Trump to enter second term with almost unchecked power
WASHINGTON
Donald Trump will have almost complete control over the levers of U.S. government now that Republicans have added the House of Representatives to their White House and Senate victories.
Having purged the Republican Party of members not aligned with his "Make America Great Again" agenda, the president-elect can expect little internal resistance.
For his second term, Trump has made no secret of his intention to surround himself with loyalists.
His early picks have borne that out: he has named ally Marco Rubio as secretary of state, Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, firebrand right-winger Matt Gaetz as Attorney General, and Elon Musk to head a government efficiency body.
As a political novice when he took office in 2017, Trump's personnel choices largely consisted of seasoned Republican officials and military leaders.
Given his unpredictable behavior, such moderating figures were dubbed by critics in the party and media as the "adults in the room."
Holding a more than three-million-ballot lead according to preliminary results, Trump was set to score an overwhelming victory in the popular vote against Democratic rival Kamala Harris.
Trump made a triumphant return to the White House on Nov. 13, where outgoing president Joe Biden offered a show of civility to the bitter rival who denied him the same courtesy four years ago.
The U.S. president and president-elect shook hands in front of a roaring fire in the Oval Office, with Biden restoring a tradition that Trump broke when he refused to recognize his 2020 defeat by Biden.
"Welcome back," Biden said as he congratulated Trump and pledged a smooth transfer of power.
Trump is now on course to be the first Republican president in 20 years to achieve the feat, once official results are certified.
Unlike with his victory in 2016, Trump will be able to claim greater legitimacy for pushing through his reformist agenda.
"America has given us a powerful and unprecedented mandate," he declared on election night.
Mid-term elections in two years will be the next opportunity for Democrats to check Trump's power.
On Nov. 13, Republicans were declared the majority party in the House of Representatives, completing their clean sweep in last week's election.
Having control of both chambers of Congress will ease the way for his nominations for key administration positions to be confirmed and may also allow him to push through his radical agenda of mass deportations, tax cuts and slashing regulations.
Most legislation, however, requires a supermajority of 60 votes to progress in the Senate, a figure Republicans will not reach.
