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Donald Trump makes the right noises before US midterms

Delhi, IndiaWritten By: Poonam BurdeUpdated: Nov 01, 2018, 04:10 PM IST
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File photo of US President Donald Trump. Photograph:(Reuters)

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Trump is not contesting, but these elections will determine if his party keeps control of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It will also be a referendum for Trump's Presidency.

Donald Trump's unilateral proposal to end birthright citizenship has come under severe criticism. But it has got him, what he wants. He has managed to grab headlines days before Americans vote in the mid-terms. It's all part of Trump's strategy. 
 
Trump is not contesting, but these elections will determine if his party keeps control of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It will also be a referendum for Trump's Presidency. Any President's first mid-term is seen as a stamp of approval or disapproval for him. Floating such controversial ideas helps to keep the Republicans in the public eye. 

The headlines could boost chances for Republican candidates in key Senate races. It also boosts efforts to oust Democrat incumbents in traditional red states. 
 
Trump's proposal also comes in the backdrop of the Immigration crisis. It has been Trump's long-term goal to seal borders and stop entry of what he calls 'aliens'. A proposal to end birthright citizenship is a step in that direction. 
 
A lot is at stake for Donald Trump this election and he realises that. He is on a whirlwind tour of the country and in one such rally, he said if Democrats gain control, the next two years in the White House will be terrible. 
 
If Republicans lose control of either the House of Representatives or the Senate, they will lose their ability to send new bills to President Donald Trump’s desk with their party’s votes alone. Democrats will stall bill that hinges on conservative agenda. Which means, the conservative legislative agenda would be dead. All of Trump's plans to repeal Obamacare will be thwarted if Democrats take over. 
 
Secondly, if either the House or the Congress goes the other way, the Trump administration could be staring at more investigations. If Democrats gain control, they would gain subpoena power, which would let them investigate the Trump administration far more aggressively. Apart from the Russia collusion charge, Trump could be staring at an investigation into sexual assault allegations against him, his businesses and all kinds of controversial policy choices or potential scandals. 
 
In the last 100 years, an incumbent party has kept control of the House and the Senate only thrice. So if Trump, who is a political outsider manages to pull that off, it would certainly be an achievement.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)