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After Loss of House, Trump Makes Overture to Democrats, Coupled With Threats After Loss of House, Trump Makes Overture to Democrats, Coupled With Threats
(35 minutes later)
WASHINGTON — President Trump offered on Wednesday to work across party lines with Democrats who won control of the House in midterm elections, but threatened to retaliate if they use their newfound power to investigate his financial and political dealings. WASHINGTON — President Trump offered on Wednesday to work across party lines with Democrats who won control of the House in the midterm elections, but threatened to adopt a “warlike posture” and retaliate if they use their newfound power to investigate his financial and political dealings.
“There are many things we can get along on,” Mr. Trump said at a news conference at the White House. “I would like to see bipartisanship. I would like to see unity. Maybe not on everything, but I think we have a very good chance of seeing that.” In a postelection news conference that veered from conciliation to confrontation, Mr. Trump framed the results of the vote on his own terms, calling it “a great victory” because Republicans bolstered their majority in the Senate and insisting that he is almost happier that Democrats won the House because it will be easier to cut bipartisan deals.
Praising Representative Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat who may become the next speaker, Mr. Trump said he thought he could make deals with her and her caucus on issues like health care, the environment and infrastructure, including new roads. In some ways, he said, it might be easier to get things through than if Republicans kept a narrow hold on the House. “There are many things we can get along on,” Mr. Trump said, citing health care, pharmaceutical drug prices, the environment and infrastructure. “I would like to see bipartisanship. I would like to see unity. Maybe not on everything, but I think we have a very good chance of seeing that.”
[See the results for the House of Representatives, the Senate and governors’ races, and read our analysis.][See the results for the House of Representatives, the Senate and governors’ races, and read our analysis.]
But he said he would fight fire with fire if Democrats follow through on their vows to use the subpoena power that will come with the House majority to demand the release of his tax returns and reopen the chamber’s investigation into any interactions between Mr. Trump’s campaign and Russia during the 2016 campaign. He said he would adopt a “warlike posture” and get the Senate Republicans to investigate the Democrats. Yet even as he praised Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the House minority leader, and endorsed her bid to regain the speakership, he said he would fight fire with fire if Democrats followed through on their vows to use the subpoena power that will come with being in the majority to demand the release of his tax returns and reopen the chamber’s investigation into any interactions between Mr. Trump’s campaign and Russia during the 2016 election.
“They can play that game, but we can play better because we have a thing called the United States Senate and a lot of questionable things were done between leaks of classified information and many other elements that should not have taken place,” he said.“They can play that game, but we can play better because we have a thing called the United States Senate and a lot of questionable things were done between leaks of classified information and many other elements that should not have taken place,” he said.
The news conference came several hours after Mr. Trump went on Twitter to frame the election results as a validating triumph rather than a major setback. Aggressive oversight by the Democrats, Mr. Trump added, would undercut any chance of bipartisan compromises. “If that happens, then we’re going to do the same thing and government comes to a halt and I’m going to blame them,” he said.
But even as he claimed victory, he quickly went on offense against the newly elected Democratic House, threatening to retaliate if the opposition uses its new subpoena power to investigate him for corruption and obstruction of justice in an early foreshadowing of the bitter partisan warfare that could dominate the next two years. Ms. Pelosi said she hoped this would be a “new era” and noted that she worked productively with President George W. Bush when Democrats held the House during his last two years in office.
“If the Democrats think they are going to waste Taxpayer Money investigating us at the House level, then we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them for all of the leaks of Classified Information, and much else, at the Senate level,” he wrote. “Two can play that game!” “The fact is we’d like to work together so legislation would be bipartisan,” she said. But Ms. Pelosi said Democrats would not curb their aspirations in the interest of compromise. “We’re not going for the lowest common denominator,” she said. “We’re going for the boldest common denominator.”
Then, in a head-spinning pivot, Mr. Trump shortly afterward endorsed Representative Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, for House speaker and even volunteered Republican votes if she cannot muster enough in her own caucus. While he has presented himself as a natural negotiator from his time in real estate, Mr. Trump has made almost no deals with opposition Democrats since taking office. Mr. Trump had one brief moment of comity with Ms. Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, in his first two years when they agreed to a short-term spending deal, but it quickly evaporated amid disagreement over immigration.
“In all fairness, Nancy Pelosi deserves to be chosen Speaker of the House by the Democrats,” he wrote. “If they give her a hard time, perhaps we will add some Republican votes. She has earned this great honor!” One obvious point of contention that will surely arise between the two sides will be the investigation by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election and obstruction of justice. During his session with reporters, Mr. Trump once again insisted that he had the right to order an end to the investigation.
Whether he meant it as a gracious gesture or a tweak because he enjoys having Ms. Pelosi as a foil was not immediately clear. “I could’ve ended it anytime I wanted,” he said. “I didn’t. There was no collusion. There was no anything.” But he did not rule it out. “It should end because it’s very bad for our country,” he said.
While Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama expressed humility following major midterm losses in 1994, 2006 and 2010 — Mr. Bush called his setback a “thumpin’ ” and Mr. Obama described his as a “shellacking” — Mr. Trump acted as if he had nothing to regret. The president said there would be changes to his staff and cabinet after the election, but he would not detail them yet.
Mr. Trump had every reason to feel good about the results in the Senate, where Republicans knocked off three Democratic incumbents, in Indiana, North Dakota and Missouri, and were leading in Florida, while losing only one of their own seats in Nevada. If they hold on to their current leads, Republicans will increase their majority in the upper chamber from 51 seats to 55, giving them far more maneuvering room as they confirm judges and other appointments by Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump was the fourth president in a row to endure a major midterm election defeat. Democrats picked up at least 26 seats in the House, taking the majority, and claimed seven additional governorships in key states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Kansas where Mr. Trump won two years ago and that will be crucial to his chances of securing a second term in 2020.
But the loss of the House is a major blow to the president, whose party until now controlled all the levers of power in Washington and still had trouble passing some of his top legislative priorities other than tax cuts. As of Wednesday morning, Democrats have picked up 26 seats with 23 races still to be called. But he chose to focus instead on the net gain of two Republican seats in the Senate so far and argued that his losses were not as bad as President Barack Obama’s were in 2010. And he blamed Republican losses on lawmakers who distanced themselves from him rather than embracing him.
The turnover in the House foreshadows a dramatic change in Mr. Trump’s presidency. A Democratic House not only can block Mr. Trump’s priorities like building a wall along the southern border, it can use subpoena power to investigate all manner of issues that he had been protected from until now. “Didn’t want the embrace,” he said repeatedly, naming one Republican after another who lost.
Among other things, Democrats likely will demand the release of tax returns that he has kept secret, look into his business dealings and reopen the House investigation into any ties between Mr. Trump’s team and Russia during the 2016 presidential election. The news conference, only his third formal solo session with reporters at the White House since he took office 22 months ago, showcased his toxic relationship with the news media. He complained repeatedly that he had been treated unfairly and engaged in several heated exchanges with reporters who questioned him.
“We’ll fill in the gaps on the Russia investigations,” Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat from California and member of the House Intelligence Committee, said on NBC News on Wednesday morning. “The American people will see his tax returns, not because of any voyeuristic interest, but because they should know if he is corrupt. And we will look at the cashing in of access to the Oval Office and that has been concerning and his financial entanglements overseas.” “You’re a very rude person,” he told a CNN reporter who persisted in questioning him after the president was ready to move on.
More dangerous to the president, a Democratic House has the power to impeach him, even if they would not be able to muster the two-thirds vote required for conviction in the Senate. Democratic leaders, including Ms. Pelosi, have resisted the idea of impeachment, but could come under enormous pressure from the party’s liberal base, especially if Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel, produces a report with damning information. “Well, I’m not a big fan of yours either,” Mr. Trump told an NBC reporter who stuck up for his CNN colleague.
The pressure on Democrats was immediate. He snapped at a third reporter who tried to ask a question. “Sit down,” he said. “I didn’t call on you.”
“The American people have voted for real change, and it’s critical that these new representatives recognize this will only come with a true political reckoning for the corruption, self-dealing and lawlessness exemplified by Mr. Trump,” said Tom Steyer, a liberal California billionaire who has financed a drive to push for impeachment. “He cannot be permitted to continue to break the law with impunity.” When a fourth reporter, who is African-American, asked if his divisive messaging during the campaign had emboldened white supremacists, he lashed out. “That’s a racist question,” he said, jabbing a finger at her.
Mr. Trump sought to claim that the election losses were not a reflection on him. Republicans who supported his policies won in Tuesday’s elections, he asserted, and “those that did not, say goodbye!” Mr. Trump’s tone was strikingly different from that of his most recent predecessors. Bill Clinton, Mr. Bush and Mr. Obama all expressed humility after major midterm losses in 1994, 2006 and 2010 — Mr. Bush called his setback a “thumpin,’” and Mr. Obama described his as a “shellacking” — but Mr. Trump maintained that he had nothing to regret.
Mr. Trump also said he received congratulatory messages from “foreign nations (friends),” without specifying any countries, amid concerns leading up to the elections that a major Democratic victory could stymie the administration’s foreign policy initiatives. The president had every reason to feel good about the results in the Senate, where Republicans knocked off Democratic incumbents in Indiana, North Dakota and Missouri, and were leading in Florida, while losing only one of their own seats in Nevada. If they hold on to their current leads, Republicans will increase their majority in the upper chamber to 54 seats from 51, giving them far more maneuvering room as they confirm judges and other appointments by Mr. Trump.
In the past few months, Mr. Trump prioritized campaigning in Florida, Georgia, Indiana and Missouri, where there were important Republican wins in Senate and governor races. But in other places around the country where voters supported Mr. Trump in the 2016 election, Democrats were able to gain ground. But the loss of the House was a major blow to the president, whose party until now controlled all the levers of power in Washington and still had trouble passing some of his top legislative priorities other than tax cuts.
“The big story from last night is how his engagement made history yet again,” Kellyanne Conway, the president’s counselor, told CNN. But while the president instantly turned combative in his morning-after tweets, Ms. Conway asserted that he might forge bipartisan deals. “This president is the consummate deal maker,” she said. “He is willing to work with Democrats.” The turnover in the House foreshadowed a dramatic change in Mr. Trump’s presidency. A Democratic House not only can block Mr. Trump’s priorities like building a wall along the southern border, it can also use subpoena power to investigate all manner of issues that he had been protected from until now.
In fact, Mr. Trump has made almost no deals with the opposition since taking office. Mr. Trump had one brief moment of comity with Ms. Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, in his first two years when they agreed to a short-term spending deal, but it quickly evaporated amid disagreement over immigration. Among other things, Democrats are likely to demand the release of tax returns that he has kept secret, look into his business dealings and reopen the House investigation into any ties between Mr. Trump’s team and Russia during the 2016 election.
“We’ll fill in the gaps on the Russia investigations,” Representative Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California and member of the House Intelligence Committee, said on NBC News on Wednesday morning. “The American people will see his tax returns, not because of any voyeuristic interest, but because they should know if he is corrupt. And we will look at the cashing in of access to the Oval Office and that has been concerning and his financial entanglements overseas.”
More dangerous to the president, a Democratic House has the power to impeach him, even if it would not be able to muster the two-thirds vote required for conviction in the Senate. Democratic leaders, including Ms. Pelosi, have resisted the idea of impeachment, but could come under enormous pressure from the party’s liberal base, especially if Mr. Mueller produces a report with damning information.
The pressure on Democrats was immediate. “The American people have voted for real change, and it’s critical that these new representatives recognize this will only come with a true political reckoning for the corruption, self-dealing and lawlessness exemplified by Mr. Trump,” said Tom Steyer, a liberal California billionaire who has financed a drive to push for impeachment. “He cannot be permitted to continue to break the law with impunity.”