US President Donald Trump’s aides have spent months preparing for the possibility that Democrats will take control of Congress, drawing up plans to advance key elements of his agenda through executive authority while preparing for congressional scrutiny of his administration, a White House official and two sources told Reuters.
The three sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said senior officials, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller and Budget Director Russell Vought, had been working with the White House Counsel’s Office since April to identify measures Trump could take without congressional approval on immigration, tariffs, housing costs, and federal spending.
White House Counsel Will Scharf and his team are also examining “what Trump can legally do on his own, where he can push the limits of his authority, and how to defend those decisions in court,” the official said.
The preparations come ahead of Tuesday’s midterm elections, which could give Democrats control of Congress and the power to launch investigations into Trump, block legislation, and constrain his spending priorities. The president, however, would retain broad executive authority over trade, foreign policy, and the administration of federal agencies, powers he has already exercised extensively during his second term.
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Democrats need to gain four seats in each chamber to overturn Republicans’ narrow majorities, which stand at 218-214 in the House of Representatives and 53-47 in the Senate. Opinion polls point to a Democratic majority in the House, while the Senate race remains uncertain.
Over the past month, Trump has held campaign rallies across the country in an effort to preserve Republican control of Congress, even as his aides quietly prepare for a different political landscape in 2027.
The White House has rejected the prospect of Republican losses, accusing the media of promoting a false narrative. Spokeswoman Lauren Bis said: “This administration and common-sense Republicans will continue to secure our borders, restore law and order, put more money back in the pockets of hardworking Americans, and deliver wins for the American people.”
The executive actions under consideration include imposing new tariffs on imports of critical minerals and wind turbines, tightening visa rules for international students and temporary foreign workers, and introducing measures to reduce housing and construction costs, according to the official.
One source familiar with the plans said federal agencies had submitted proposals and legal assessments outlining measures the administration could pursue unilaterally.
The source said Vought, whose Office of Management and Budget oversees federal spending, was examining priorities that could be implemented using funds already appropriated by Congress.
The two sources added that Vought also wants to revise federal grant rules to give political appointees greater authority over which government programs receive taxpayer funding, potentially expanding the White House’s influence over spending without requiring congressional approval.
The official confirmed that Trump had been briefed on the preparations and had taken part in discussions. Asked how comfortable the president would be governing through executive authority under a Democratic-controlled Congress, one source said he was “very comfortable.”
Since returning to the presidency in January 2025, Trump has tested the limits of his executive authority, using it to impose sweeping tariffs, intensify immigration enforcement, reduce the federal workforce, and pursue foreign policy objectives, including the war against Iran, without congressional approval or new legislation.
The main exception was a sweeping tax-cut and spending package passed by the Republican-controlled Congress and signed into law by Trump in July 2025.
Nathan Gonzales, editor of the independent political analysis website Inside Elections, said Trump had “essentially ignored Congress over the past two years, trying to push through as much of his agenda as possible through executive orders and executive authority. “He predicted that the approach would continue if Democrats secured a majority.
Trump has repeatedly invoked national emergencies to expand his powers without new legislation. Congress can vote to terminate such declarations, but the president can veto the resolutions, requiring a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override his veto.
Nevertheless, a Democratic-controlled Congress could create significant obstacles for the administration. A Democratic majority in the Senate would give the party the ability to block Trump’s judicial and executive nominees, including any potential Supreme Court nominee.
Andrew Busch, a professor of public policy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and author of a book on the history of midterm elections, said: “I expect they will be very reluctant to approve any of the president’s appointments.”
Democrats could also reject legislation backed by Trump, while the president could veto bills they support. Democrats are unlikely to secure enough votes in the House to override a presidential veto.
The courts, meanwhile, have the authority to block executive actions that exceed the president’s legal powers. One source said the White House plans to seek legal opinions from the Justice Department to determine what Trump can do without congressional approval and how to defend his decisions if they are challenged in court.
Congressional investigations, however, pose a challenge that executive actions cannot circumvent.
Reuters has previously reported that senior House Democrats and committee aides have discussed using hearings, subpoenas, and document requests to investigate whether Trump has used his office to benefit himself, his allies, or political donors.
The three sources said presidential aides had been preparing for that possibility for months. One source said White House lawyers were advising political appointees and agency heads on how to handle congressional inquiries, document requests, and subpoenas and had urged them to exercise caution in their written communications.
The source added that the administration had also sought a legal opinion from the Justice Department that would allow Trump to invoke executive privilege to shield his communications with personal advisers from congressional scrutiny.
Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar)