With control of Congress in GOP hands in January, President-elect Trump will have a smoother path to implement his agenda and fill his Cabinet.
WASHINGTON—With Republicans projected to retain control of the U.S. House, the GOP has won a trifecta in the federal government for the first time since 2016.
Although The Associated Press had yet to call all House races, it projected as of about 10:30 p.m. on Nov. 13, Republicans would keep at least 218 seats in the lower chamber—the minimum required for a majority.
“We did everything possible to ensure we could come to this moment,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said during a Nov. 12 press conference in which he declared Republicans victorious. “It is a new day in Washington; it is morning in America.”
Republicans also won control of the Senate with 53 seats as President-elect Donald Trump scored a decisive victory in the November election with 312 electoral votes.
Although Trump also had a trifecta in 2016, his party was more divided at that time. Just before that election, Republican leaders such as House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) were openly critical of Trump.
This time, the party is far more united behind the man who has ruled Republican politics for nearly a decade, although Trump will likely still face challenges from some members of his party in both chambers.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said on Nov. 12 that Trump wouldn’t have to fight members of his own party this time.
“The American people are hungry for [change], and they’re going to find a Republican leadership willing to work for them so they don’t have to struggle any longer,” Scalise said.
Johnson described the GOP win as “decisive.”
Here’s what to expect from an incoming Republican-dominated federal government.
White House
With Trump on track to have a Republican majority in both chambers of Congress, he’ll have significant power to advance his agenda.
Securing a decisive victory in the November election, Trump became the first Republican in 20 years to win the popular vote. He’s also the only Republican in history to win a nonconsecutive term, a feat accomplished only once before, by Democratic President Grover Cleveland.
By Joseph Lord, Jackson Richman and Emel Akan
