Is Trump really a ‘lame duck’ after losing both houses of US Congress?

Democrats won majorities in both houses of the US Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, flipping several long-held Republican seats. Donald Trump blamed the defeat on not being on the ballot, claiming Republicans would have won “in a LANDSLIDE” if he had been running. He said he was willing to accept the results and work with Democrats, but later posted an image of a MAGA hat bearing the word “VETO.” The losses have prompted critics and commentators to call him a “lame duck,” a term generally used for a leader whose influence wanes as their departure approaches.