WashingtonDonald Trump will have full control over the legislature. The latest projection made by CNN already shows a tight majority for the Republicans with the 218 seats needed to maintain control of the lower house. The Senate was already given to the Republicans on the same election night, when they got 53 seats out of the 50 needed to change the color of the upper chamber. Trump’s outright victory over Congress not only deals a blow to Democrats, but also assures the now-president-elect that he can execute an agenda that could profoundly change the country. In addition, the president-elect also has a conservative majority on the Supreme Court.
The lower house has already been handed over to the Republicans, given the scenario in which the Democrats only have 207 secured seats and one projected. In total, only five seats remain to be counted. Even if the Democrats got those five and the one that is being dyed blue, they would only get to 213 seats. On the contrary, the Republicans are already on the verge of adding four more seats thanks to Colorado, Michigan and Pennsylvania, which are more than enough to go from the current 216 seats to the required 218.
The virtual victory in the lower house also strengthens the positions of Mike Johnson, the current speaker of the House of Representatives, in the list of Trump’s favorites, and shields him against party critics. During this legislature, Johnson has faced attacks from the most extremist sector of the Republican bench. When he decided to go ahead with the vote on the military aid package for Ukraine and Israel, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a staunch Trump supporter, unsuccessfully introduced a motion to impeach him.
New Senate Majority Leader
In parallel with Trump’s meeting with Biden, Republicans have chosen South Dakota Senator John Thune, 63 years old and with a moderate profile, to be the new Senate majority leader. Until now the position had been held by Democrat Chuck Schumer. Thune is one of the few new positions after Trump’s victory that is not part of the sector closest to the now president-elect. In fact, Thune has defeated the Trump candidate, Florida Senator Rick Scott.
Now, just because he’s not a soca-rel MAGA doesn’t mean Thune isn’t in charge of bringing the Senate under Trump’s orders. Recently, on the Fox channel he defended the need to carry out the tycoon’s electoral promises in order not to disappoint the voters. “If we don’t comply with President Trump’s priorities, we will lose his support”, he assured. “They have entrusted us with their votes. Now we have to roll up our sleeves and get to work,” he urged.
