Wrestling matches to come

The Democratic Party’s stunning 2026 midterm election victories have upended the political landscape. Beginning in January, Democrats will control both chambers of Congress, while Donald Trump has two years left in his White House term. These next two years could bring bipartisan cooperation, political warfare, or a dictatorial Trump who attempts to govern without Congress.

The last time this government split happened was after the 2006 midterms, when Democrats won control of both chambers during Republican George W. Bush’s second term. During that period, Democrats secured a federal minimum wage increase from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour phased in over two years, while Republicans obtained billions in tax cuts for small businesses. The parties also reached other agreements, including the Energy Independence and Security Act, which established stronger automobile fuel-efficiency standards and expanded renewable fuel requirements.

But confrontation occurred too. Bush twice vetoed a major expansion of children’s health insurance, and Democrats failed to override either veto. Bush also vetoed the 2008 Farm Bill twice, but Congress overrode both vetoes.