NO CONGRESS, NO PROBLEM

Stephen Miller’s Secret Plot for After Election Exposed

Trump’s closest allies are preparing for the worst.

Stephen Miller and senior White House officials are drawing up a plan for Donald Trump to govern by decree if voters hand Congress to Democrats.

According to The Telegraph, Miller and senior White House officials have spent months devising ways for Trump to pass laws without Congress’s approval if Democrats win control of the legislature in November.

The preparations come as polls show Democrats leading Republicans on a generic ballot ahead of the midterms, which will determine who controls the House and the Senate.

A Democratic majority would leave Trump facing a major obstacle to passing legislation, putting his remaining domestic agenda at risk.

As a result, the White House is now exploring ways to push ahead without lawmakers’ approval.

NOT SUGARCOATING IT

Fox News Hits Trump With Brutal Blow 5 Days Before Election

Martha McHardy

White House counsel Will Scharf and his team are examining “what Mr. Trump can legally do on his own, where he could push the limits of his authority and how to defend those decisions in court,” an official told Reuters.

Meanwhile, federal agencies have already submitted proposals and legal assessments of measures Trump could pursue unilaterally, The Telegraph reported.

Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, is separately reviewing which administration priorities could be funded using money Congress has already approved.

Play Video

Vought is also seeking changes to federal grant rules that would give political appointees greater control over how taxpayer money is distributed, potentially expanding the White House’s influence over government spending without fresh congressional approval.

Measures under consideration include new tariffs on imports of critical minerals and wind turbines, tougher visa restrictions for international students and temporary foreign workers, and policies aimed at cutting housing and construction costs, a White House official said.

TOXIC TRUMP

Nate Silver Lays Out Case for Landslide That Buries Trump

Martha McHardy

Trump has been briefed on the preparations and participated in discussions about the plans, according to The Telegraph.

The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.

Democrats need to gain four seats in both the House and Senate to overturn Republicans’ narrow majorities. Polls give them a roughly 10-point lead on the generic congressional ballot and point to a likely House victory, while the Senate remains uncertain.

Trump and his party have lost ground since the president launched his war on Iran in February.

The war has caused fuel prices to spike. AAA figures show the average price of gas in the U.S. at $4.16 a gallon, while diesel stands at $6.29.

And Americans are not happy about it, with Trump’s approval rating plummeting to the low 30s, an all-time low.

That anger with Trump is translating into increasingly bleak midterm prospects for Republicans, with the elections widely being regarded as a referendum on Trump’s presidency.

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Martha McHardyReporter

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.