Trump midterms danger, USA News: With two days remaining before the US midterm elections that will determine control of Congress, political analysts suggest that a wounded Donald Trump could prove more dangerous than ever if his party suffers massive losses in the Senate and the House. Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned this week that Trump would become more unhinged, pointing to behavioral psychology principles where individuals in the domain of loss double down on risk. David Cay Johnston, a Pulitzer-winning investigative reporter and professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology, noted that the President becomes feral when cornered, raising concerns that the lame-duck period could become his most chaotic yet.
Regardless of the outcome in Congress, the President will retain broad authority over the US armed forces, executive orders, and the motivation to target adversaries. Analysts have highlighted four primary areas where a cornered administration could escalate actions following the vote.
1. Trump will dive back into war
Recent reports indicate that a new US-Israeli assault on Iran could occur after the midterms, potentially targeting Iranian civilian energy facilities and prompting regional retaliation. Johnston expressed concern that escalation might push Trump to consider using a nuclear weapon, a threat previously floated with remarks about annihilating civilizations, though nuclear experts remain hopeful that American military officers would refuse such an order. Trump has publicly ruled out nuclear strikes against Iran, suggesting alternative deployment of conventional bunker-buster munitions instead. Beyond the Middle East, a Brookings Institution analysis predicts Trump will push to end the Ukraine war on terms favorable to Russia while avoiding direct confrontation with major powers like China, potentially increasing pressure on Kyiv and Latin American targets.
2. Immigration crackdown could escalate
Immigration remains one of Trump’s stronger polling areas among Republicans, and Dr. Georgios Samaras, a US politics specialist at King’s College London, notes that federal tools and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) remain under executive control. Even with Democrats holding congressional chambers, Samaras predicts the administration could intensify immigration crackdowns, targeting additional ethnic groups or reviving border wall projects as a distraction from cost-of-living pressures tied to foreign conflicts.
3. Persecution of opponents
A Democrat-controlled Congress could place severe pressure on the White House through subpoenas regarding alleged self-enrichment schemes and potential impeachment proceedings. Samaras suggests this dynamic could provoke the President into retaliating with politically motivated charges, such as treason or sedition, targeting political opponents, activists, and critics like John Bolton and James Comey. Concurrently, analysts believe the administration will continue purging the military, intelligence community, and diplomatic corps to ensure institutional loyalty.
4. Profiteering bonanza
Trump has faced accusations of leveraging the presidency for financial gain through initiatives ranging from Mar-a-Lago events to cryptocurrency ventures. Kaivan Shroff, a US political commentator, expects this pattern of commercial acceleration and personal branding to intensify before his term concludes, alongside predictions of significant presidential pardons and increased real estate and monument projects.
