The critical U.S. midterm elections for Congress are currently underway, with Republicans and Democrats locked in a fierce battle.
As reported by Alpha’s correspondent in Washington, Christodoulos Athanasatos, voter turnout so far has far exceeded that of previous midterm elections.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s statement that he is offering one million dollars to any citizen who reports fraud or vote tampering is heightening fears in several states that the federal government might attempt to intervene or even cast doubt on the credibility of the election.
The U.S. President had promised $5,000 to every adult if the Republicans were elected. At the same time, Trump expressed optimism in statements to FOX, noting in particular that the election results would be much better than you think for us and the Republicans, citing the turnout at the rallies he held throughout October as evidence.
The Importance of the Elections
When asked to explain the significance of the midterm elections, Mr. Athanasatos made it clear that it is unlikely we will see major upheavals, or even that the Republicans will lose control of the Senate. For example, it is not realistic to expect that they will be able to impeach Donald Trump because they will not have that supermajority in the Senate.
However, it makes the legislative process very difficult, over which Trump theoretically had absolute power during his first two years; on the other hand, he may not be able to confirm—especially if he loses the Senate—individuals who have his complete trust. For example, he will face greater difficulty in sending troops into a military conflict such as one with Iran, though this certainly does not mean he won’t be able to attack Iran—even if only for three days.
In other words, he may be able to bypass certain restrictions through executive orders, but we may very well see, for example, the federal government go unfunded on numerous occasions because lawmakers cannot agree on the budget. In other words, we’ll see that Donald Trump won’t be the absolute ruler.
The Three Possible Scenarios
Journalist Giannis Xenophontos analyzed the three possible scenarios on Alpha TV’s main newscast.
The first is that the Republicans retain control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. In this scenario, there is no change whatsoever, and Donald Trump continues to govern as he has for the past two years—that is, without any checks and balances.
Based on the latest polls, this is the least likely scenario, in contrast to the other two, which are much more probable and share the common premise that the Democrats will regain a majority in the House of Representatives.
The second scenario is that the House turns blue, but the Senate does not.
In this scenario, Trump will begin to face difficulties; things will become much more challenging, as Democrats will throw legislative roadblocks in his path. Soon, they’ll be able to launch major investigations into the administration, with hearings of officials and cabinet members—and all that this may entail.
At the same time, however, the Republicans will hold the majority in the Senate and will therefore be able to effectively block their opponents’ legislative agenda.
The third scenario is one of a complete reversal and utter defeat for Donald Trump: the Democrats would control both the House and the Senate, meaning they will be able to easily pass bills, block the appointment of judges or other government officials, and even initiate impeachment proceedings against Trump.
However, the U.S. President will still have the power to veto any legislation, blocking any move by the Democrats.
To override such a veto, the Senate would need a supermajority—that is, 60 senators—which is very difficult for either party to secure.
