Merz believes Trump will govern the US without Congress
Friedrich Merz (photo: Getty Images)
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he believes US President Donald Trump will continue to bypass Congress by issuing executive orders during the remaining two years of his presidency, according to Deutsche Welle.
"Trump has, for the past two years, largely governed without consulting Congress. Why should things be any different now?" Merz said at an economic forum organized by Germany's center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD).
He made it clear that he believes the Democrats' victory in the US midterm elections will have little impact. The chancellor also said he was not particularly excited about the Democrats' election victory.
"What will change is budget planning—and of course planning for the armed forces as well," Merz added.
Deutsche Welle explains that under the US Constitution, Congress can allocate federal funds and influence military matters, such as the number of troops stationed in Europe.
Other essential details to know
As a reminder, US congressional elections were held on November 3, and Democrats won control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. They will officially take office in January.
Ahead of the elections, media reports said the Trump administration had been preparing for a possible defeat and exploring ways to govern the country without Congress if Democrats took control.
As previously reported, Trump acknowledged the election results and said he was ready to work with Democrats. At the same time, he has threatened to veto Democratic initiatives.
As also reported, with their new majority, Democrats can decide which issues go to a vote. According to Reuters, they could secure new aid for Ukraine, which is one of their top priorities.
