President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is ready to use his veto power to block Democratic legislation if Republicans lose control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, arguing that the presidency retains significant authority regardless of which party controls Capitol Hill.
As voters cast ballots in races that will determine control of Congress along with several governorships and state legislatures, Trump told CBS News in a phone interview that he isn’t worried about losing his ability to push his agenda.
“I have the ultimate power — it’s called ‘veto,'” Trump told CBS News.
Trump pointed to Slaughter v. Trump, a Supreme Court decision this year that permitted him to remove Rebecca Slaughter, a Democratic commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission, before her term had ended.
“We won the Slaughter case, and the Slaughter case gives the president tremendous powers that it never had before,” Trump said. “The presidency, our presidency, is considered a strong presidency. You can do a lot.”
Trump argued that his willingness to veto legislation could ultimately pressure Democrats into negotiating with him.
“Historically, you veto for a couple of months, and then they come and say, ‘We’ve got to make a deal,'” Trump said.
The comments came after Trump wrapped up a campaign blitz spanning more than 20 states ahead of Election Day. He said he’s grown more optimistic about Republicans’ chances than he was a month or so ago.
“If you remember, about 30, 40 days ago, people were saying it’s going to be a big loss, and now people are talking about, like we could even win it,” Trump told CBS. “I think the tour made a big difference. I did 29 days, 33 of these things, and they were all massive rallies, they were big rallies. No one has ever done anything like it. And I think we got the word out. I think we got the enthusiasm out, too.”
Since August, Trump has made 30 in-person political appearances, including more than 27 rallies in October, alongside several tele-rallies as Election Day approached.
