The president-elect won in all swing states, his Republican party can hope to control both chambers of Congress, and the Supreme Court is dominated by conservatives. However, resistance is forming in the democratically governed states.
Donald Trump is currently achieving one triumph after another: On Sunday it was announced that he had won all seven swing states in the US presidential election. The majority of Arizona also voted for the Republican. The eleven electors in the southwestern state are awarded to the Republican, who thus has a total of 312 votes in the electoral college, while the defeated candidate Kamala Harris has 226.
A close race was predicted in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona. Four years ago, Democrat Joe Biden won these states with the exception of North Carolina.
Power in Congress
Arizona is therefore another step in Donald Trump’s victory march: The 78-year-old is also expected to win the majority of votes cast nationwide, something that a Republican candidate has not achieved since 2004. In addition, his party won the majority in the Senate in the congressional elections that were also held.
The Republicans also have a good chance of defending their majority in the House of Representatives. According to CNN, they have secured 213 seats in the congressional chamber, leaving them five seats short of a majority. The Democrats currently have 205 seats. They continue to hope that their candidates can prevail in several of the remaining constituencies and thus secure a narrow majority for the party in the House of Representatives.
With both chambers of Congress on his side and a conservative-dominated Supreme Court behind him, Trump would have a level of power like few US presidents before him.
Therefore, democratically governed states want to build a “bastion of resistance” against Trump’s new power so that Trump does not reverse their progressive policies, for example on abortion rights or climate change. Among other things, Trump wants to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement – as he did in his first term in office.
The traditionally liberal California is positioning itself at the forefront of this “resistance”. “The freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack – and we will not stand by,” said California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. The state is preparing for tough legal battles: California is prepared to “fight in court,” Newsom said. The Democratic politician praised US federalism, which gives the country’s 50 states a lot of leeway in self-government.
Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, a Democrat, said he was preparing for possible “Trump laws.” He would protect women who travel to Illinois for abortions. And he wants to defend environmental regulations. If necessary, Illinois will take legal action to prevent Democratic-governed states from being denied federal grants if they do not want to follow Trump’s deportation policies.
Pompeo and Haley not there
Trump is unimpressed and continues to work on his team. Rumors are currently circulating. But it is becoming increasingly clear that the new president will rely primarily on loyal comrades and will not tolerate even timid criticism this time. The Republican therefore ruled out appointing former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley to his future government.
Trump has so far only announced one personnel decision for his new cabinet: his campaign manager Susie Wiles is to become the first woman in history to become chief of staff in the White House.
Marco Rubio, a senator from Florida, as well as the former ambassador to Berlin Richard Grenell, a sharp critic of Germany, are considered candidates for the post of foreign minister. Billionaire Elon Musk, who supported Trump’s election campaign passionately and with a lot of money, could become the person responsible for reducing bureaucracy under the right-wing populist. (basta/ag.)
