Donald Trump will have almost complete control over the levers of government -- with only limited checks on his power -- if Republicans add the House of Representatives to their White House and Senate victories. He can rely on five key factors as he pushes through his populist America-First agenda: Holding a more than five-million ballot lead on Thursday, Trump is set to emerge with an overwhelming victory in the popular vote against Democratic rival Kamala Harris. He is on course to be the first Republican president in 20 years to achieve the feat.
The 78-year-old has already secured a clear majority in the Electoral College, which decides the president, with a margin that could still grow once the results in Arizona and Nevada are finalized. If declared the winner in these two states, Donald Trump will have completed a clean sweep of the seven key battleground states. Unlike with his victory in 2016, when Hillary Clinton won the popular vote, Trump will be able to claim greater legitimacy for pushing through his reformist agenda.
"America has given us a powerful and unprecedented mandate," he declared on Wednesday. Mid-term elections in two years will be the next opportunity for Democrats to check Trump's power. With counting still ongoing for about 30 out of the 435 seats, Republicans are leading the race to keep their slim majority in the House of Representatives.
Trump's camp has already regained control of the Senate, with a few seats left to decide how large their uppe.