- US stops short of the precipice
Democrats have clawed their way back to share in power by gaining majority in the House after eight years. The victory marks the end of the one party rule in the US which was manipulated by President Trump to implement his whimsical, anti-peace, anti-free trade and anti-environment policies . An absence of any effective challenge from the Congress encouraged Trump to lay out an economic nationalist agenda in disregard of international treaties and initiate a trade war. So far Trump had benefited from a friendly Congress which generally supported his policies and looked the other way when it came to oversight. The takeover of the House by the Democrats indicates that a majority of the country wants to see a check on Trump for the next two years of his term
Trump is soon going to find that he is no more above the law. With the opposition now wielding subpoena power and the investigation by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, still looming, the president would face a drastically more hostile political environment in days to come. The House Democrats could investigate him or try to impeach him though some of their leaders had denied this during the campaign. The House Intelligence Committee, which ran the chamber’s investigation into 2016 Russian investigation meddling, will be under the control of Trump’s nemesis Adam Schiff, who has pledged to look deeper into the president’s foreign financial dealings
The Democrats’ victory is a breath of fresh air for Trump’s domestic opponents. The women have gained the largest ever presence in the House defying Trump’s sexist pronouncements. Despite Trump’s anti-minorities and anti-immigrant stance two Muslim and two native Americans women have been elected. However, one expects no major change in Trump’s foreign policy. The President might not be able to add more to Iran’s travails but there is little likelihood of any change in his Afghan policy. With the Republicans still maintaining control of the Senate as well as the executive and judicial branches of the government, there is little chance of any shift in Trump’s imperious tone and his policy of arm twisting countries which do not follow his diktat.
