Donald Trump has responded to a humiliating defeat in the US midterm elections with a typically defiant message, posting an image of a red baseball cap bearing a single word: “VETO”.
The US President shared the image on his Truth Social platform after Democrats swept to victory in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, delivering a devastating blow to his Republican Party and threatening to derail the final two years of his presidency.
The cap, styled in the familiar red and white design of Trump’s famous Make America Great Again merchandise, appeared to be a warning to his political opponents that, despite their sweeping victory, he still holds considerable power.
And he clearly has every intention of using it.
Speaking to Fox News as the election results rolled in, Trump acknowledged that Republicans had performed worse than expected.
“I’m a little bit surprised. I thought they’d do better,” he said, pointing to the large crowds he had attracted at campaign rallies.
However, the 80-year-old refused to accept that the result represented a personal rejection by American voters.
“I don’t like to consider it a defeat,” he said, arguing that the outcome would have been different had his own name appeared on the ballot.
The results tell a difficult story for the President.
Democrats captured both chambers of Congress in Tuesday’s elections, winning seats in traditionally Republican strongholds and overturning the political advantage Trump had enjoyed since returning to the White House in January 2025.
Among the most extraordinary results was a Democratic Senate victory in Kansas, a state that had not elected a Democrat to the Senate since the Great Depression.
The election was widely seen as a referendum on Trump’s second presidency, with voters expressing frustration over soaring living costs, rising fuel prices and the ongoing war with Iran.
For many Americans, economic pressures that Trump had promised to ease have instead intensified, contributing to a dramatic shift in political sentiment.
Democratic leaders celebrated the result as a clear message from voters.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries declared that Americans were demanding change, while Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer described the outcome as a generational transformation of the political landscape.
But Trump was quick to remind his opponents that winning Congress does not mean they can govern without him.
Under the US Constitution, the President can veto legislation passed by Congress, preventing it from becoming law unless two-thirds of members in both chambers vote to override his decision.
Democrats are well short of those numbers, meaning Trump retains the ability to block much of their legislative agenda.
“They’re in control, but they’re really not in control,” Trump told Fox News, suggesting he could simply reject bills sent to his desk.
Despite the confrontational message, the President also indicated he was prepared to negotiate.
“I think the Democrats did a good job, I really do,” he said, offering rare praise for his political rivals.
He also expressed a willingness to work with the opposition rather than spend the remainder of his presidency rejecting legislation.
The Democratic victory nevertheless represents a dramatic reversal of fortune for Trump, whose Republican allies have largely supported his policies throughout the first half of his second term.
With control of Congress, Democrats will be able to block legislation, scrutinise presidential appointments and launch investigations into the administration’s conduct, including its handling of the Iran war and immigration enforcement.
The new balance of power will take effect when Congress convenes in January 2027.
For Trump, the challenge now is how to govern with an opposition-controlled Congress after two years of Republican dominance.
And judging by his latest social media post, the President has already settled on at least one strategy.
If he can’t get his way, he’ll reach for the veto.
