US President Donald Trump faces a new phase of his second term with the midterm congressional elections on Tuesday, in which Republicans may lose their majority. If the Democrats win, Trump may resort to using his veto power to confront their decisions, while prominent foreign files await him, including Iran and Ukraine.

Published on: 03/11/2026 - 12:18

Although US President Donald Trump's second term has witnessed rapid events, the remaining two years may bring more severe developments, especially if Republicans lose control of Congress in the midterm elections scheduled for Tuesday.

Following these elections, Trump may resort to a strategy based on escalation in several issues, from resuming strikes on Iran to contesting the election results and confronting the investigations that the Democrats may open, which portends more unrest at various levels.

Analysts believe that Trump's entry into the "lame duck" phase of his presidency may push him to take harsher positions and a desire for revenge than ever before.

In this context, Peter Logue, director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, told Agence France-Presse: “I doubt that President Trump will quietly withdraw from the scene.”

He added: “There is nothing in history that indicates that he will say - I have been defeated, my time is up,” noting that Trump used to, whenever he found himself besieged, raise his voice and become more ferocious.

Trump: “I will veto it”

Trump has always considered himself a fighter, and he has made clear that he will adopt the same approach if the Democrats win one or both chambers of Congress.

"I think we'll do great, but if we don't win, I'll veto everything," he told a New York Post podcast. "And then they'll come to us, and we'll probably make deals."

According to the White House, he is also ready to confront any investigations or impeachment measures that Democrats may bring against him.

"They'll probably come after me, and I'll come after them," Trump warned in an interview with Time magazine. Trump may also direct the Department of Justice to investigate Democrats who are investigating him.

Likewise, Trump, who baselessly contested his loss in the 2020 presidential election, may interfere in the midterm elections as well, by objecting to ballot counting operations or delaying the certification of the results of disputed electoral races.

Expanding military operations against Iran

Foreign policy is the only area in which late-term US presidents still have broad powers.

Trump may resume large-scale military operations against Iran, although he appeared to indicate on election eve that new talks could lead to an agreement with Tehran.

"I don't think he wants to be remembered in his legacy as a warmonger," said Ryan Haass of the Brookings Institution. "He wants to leave behind a stronger America."

There is speculation that Trump may fire Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as the war with Iran continues, a familiar move from a president who does not like to take responsibility for failures.

Continue pressure on Ukraine

Trump likes to be seen as an expert at concluding peace deals and will likely continue to pressure Ukraine to agree to a settlement with Russia. A new round of trilateral talks (between the United States, Russia and Ukraine) is scheduled for next week.

At the same time, Trump will continue to seek a breakthrough in relations with two presidents whom he sees as his great power rivals, the Chinese Xi Jinping and the Russian Vladimir Putin.

The three are likely to meet at a summit in China later this month.

Haass believed that it is also likely that the United States will continue to reduce its engagement with some of its NATO allies and other Western allies, and that it may even work to accelerate this process.

As for trade, Trump is likely to remain “relentlessly active,” as evidenced by his recent hostility toward Canada, according to Haass.

Support Vance or Rubio

Trump likes to be in the spotlight and is unlikely to like the shift of attention toward potential successors in the 2028 US presidential election.

Trump took a very ambiguous position regarding whether he would support either his Vice President, J.D. Vance, or Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, for the position.

But Trump has largely stopped hinting at the possibility of running for a third term, which is prohibited by the Constitution.

Renovation of the "reflection pool"

Like other people preparing for retirement, Trump may choose to focus on restoration projects and repairs.

In his closing midterm election speech, Trump barely talked politics and instead touched on renovating the “reflecting pool” adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial and other plans to beautify Washington.

Trump openly expressed his desire to leave his own mark on Washington, fearing that others would not do so.

“We have a lot of great things planned for Washington,” he said Monday at the Reflecting Pool.

France 24/AFP

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