Trump’s adversaries are betting they can wait him out

Voters have handed Democrats control of both houses of Congress, leaving President Donald Trump with 26 months to pursue foreign policy goals before his political position may change. The article argues that adversaries may try to preserve their strategic advantages until Washington’s priorities shift, while the election limits Trump’s political horizon without removing his immediate ability to act.

A divided Congress can investigate executive decisions, challenge funding and make long-term commitments harder to sustain, but it cannot command US forces or direct diplomacy on its own. The article points to George W. Bush’s decision to announce the Iraq surge two months after Republicans lost Congress in 2006, despite opposition, as an example of political weakness not necessarily leading to military restraint.