# Why a Democratic wave might not stop Trump > Even if Democrats win the midterms, Trump's push for executive power means Congress may struggle to slow his agenda. - Title: Why a Democratic wave might not stop Trump · Vox | Shortify - Summary: Even if Democrats win the midterms, Trump's push for executive power means Congress may struggle to slow his agenda. Trump has spent his second term… - Keywords: donald trump, 2026 midterms, executive power, congress, democrats, republicans, project 2025, separation of powers, latino voters, north carolina, news, culture - Source: Vox — https://vox.com/politics/506401/midterms-actually-can-democrats-blue-wave-stop-trump - Author: Astead Herndon - Published: 2026-10-15T12:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 4 min - Topics: donald trump, 2026 midterms, executive power, congress, democrats, republicans, project 2025, separation of powers, latino voters, north carolina, news, culture ## The midterm question If Democrats win the House and Senate in November, will they stop President Trump's agenda? The evidence suggests no, despite his unpopularity. ## Trump's approval ratings Pew had Trump's approval at thirty percent in late September to early October, his lowest of his second term. Reuters slash Ipsos had him at thirty two percent in early October. ## Democratic advantage on ballots Democrats are up eight points on the generic House ballot according to Pew. Ballotpedia's September average put Democrats at fifty percent to Republicans' forty three percent. ## Trump ignores political incentives Trump initiated a war with Iran that no one wanted and pushes mass deportation despite Republican opposition. He is increasingly consumed by vanity projects in Washington. ## Trump's power expansion strategy Trump has spent two years growing executive power to insulate himself from political consequences. The courts have largely backed his efforts to expand presidential authority. ## Firing agency officials Trump brought independent agencies to heel by firing members of the National Labor Relations Board and Federal Trade Commission. The Supreme Court sided with him six to three in Trump v. Slaughter. ## Overturning precedent The Supreme Court overturned the ninety year old Humphrey's Executor precedent that had limited when presidents could remove agency heads. The Court refused five to four to let him remove Fed governor Lisa Cook. ## Military and immigration actions Trump federalized National Guard troops for domestic purposes and pursued unilateral military action like Caribbean boat strikes on suspected drug smugglers, breaking precedent. ## Withholding congressional funds Trump unilaterally withheld roughly eight hundred million dollars in congressionally approved funds from eleven programs supporting refugees, asylum seekers, minority business development, and housing counseling. ## The unitary executive theory Trump's White House openly subscribes to the unitary executive theory from Project twenty twenty five, which argues the president has total control over the executive branch including the FBI and Justice Department. ## Trump's own words on power At a Turning Point conference in twenty nineteen, Trump said: Then I have an Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president. > Then I have an Article II, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president. ## Stephen Miller on presidential power Stephen Miller said on CNN's News Central that the president has plenary authority, meaning Trump's power is unreviewable and unquestioned. He froze after making the assertion. ## Gerrymandering limits Democratic gains Mid decade redistricting cut competitive House seats from eighty seven to seventy seven. Democrats now need to win fifty seven of those seventy seven to take the chamber, up from fifty nine of eighty seven. ## Fewer competitive districts Cook Political Report found that fewer than five percent of Americans live in districts that will truly decide House control. Cook projected Republicans gaining roughly eight seats from the redraws, Democrats two. ## Latino voters and misinformation A survey by Marisa Abrajano at UC San Diego found Latinos who got news from Spanish language social media were eleven percentage points more likely to believe political falsehoods than those using English language social… ## Latino voters' top concerns In North Carolina, Latino voters prioritize cost of living including groceries, rent, utilities, and gas. Immigration enforcement comes close behind, but voters hold both worries at once and do not vote as a monolithic bloc. ## Young Latino voters in North Carolina Roughly a third of eligible Latino voters in North Carolina are under twenty five, with median age thirty five compared to forty eight for the state's overall electorate. Many are first generation citizens. ## Voting access changes in North Carolina Wake County replaced the long standing Talley Student Union polling site at NC State with the Business Services Center as part of a record eighteen early voting sites. Mail in ballot rules have also tightened. ## Trump's likely path forward Trump will go down fighting to make Project twenty twenty five reality. No matter what happens in November, his first two years were just the start of his agenda. > He'll go down fighting to make Project 2025 our reality, and no matter what happens in November, the first two years were just the start. ## Key takeaway Trump has spent his second term insulating himself from political consequences by expanding executive power, meaning a Democratic midterm victory may not constrain his agenda as expected.