Even with a healthy majority in the Senate this time, Trump won’t have the magic 60 seats to overcome the opposition’s attempts to delay legislation.
And on Wednesday, Republicans in the Senate elected John Thune as majority leader over Rick Scott of Florida, a clear Trump favorite, a sign that some lawmakers may be reasserting their independence. (Trump has not officially endorsed Scott).
That said, shrewd management of the three elements could open the door to major legislative initiatives.
Trump’s power advantage could be key to pushing through his big promises, including deporting the largest number of migrants in history, eliminating tariffs entirely on foreign imports and rolling back environmental protections.
Using legislation to achieve this goal would make it much more difficult to overturn such plans in court. Donald Trump had a troubled first term when he made extensive use of executive orders that he regularly and often successfully challenged.
The judicial environment has also changed in favor of Donald Trump.
A notable achievement of his first term was the appointment of three conservatives to the Supreme Court. This would secure a two-thirds majority for decades to come.
He also placed more than 40 judges on federal appeals courts, shifting several circuits in a more conservative direction.
The Republican majority in the Senate also offers another major advantage.
Trump will be able to more easily get his nominees approved for positions in his administration. This is an issue he struggled with in 2017, when internal resistance to him within the Republican Party was still a significant factor.
All this means that the next two years could be busy and turbulent. But as recent history has shown, these three factors don’t last very long. The incoming administration will want to move forward.
