President Donald Trump said he would use his veto power to block legislation if Democrats win control of the House and Senate, describing the authority as a way to respond to a Congress controlled by the opposing party. He made the remarks in a phone interview with CBS News on Tuesday, ahead of Election Day, when voters were choosing congressional representation as well as candidates in gubernatorial and state legislative races.
“I have the ultimate power — it's called 'veto,'” Trump told CBS, according to the supplied report. He said vetoes could prompt negotiations, arguing that lawmakers might eventually seek an agreement after a period of blocked legislation. Trump’s comments addressed the possibility of Republicans losing their congressional majorities during the final two years of his presidency; the source does not report election results.
Trump also cited the Supreme Court’s decision in Slaughter v. Trump. The report says the ruling allowed him to remove Rebecca Slaughter, a Democratic member of the Federal Trade Commission, before her term ended. Trump told CBS the decision gave the president powers the office had not previously possessed, and characterized his presidency as strong. The account provides no further detail on the court’s reasoning or the scope of the decision.
The president expressed optimism about Republicans’ prospects, saying public expectations had shifted from predictions of a substantial loss to talk of a possible GOP win. He credited his campaign travel with helping communicate his message and build enthusiasm. Those statements were Trump’s assessment; the report does not provide independent polling or other evidence to establish the effect of the tour.
According to the source, Trump made 30 in-person political appearances since August, including more than 27 rallies in October, and also took part in several tele-rallies before Election Day. It described his campaign tour as spanning more than 20 states and quoted him saying he had held 33 events over 29 days. The source does not explain how those event totals relate to the separate count of in-person appearances.
The remarks laid out Trump’s stated approach in the event of divided government: use the veto and seek negotiations with congressional Democrats. Whether either party would control Congress, and what legislation might prompt a veto, remained unresolved in the account, which was published before the election results were reported.
