A Democratic-controlled Congress will likely try to constrain Trump’s foreign adventures

Democrats' sweeping midterm victory hands them both chambers of Congress, and foreign policy may have been a deciding factor. Voters angry over inflation tied to President Donald Trump's war in Iran and his tariffs punished Republicans. Vice President JD Vance blamed the war directly for the loss, and Donald Trump Jr. endorsed that view. Trump acknowledged the conflict had raised gasoline prices but insisted it was necessary, since Iran cannot be allowed a nuclear weapon. He may resume strikes now that the election is over, according to The Guardian.

Democrats cannot override a veto, so their main leverage is the budget. Ryan Crocker of the Middle East Institute expects the first fight over the Pentagon's request for much more Iran war money. A December deadline on government funding and the National Defense Authorization Act, which would authorize about $1. 15tn in defense spending for 2027, offer openings. Crocker warned that a shutdown could cut both ways. In 2019, Trump vetoed a bipartisan measure ending support for Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen.

Jennifer Hendrixson White of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace doubts investigations will become binding limits.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →