It's a scenario that Democrats barely dared to dream of a few months ago, but that polls make a little more likely every day: Democrats would be able to become a majority in the House of Representatives or the Senate, or even in both during the midterms. Enough to put a brake on Donald Trump's policies if the trend is reflected at the polls.

Published on: 02/11/2026 - 07:08 Modified on: 02/11/2026 - 10:38

What if the Democrats managed to paralyze Donald Trump for the end of his term? On the eve of the midterm elections, the opposition is convinced that it can swing the majority in the House of Representatives or the Senate, or even in both houses of Congress. Enough to obtain greater room for maneuver in order to slow down the actions of the Republicans and their president until 2028.

What a Democratic House of Representatives Would Change

The House of Representatives is one of the two legislative branches of the United States. It is the lower house of Congress and is the driving force behind budget initiative and the main investigative body. Its control would offer several weapons to the Democrats against Donald Trump.

By becoming the majority, the Democrats would take the presidency of all parliamentary committees. They would gain unilateral power to issue subpoenas to force government officials, political allies or those close to Donald Trump to testify under oath and provide documents. A power that Democrats intend to use to investigate companies accused of having enriched themselves thanks to the Trump administration, like AI and tech bigwigs.

Democrats would also have the power to draft and vote on articles of impeachment of the president and his government. The Democratic leader in the House Hakeem Jeffries, who could become the first African-American "Speaker" in history, does not rule out a third attempt at impeachment of Donald Trump, but prioritizes a procedure against Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense.

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Democrats would also hold the purse strings of the US budget. Indeed, all finance laws emanate from the House of Representatives. The Democrats can thus refuse any compromise with the Republicans, even if it means causing a budgetary “shutdown”.

Finally, in theory, the "Speaker" has the power to transform the House into a cemetery of Republican laws. In fact, he is the only one to decide which text is put to the vote, thus being able to delay its examination indefinitely.

What a Democratic Senate would change

The Senate is the upper house of Congress. The Senate represents the federal states. Therefore, each state has equal weight there, regardless of its population size.

By controlling it, the Democrats would have several powers, starting with that of confirmation: it is the most powerful lever in the Senate. The Democratic majority could block, delay or reject Donald Trump's nominations for the presidential cabinet, the leadership of federal agencies (such as the FBI, CIA or ICE) as well as Supreme Court justices. A possibility that Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader in the Senate, intends to use in the event of vacant seats on the Supreme Court during the last two years of Trump.

Just as in the House, Democrats would take the lead in Senate committees (such as the powerful Intelligence or Finance Committee), opening a second judicial front against Trump and his allies.

Finally, even if the American Constitution already requires a two-thirds majority in the Senate to ratify an international treaty (an effective blocking power for any minority with 34 seats), control of the upper house would above all give Democrats control of the agenda. They could thus stifle Republican foreign policy by simply refusing to examine the texts in committee.

Find our file on the 2026 midterms

What a Democratic Congress would change

The scenario still remains improbable in the eyes of analysts without being impossible, but both houses of the American Congress could fall into the hands of the Democrats.

In addition to the possibilities mentioned above, the Democrats would have the “Congressional Review Act”. Under this 1996 federal law, the unified Congress has the power, by a simple majority, to overturn recent regulations issued by federal agencies. Additionally, the law firmly prohibits agencies from issuing new regulations in the future that are "substantially similar" to those that were rejected.

Additionally, a Democratic Congress would deprive Republicans of the weapon of budget reconciliation. This parliamentary procedure makes it possible to pass laws related to the budget and taxation in the Senate with a simple majority (51 votes), which circumvents the "filibuster" rule imposing a supermajority of 60 votes to avoid obstructions.

An opposition-controlled Congress would force Donald Trump to govern solely by executive orders, many of which would be challenged in court. The last legislative power remaining to the billionaire would be the presidential veto, to block laws emanating from Congress.

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