White House plans executive actions if Democrats win Congress

The White House has spent months preparing for a possible Democratic takeover of Congress, developing plans to advance major parts of President Donald Trump's agenda through executive power while bracing for investigations of his administration, according to a White House official and two people familiar with the plans.

Senior officials, including deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and budget director Russell Vought, have worked with the White House Counsel's Office since April to identify executive actions on immigration, tariffs, housing costs and federal spending that Trump could pursue without congressional approval.

“This administration and commonsense Republicans will continue to secure our borders, restore law and order, putting more money back into the pockets of hard-working Americans, and deliver wins for the American people.”

White House counsel Will Scharf and his team are examining what Trump can legally do on his own, where he could push the limits of his authority and how to defend those decisions in court.

Democrats need a net gain of four seats in the House of Representatives and control of the Senate to overturn Republicans' narrow 218-214 and 53-47 majorities. Opinion polls favor Democrats to win the House, while the Senate remains too close to call.

Trump has held rallies across the country over the past month trying to preserve Republican control of Congress, even as his aides privately prepare for a very different political landscape in 2027.

The White House pushed back on the prospect of Republican losses and accused the media of promoting a false narrative. White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said the administration and commonsense Republicans will continue to secure borders, restore law and order, put more money into the pockets of hard-working Americans and deliver wins for the American people.