U.S. history.

That being said, with a simple majority in both chambers, Democrats could effectively tie the president's hands through "financial strangulation," dictating exactly how government funds can be spent and under what conditions. This would allow them to steer military support for Ukraine, sanction Russian entities, and even influence domestic policy issues such as border security, immigration rules, and tax legislation.

However, the reality is that even with a Democratic majority, the President's power to bypass these restrictions means that Congress may have more negotiating power than outright control.