“The United States has given us a powerful and unprecedented mandate. It will be the golden age. We will turn everything around and we will do it quickly.” Exactly one year ago, Donald Trump jubilantly uttered these words to celebrate his victory at the polls against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. Twelve months later, the Republican is celebrating a bittersweet anniversary.
Trump is not having his best moment a year after the presidential election, when his party gained control of the Senate, the House of Representatives and even won the popular vote. The occupant of the White House suffered a political upheaval this Tuesday after the undisputed victory of the Democrats in four decisive elections.
The socialist Zohran Mamdani won with a large majority the race for mayor of New York, the largest city in the country. Abigail Spanberger, a CIA officer and former three-term congresswoman, won the governorship of Virginia for the Democrats. Her friend Mikie Sherrill, a former helicopter pilot with whom she shared an apartment during her student days, defeated the Republican candidate in another election to become governor of New Jersey. And in California, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newson, who has become one of Trump’s top bosses, easily pushed through his bill to redistrict California, a move that could give his party five more seats in the upcoming midterm elections.
The sensational victory of the Democrats left Trump shaken, and he was quick to exonerate himself for the defeat his party suffered yesterday shortly after learning the election results. “TRUMP’S ABSENCE TO VOTE AND THE STATE SHUTDOWN WERE THE TWO REASONS WHY REPUBLICANS LOST THE ELECTION TONIGHT, according to polls,” he wrote last night on Truth, a social network that serves as a platform for him to express his opinions.
This Tuesday’s election result appears to have reawakened a Democratic Party that had been eliminated by Trump’s victory a year ago. Mamdani’s party, but also centrists like Spanberger, use the cost of living as a political battering ram against Trump. “Happy Anniversary! One year ago on November 5th, we achieved one of the greatest presidential victories in history. What a great honor to represent our country. Our economy is booming and prices are dropping significantly. Our goal is affordability,” Trump wrote on Truth.
The Republican watches helplessly as some of his most controversial policies end up in the courts. The U.S. Supreme Court held a joint hearing Wednesday to study two cases that questioned whether Trump had sufficient authority to impose widespread tariffs on the entire world. The plaintiffs believe that the path chosen by the president, the Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA) of 1977, is not the appropriate vehicle, because the emergency situation is not justified and because these types of measures correspond to Congress.
The president was the first to underline the importance of the case after last April it overturned the rules of international trade built with decades of diplomacy. “The case that will be presented before the United States Supreme Court tomorrow is, quite literally, a matter of life and death for our country. A victory will provide us with formidable, but just, financial and national security. Without it, we will be virtually defenseless against other countries that, for years, have taken advantage of us,” Trump wrote on his platform yesterday.
Although the high court, composed of nine judges with a conservative majority, has not concluded its deliberations, it has expressed doubts about the legality of the Oval Office tenant’s fees. Another candle that seems to go out on the very day of its anniversary celebration.
The millionaire who made his fortune speculating on New York buildings is not having his best week. When Trump is upset, he flees to Florida, where he takes a break at his Mar-a-Lago mansion. Last Wednesday he flew there under the pretense of attending a forum with businessmen. Meanwhile, the federal government remained closed for 35 days, the longest in history, due to the inability of Republicans and Democrats in the Senate to agree on extending budgets.
Discontent with Trump grows as the government machine remains at half-speed, with thousands of officials not receiving pay and millions of citizens unable to receive food aid or about to see their health insurance skyrocket. The president is appalled by his party’s inability to escape the Senate gridlock. And he wants to make a clean break: he has ordered the Republicans to eliminate the rule that requires a majority of 60 votes to move forward. He pressures his party leaders to support the abolition of the parliamentary filibuster, as this rule is known to require a majority to pass important legislation.
However, Upper House Majority Leader John Thune believes pushing the “nuclear button” would be bad for them when Democrats regain control of the Senate. Yesterday’s election victory and some polls point to the midterm elections as an opportunity for Democrats to turn the tide in the legislative chambers.
The tycoon who became famous by saying goodbye on a TV show is not having his best week. During this Wednesday in Florida, near his villa, surrounded by businessmen, Trump evaded questions from the press four times, something unprecedented for a politician who tries to monopolize the conversation and who usually never avoids questions from journalists.
“Democrats are much more likely to win the next presidential and midterm elections if we don’t eliminate the filibuster (the nuclear option!), because it will be impossible for Republicans to pass common-sense policies with these Democratic fanatics blocking everything by withholding their votes. FOR THREE YEARS, NOTHING WILL BE PASSED AND THE REPUBLICANS WILL BE BLAME,” Trump added on his social media platform. “Elections, including midterm elections, will, rightfully, be brutal. If we eliminate the filibuster, we will get EVERYTHING passed, like no other Congress in history,” he added.
At the moment, the first anniversary of his victory is being less successful than he predicted a year ago, when his voters chanted “Make America great again” as he savored the victory surrounded by his family on a stage in West Palm Beach (Florida), near his Mar-a-Lago villa.
