[Anchor]

Let us connect to Washington now to examine the fallout from the midterm elections.

Correspondent Jeon Byeong-nam, the "early lame duck" status has become a reality. How will President Trump respond going forward?

[Reporter]

U.S. media outlets are describing these midterm elections as a "historic judgment" and a sign that "America has rejected Trump."

Analysts suggest that President Trump now has little choice but to rely on his veto power to hold the line.

To override a presidential veto, the legislature requires a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate.

This translates to 290 seats in the House and 67 seats in the Senate.

Although the Democratic Party has taken control of both chambers, it has not secured enough seats to override a veto.

Because of this, President Trump likely calculates that he can use veto politics to neutralize the bills spearheaded by the Democrats.

Of course, from Trump's perspective, governance through legislation has effectively become impossible.

Both sides can tie each other's feet, yet neither can walk—a state of deadlock.

This will essentially become the baseline for U.S. politics over the next two years.

Instead, Trump is expected to actively utilize his sweeping executive powers in areas such as tariffs and immigration, which do not require congressional approval.

He is also projected to continue waging public opinion battles through social media, though the prevailing analysis is that such tactics may not prove as effective as before, given that public sentiment regarding Trump was clearly demonstrated in this election.

[Anchor]

There are also talks that he might preemptively pardon his aides. What does that mean?

[Reporter]

President Trump himself mentioned this just before the election.

He stated that in anticipation of the Democrats launching full-scale investigations targeting close associates such as Elon Musk or key administration figures, he could issue preemptive special pardons.

He also emphasized the legitimacy of such a move by citing his precedent of pardoning some 1,500 individuals involved in the Capitol riot on January 6 of last year, his first day back in office.

The new Congress is scheduled to be sworn in on January 3 of next year.

This means the Republican Party will still maintain control of both the House and Senate until then.

Consequently, projections are emerging that he will push as hard as possible to get judges and high-level officials confirmed during this approximately two-month window.

[Anchor]

What kind of impact will this have on the international landscape?

[Reporter]

Speculation is rising that President Trump may pursue hardline policies in the realm of foreign affairs—where congressional influence is relatively limited—to turn the political tide.

In particular, predictions suggest he may attempt so-called "bold deals" with countries like North Korea, China, and Russia in an effort to secure foreign policy achievements of his own.

The situation regarding Iran, however, is somewhat different.

Democrats are expected to pressure Trump by bringing resolutions demanding a halt to military action to a vote and by refusing to approve related budget bills.

(On-site reporting: Oh Jung-shik, Video editing: Lee Seung-jin, Design: Han Heung-soo)