Who won, who lost and who drew according to the first results of the Midterm elections in the United States with Trump at the center of attention. The article by Stefano Graziosi, author of the recent book “Apocalypse Trump”
A draw: this is the outcome of the American midterms. The Democrats managed to recapture the House of Representatives, while the Republicans retained control of the Senate. It was since the 2010 elections that the case of a Congress split in two has not occurred. And, this time around, it is not exactly clear what this delicate situation may herald. Certainly Trump cannot sleep too soundly.The risk for him is in fact that of transforming himself into the proverbial “lame duck”, finding himself blocked in carrying out his government agenda. It is in fact plausible that the Chamber, in the hands of the Democrats, will try to hinder him on various issues: from taxes to the fight against illegal immigration, passing – perhaps – through some foreign policy dossiers. Furthermore, it should not be overlooked that the outcome of these midterms makes the possibility of an impeachment process against the president more likely. According to the Constitution, it is in fact the House of Representatives to instruct the process of indictment. A way that could freeze the administrative action of the White House for a long time. However, the situation among the Democrats is not all that rosy.The triumph that many had announced did not take place, while a very high state of struggle and confusion remains within the Donkey Party. Not only is there no agreement on various issues (such as, for example, health care reform). But the Asinello leaders themselves are under attack from the base and from some demo deputies in particular, the leader of the minority in the Chamber, Nancy Pelosi, is receiving quite a few complaints from her. Moreover, not even on the possibility of initiating an impeachment process is there agreement among the democrats: especially the centrist currents fear that such a move could prove to be a double-edged sword and – perhaps – turn into a boomerang (as happened to the Republicans in 1999 at the time of Bill Clinton). While holding the Chamber, therefore,Furthermore, by retaining control of the Senate, Republicans continue to run what is ultimately the most important chamber. Just think of the judiciary. It is in fact the only Senate that has the authority to confirm the judges appointed by the president. And it is always the only Senate to express a verdict on the possible guilt of an accused president. This is why Trump and the Elephant continue to have the ability to choose the judges of the federal courts, as well as the ability to block impeachment attempts by the Donkey. In short, the American political situation seems to have fallen into stalemate:the wall against the wall seems to be upon us and the fratricidal clashes could characterize the next two years. However, this does not mean that all of this is inevitable. Because it cannot be ruled out that a collaboration between the opposing parties may take place. Someone might speak of political fiction or naive optimism. But this is not exactly the case. In fact, we must not forget that, from a political point of view, Donald Trump is a profoundly transversal figureand how on some programmatic issues it is paradoxically closer to the American left than to the tradition of Ronald Reagan. From international trade to infrastructure reform, there are not a few areas in which a harmony could be created between Trump and the Democratic Party. A possibility that, in hindsight, could be useful to everyone. The Democrats could in fact finally give up their barricade obstructionism, while Trump could take the opportunity to corner those orthodox republicans with whom he has never had an idyllic relationship. On the other hand, a head-on clash would almost certainly end up favoring the president who – assuming he wants to reapply – would present himself in 2020 denouncing once again the theater in Washington, contrasting him with his anti-political image. A tried and tested strategy. That could prove effective again.
