White House devises strategy to help Democrats win congressional control, planning to b

The White House has been preparing for months for the possibility that Democrats could win control of Congress, developing plans to advance key parts of its agenda through executive authority while bracing for congressional investigations into the Trump administration, Reuters reported November 1. Since April, senior officials including deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and budget chief Russell Vought have worked with the White House counsel's office to identify executive actions Trump could take without congressional approval across immigration, tariffs, housing costs, and federal spending. White House counsel Will Scharf and his team are also mapping where Trump can legally act alone, where he might push the boundaries of his authority, and how to defend those decisions in court. The effort matters because divided government would sharply constrain the administration's legislative agenda and trigger oversight probes, making executive action the primary policy lever. Over the past month, Trump has campaigned nationwide to preserve the GOP's congressional majority, while aides privately prepare for a potentially very different political landscape in 2027. Watch for the midterm outcome and any early signals of which executive measures the White House prioritizes.