Trump Tells NY Post He Would Veto Bills, Pardon All If Democrats Win Congress

With midterm results unknown as of election eve, Trump's stated intention to use the veto pen and clemency power as governing tools if opposition controls the legislature signals a potential...

Former President Donald Trump, in an interview published November 2, 2026, by the New York Post, stated that he would veto legislation and issue pardons broadly if Democrats win control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections. Trump made the comments to New York Post columnist Miranda Devine in what the outlet described as an election-eve interview conducted after his final campaign rallies.

Trump said, according to the New York Post report, that he would function as "Mr. Veto" if the opposition party takes the House or Senate. He also stated he would pardon "everyone" under that scenario, though he did not specify which individuals or categories of individuals he meant. The Post published the interview on November 2, 2026, the day before midterm election day.

The presidential veto is established under Article I, Section 7 of the U.S. Constitution. A president may return unsigned legislation to Congress, where a two-thirds majority in both chambers is required to override the veto. In practice, veto overrides are rare. The Congressional Research Service has documented that Congress overrode fewer than 10 percent of vetoes issued during the 20th century.

The pardon power is established under Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution, which grants the president authority to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, with the exception of cases of impeachment. The Supreme Court affirmed in Schick v. Reed (1974) that this power is broad but not unlimited. The specific individuals Trump referenced when saying he would pardon "everyone" were not identified in the published New York Post interview.

Trump also told the Post that he believed pre-election polls were incorrect and predicted an economic expansion he described as a boom. He further stated he wished he could serve a third term, which is prohibited under the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, ratified in 1951 following Franklin D. Roosevelt's four terms in office. Trump made no claim he could legally serve a third term.

As of the publication of the New York Post interview, no midterm election results were available. Polls closed in different states at varying times on November 3, 2026. The current partisan composition of both the House and Senate, and which party would control each chamber after the election, remained to be determined by certified vote counts.

Trump campaigned in Kansas and Iowa in the days before the election, as previously reported by The Congressional Times. Campaign activity in those states reflected competitive Senate and House contests that could affect the balance of power in the 119th Congress.

If Democrats were to gain a majority in either chamber, they would control committee assignments, floor scheduling, and the legislative agenda for that body. A president who vetoes all legislation passed by such a majority would effectively halt new federal statute-making unless two-thirds of both chambers agreed to override. Historical precedent for extended veto standoffs includes President Andrew Johnson's use of the veto against Reconstruction-era Congresses in the late 1860s, and President Gerald Ford's 66 vetoes during his partial term from 1974 to 1977.

The scope of any pardons Trump might issue would depend on circumstances not yet known, including which individuals were convicted of federal offenses, which convictions were pending appeal, and which cases the administration chose to prioritize. A pardon issued before a conviction is also constitutionally permissible under Ex parte Garland (1867). The full legal and political context of any such action could only be evaluated after both the election results and any formal pardon applications or executive orders became part of the public record.

What remains unknown as of this reporting: the outcome of the 2026 midterm elections, which would determine whether the conditions Trump described would actually arise. The document that would answer this question is the certified vote count from each state, reported to the House Clerk and Senate Secretary after canvassing is complete.