Acting appointments and vetoes: Trump's options after losing Congress

A Japanese panel examines the limits of governing around a Democratic Congress, Vance's positioning and the implications for Japan.

Channel: Nippon TV News ·

JapanStory of November 7, 2026Trari Newsroom

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中間選挙大敗でトランプ氏“レームダック化”も▽次期大統領選狙う？副大統領に“動き” 【深層NEWS】11月5日(木)

Things we can learn from the video

Press to jump

1:32Kotani identifies living costs and local opposition to data centers as factors behind Republican losses.
12:31Mimaki argues that war-weary voters saw the Iran conflict as a betrayal of America First promises.
20:00The panel considers acting appointments as a response to potential Senate confirmation blockages.
22:58Mimaki says congressional investigations could give Democrats leverage even when Trump vetoes legislation.
31:48Kotani interprets Vance's war criticism as an approved course correction rather than a break with Trump.
49:10Takaichi's cooperation pledge leads into discussion of Japan's diplomacy with a politically constrained Trump administration.

Donald Trump could turn increasingly to acting officials if a Democratic-controlled Senate blocks his nominees, a Japanese political panel argues, but that would not remove the wider obstacles created by his party's midterm defeat.

Japan's Nippon Television News (日テレNEWS) explores that prospect in its November 5 edition of Shinsou NEWS. Host Kenta Migimatsu is joined by Doshisha University professor Seiko Mimaki, Meikai University professor Tetsuo Kotani and Yomiuri Shimbun editor Toshiyuki Ito. The broadcast reports Democratic majorities in both chambers, with some races still unresolved.

Their diagnosis begins with household pressures. Kotani identifies high prices and living costs as central voter concerns, alongside local opposition to data centers. Mimaki connects the Republican losses to tariffs, inflation and the conflict with Iran, arguing that prolonged military involvement contradicted Trump's America First promises for voters weary of overseas wars.

The program presents Trump and Vice President JD Vance both identifying the Iran war as a reason for defeat. Kotani explains Trump's defense of the strikes as necessary to counter Iran's nuclear ambitions, while noting the president's complaints about oil prices and the failure to secure negotiations.

Governing comes next. Ito and Kotani discuss greater reliance on acting appointments if confirmations stall. Mimaki says Democrats could use hearings and congressional investigations to scrutinize the administration even when Trump blocks legislation with his veto. Citing Wall Street Journal reporting, the broadcast identifies cryptocurrency transactions and issues involving Elon Musk's Starlink among potential areas of inquiry. Kotani also warns of budget confrontations and shutdown risks.

The title's suggestion that Vance is already looking toward the next presidential election receives a qualified answer. Kotani interprets his war criticism as a course correction approved by Trump, not a complete break. Mimaki sees a difficult balancing act between Vance's appeal to workers and his ties to technology-industry elites. The discussion also considers Marco Rubio and Ron DeSantis, alongside Democratic figures including James Talarico and Jon Ossoff.

The closing segment brings the question home to Japan. After footage of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi emphasizing cooperation with Trump, the panel considers how Japan should deal with an administration that may seek foreign-policy achievements while facing stronger constraints in Congress.

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