United States: After Trump’s election victory: Fears about majorities in the US Congress

After Republican Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential election, the focus is on counting the votes for the House of Representatives. It is crucial for Trump that his party retains control of this chamber of parliament in order to be able to push through legislative proposals without blocking the Democrats. The Republicans had already won the majority in the Senate on election night.

Although Trump has already reached the required number of voters to enter the White House, the counting in the presidential election campaign has not yet been completely completed in all states. Meanwhile, it is becoming clearer how the proceedings against Trump will continue in the aftermath of the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021. And an alleged murder plot against the US President-elect is making headlines.

US Congress: Democrats hope, Republicans confident of victory

In the congressional elections, Republicans are confident that they will be able to defend their majority in the House of Representatives. However, the Democrats continue to hope for a turnaround: “Control of the House of Representatives has not yet been decided,” wrote Democratic Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on X. Every vote must be counted.

Republican spokesman Mike Johnson had already stated on election night that his party expected to secure control of both chambers of parliament in addition to the White House. According to US media, he sent the message to his colleagues: “The current data suggests that we will maintain – and probably expand – our Republican majority in the House of Representatives.”

Both parties are in a tight race for the chamber. According to the AP news agency, the Republicans had won 212 seats by Friday evening (local time), the Democrats 200. 218 seats are required for a majority. Counting is still ongoing in several closely contested constituencies, which could mean final results may be days away. Experts see the Democrats’ chances as dwindling, but they still don’t think a victory is out of the question.

Predictions: Trump also gets “swing state” Nevada

The picture was much clearer in the presidential election. According to forecasts from broadcasters CNN and NBC, Trump was also able to finally secure the particularly hotly contested state of Nevada with its six electoral votes on Friday, meaning that of the seven “swing states” only Arizona is still open. The AP news agency has not yet confirmed a winner in Nevada. However, Trump’s defeated competitor Kamala Harris can only achieve symbolic success anyway.

Justice wants to decide on Trump proceedings by December 2nd

In addition to the developments in Congress, Trump’s legal problems are now coming into focus again after Trump’s victory. There are several investigations underway against him – but his election as US President, who enjoys extensive immunity and can have federal proceedings dismissed, has put investigators in an unprecedented situation.

In Washington, Trump was charged in connection with attempted election fraud and the storming of the US Capitol almost four years ago – these were the most serious allegations in a series of proceedings against him. If convicted, Trump would have faced decades in prison, but that is now unlikely to happen.

Special Counsel Jack Smith plans to make a decision on the case by December 2nd. He applied to the responsible court in Washington to revoke the previous timetable, citing the “unprecedented circumstances”. Judge Tanya Chutkan granted this request. The US Department of Justice generally does not investigate sitting presidents.

In the summer, Smith revised the charges after the Supreme Court generally granted US presidents broad immunity for official acts. Trump said during the campaign that he would fire Special Counsel Smith “in two seconds” if elected.

US Justice Department accuses Iran of plotting to murder Trump

An indictment by the Justice Department accusing Iran of a murder plot against Trump also caused a stir over the weekend. A 51-year-old Iranian with Afghan nationality claimed during an FBI investigation that he had received an order from Iran to assassinate Trump a few weeks before the election. The investigators classified his statements as credible.

Trump’s campaign team recently announced that it had been informed by US intelligence about “specific threats” from Iran. The US justice system has now brought charges against the 51-year-old and two other men who are said to have hatched a murder plan against an Iranian critic of the Iranian government. Arrest warrants were issued.

During his first term, Trump withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, imposed sanctions on the Islamic Republic and designated Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, the country’s elite military force, as a terrorist organization. In 2020, he also had the powerful Iranian general Ghassem Soleimani killed in a drone attack in Baghdad – an unparalleled affront to the leadership in Tehran.