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The echo of the electoral triumph of the Democrats, which swept across America in a crushing wave during the midterm elections, had not yet faded when the official White House X account posted a photo: a scowling Donald Trump towering at his desk in the Oval Office.
“Trump is still your president,” the caption read.
This is the image Trump undoubtedly wants to project - an image of a president who holds the reins of power firmly in his hands and refuses to give up despite a dramatic election defeat.
Not to mention that even without control of Congress, American presidents have broad powers that they can use. And Trump has already shown that he is more than willing to expand the scope of his executive powers.
But what was not mentioned was that Trump's presidency is running out - and it is becoming increasingly difficult for him to use the powers at his disposal.
Many of his most significant moves have been carried out through executive orders rather than laws passed by the Republican-controlled Congress: tariffs imposed on allies and adversaries alike, and military operations carried out in Venezuela and Iran.
Domestically, Trump unilaterally cut Congressionally approved federal spending across all branches of government.
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Even with Democratic majorities in the House and Senate, Trump may continue to take similar actions—and more—in the final two years of his term. And if Democrats try to limit his powers through legislation, the Constitution gives Trump a unique and powerful countermeasure: a presidential veto, which can only be overridden by a two-thirds majority in Congress, which Democrats will not have.
However, just because some of these powers are still at Trump's disposal does not mean he has retained the political will to use them. Legions of new Democrats are heading to Washington, vowing to oppose his every move. And the most serious obstacles may arise within the ranks of his own supporters.
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For two years, the president demonstrated ironclad control over the Republican Party, keeping his supporters in line in Congress and across the country through a combination of political inducements and outright threats.
Now, however, there are signs that his control is no longer so strong.
Some Republicans are already showing a willingness to criticize his decisions in a way few would have dared just a few months ago. His own vice president, J.D. Vance, posted a lengthy post on social media blaming Tuesday's Republican defeat on Trump's war in Iran with Israel.
“If you're saying it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next six years was worth it, then move on,” Vance wrote. “But everyone knows why we lost.” And any honest conversation about where we should go next should start with this.”
There are already rumors that members of Trump's presidential team are facing dismissal. According to CBS News, the BBC's US media partner, the president is asking his closest advisers whether he should replace Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, one of the architects of the war. Trump himself denies this.
Such a move would be a repeat of George W. Bush's decision to replace Donald Rumsfeld, one of the main architects of the Iraq War, in response to a crushing Democratic defeat in 2006, the last time Democrats won a majority in Congress as large as they did in Tuesday's midterm elections.
“Republicans who feel they need to move away from 'Trumpism' and away from the MAGA movement will either try to emphasize other policy issues or position themselves in a way that shows some distance between themselves and Donald Trump,” said David Miller, an assistant professor of government at American University.
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On Tuesday evening, Trump posted on social media and gave interviews to a number of media outlets, describing in real time how he would deal with Democrats - either promising cooperation or threatening to veto liberal legislation.
Then on Wednesday, as construction workers installed the final beam for the White House ballroom, which continues to be built despite a lawsuit to halt work, he answered a few questions about the political future.
“I'll probably get along with Democrats unless they want to be destructive,” he said. “But I have the right of veto.”
In the 1995 elections, Republicans took control of Congress, inflicting a similar defeat on the Democrats. Months later, isolated and on the defensive, President Bill Clinton insisted he still had powers he could use.
“The president still plays an important role,” he said plaintively.
Clinton, then still in his first term, managed to restore his political positions - and the following year he was re-elected to the presidency.
Time, however, is against Trump.
While Republicans are licking their wounds, he may try to make a Clinton-like argument to influential circles in Washington and the American public.
But with each passing day, the man who so loves to be the center of attention in American politics may increasingly find his powers—and, more importantly, his authority to wield them—slipping from his hands.
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