It didn’t take long for one of D.C.’s leading Democrats to abandon pledges to tackle “affordability” and “costs,” two central themes that drove voter turnout in his party’s favor during the midterms.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.), who is poised to take over as majority leader, issued a stark warning to President Donald Trump after Democrats swept control of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Schumer promised investigations, lawsuits and legislative resistance if Democrats conclude Trump violates federal law or disregards the mandate voters delivered Tuesday.
“Whenever Trump defies the will of the American people or the law,” Schumer said, Democrats will respond through their new congressional powers, the New York Post reported.
Schumer said Democrats would “entangle him in legislative razor wire,” signaling potentially bruising confrontations during Trump’s final two years in office.
“The days of Trump’s supplicant Senate are over,” Schumer declared while celebrating Democrats’ takeover of the upper chamber.
The New York Democrat also called Trump a “wannabe king” while portraying Tuesday’s election as voters rejecting the administration’s governing approach – which is a false read of the electorate, giving exit polling showing that the vast majority of voters want Democrats and Republicans to make life more affordable and stop the war with Iran.
Schumer additionally accused Trump of corruption, though he didn’t offer any specifics.
His confrontational posture contrasted with House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who emphasized potential cooperation with Trump on economic issues.
Jeffries, positioned to become the next House speaker, said Democrats are prepared to find bipartisan agreements if those deals address Americans’ financial concerns.
“We are ready, willing and able to find bipartisan common ground with the other side of the aisle,” Jeffries announced Wednesday.
Jeffries said that cooperation must produce “meaningful change” on affordability, which, again, Democrats made as a central argument during their midterm campaigns.
He pointed specifically toward grocery prices, gasoline, housing expenses and mortgage rates as pressures confronting American families.
“We ran on affordability, we won decisively on affordability,” Jeffries said separately, arguing Democrats now have a responsibility to govern accordingly.
Schumer also identified affordability as Democrats’ leading domestic priority, although his remarks placed greater emphasis on confronting the Trump administration.
“We are going to work hard to drive costs down with the president or without him,” Schumer told reporters.
The Democratic leader said investigations would accompany that economic agenda after the party gains control of congressional committees and subpoena authority in January.
“There has to be some investigations,” Schumer said while alleging widespread corruption during Trump’s second administration.
House Democrats have spent months preparing potential investigations into Trump family business dealings, administration officials and federal immigration enforcement.
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, offered an especially terse preview after Tuesday’s results: “LAWYER UP.”
Democrats could also summon Cabinet officials for testimony involving immigration enforcement, the Iran war and other major administration policies.
Jeffries, however, attempted Wednesday to tamp down immediate speculation that Democrats would quickly pursue another impeachment of Trump.
“I haven’t had a single member of the House Democratic Caucus talk to me about impeachment,” Jeffries told reporters.
Trump was impeached twice by the Democratic-controlled House during his first administration but was acquitted by the Republican-controlled Senate both times.
A third impeachment would require only a House majority, but removing Trump from office would require support from two-thirds of the Senate.
Democrats will hold the Senate majority next year, but their projected numbers remain well below the 67 votes necessary for conviction and removal.
Trump also adopted a comparatively conciliatory posture Wednesday despite previously warning that he could become “Mr. Veto” under Democratic congressional control.
“I’ll get along probably with the Democrats unless they want to be destructive,” Trump said Wednesday.
Trump noted that Democrats had already reached out about potential discussions and indicated he was willing to negotiate.
The president nevertheless retains enormous leverage because Democrats did not win the two-thirds majorities required to override presidential vetoes.
That reality means Democrats will need Trump’s signature for most major legislation unless they can assemble overwhelming bipartisan congressional support.
Schumer’s comments suggest Democrats are prepared to combine negotiations over legislation with aggressive oversight of the administration.
He also promised congressional action aimed at ending the Iran war, which emerged as a major issue during the closing months of the campaign.
Schumer argued that Congress could use its constitutional spending authority to challenge the administration’s continuation of the conflict.
Vice President JD Vance separately said Wednesday that the Iran war played a central role in Republicans’ losses, while Trump acknowledged the conflict hurt politically.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author’s opinion.
