▲ The White House
As the Republican Party faces struggles in the U.S. midterm elections, the White House is reportedly focusing on finding ways to cope with the aftermath, according to the British daily The Times.
According to the British daily The Telegraph on November 2, anxiety among White House aides has been growing as the midterm elections approach.
The focus of conversations among White House staffers these days has reportedly shifted from how to win the midterm elections to discussing what will happen if the scenario of a Republican defeat becomes a reality.
The scenario that White House employees fear most is that the Democratic Party will take control of Congress in the midterms held on November 3, entangling the administration in sweeping investigations throughout the remaining two years of the Trump administration.
Some within the White House and the Republican Party are particularly concerned about the possibility that the Democrats could push for the impeachment of President Trump following the midterm elections.
Amidst this mood, President Trump is recently considering sweeping preemptive pardons for junior officials to ease the anxiety of White House staff.
Appearing on a New York Post podcast on this day, President Trump stated that if the Democrats take control of Congress, he would carry out preemptive pardons for his aides and close associates.
Trump previously pardoned en masse on his first day back in office about 1,500 of his hardcore supporters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, to block the certification of President Joe Biden's victory.
Earlier, former President Joe Biden also sparked controversy by executing preemptive pardons to protect his brother and sister-in-law from potential investigations by the Trump administration after his term ended.
As the midterms draw near, requests for preemptive pardons are reportedly continuing among public officials inside and outside the White House.
A person familiar with the matter told The Times, "People are coming in asking for pardons," adding, "The Democrats are going to use this as an opportunity."
Even amid this atmosphere, the White House is reportedly focusing on preparing measures to ensure that the Trump administration's key policy agenda can continue to be pushed forward, assuming the worst-case scenario after the election.
Senior officials, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, have spent the past several months devising ways for President Trump to push forward national agendas even without congressional approval, according to The Times.
In particular, the White House counsel's office has reportedly been intensively reviewing what President Trump can do independently by bypassing Congress, how far the limits of presidential power can be expanded, and how such decisions can be defended in court later on.
Administrative measures under review include imposing new tariffs on critical mineral imports, tightening visa issuance regulations, and measures to lower housing and construction costs, The Times reported.
It is also projected that if the Democrats take control of Congress through a midterm victory, President Trump is likely to exercise his veto power against major bills introduced by the Democrats.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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