Trump threatens legislative blockade if Democrats sweep midterms

• Trump has issued two vetoes so far during his second term, compared to 10 vetoes throughout his first administration
• Addressing the prospect of a third presidential run, Trump acknowledged the 22nd Amendment's restrictions

US President Donald Trump said he is prepared to wield his veto authority extensively if Democrats win control of Congress in Tuesday’s midterm elections, warning that he could become "Mr. Veto" to block opposition-led legislation.

Trump made the comments during an interview with The New York Post columnist Miranda Devine on her podcast Pod Force One, excerpts of which aired on Fox News ahead of the full episode's release on Monday.

Asked how he would navigate governing alongside a Democratic-led House or Senate, Trump signaled an aggressive stance toward any bills sent to the White House.

"I guess I'll become Mr. Veto. I'm not going to let them ruin it," Trump said. "They'll be sending stuff up. You veto it. And eventually, after a month or two of getting all vetoed, they're just wasting time, they come over, and you make a deal".

Trump framed the approach as a pathway toward eventual compromise, stating that repeated executive rejections would compel opposition leadership to seek negotiated settlements.

"And then at some point, we'll probably make deals. That's what's happened. I mean, this wouldn't be the first time," he said, while adding that he hoped Republicans would preserve their congressional majorities so that such measures would be unnecessary.

Under the US Constitution, a presidential veto returns passed legislation to Congress without enactment, requiring a two-thirds majority vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to override the president's decision. Trump has utilized the veto twice during his second administration, having issued 10 vetoes during his first term in office.

The statements arrive in the final hours before Tuesday's nationwide midterms, where all 435 House seats and 35 of the 100 Senate seats are on the ballot. With Republicans holding a narrow margin in the House, Democrats require a net pickup of three seats to reclaim the speaker's gavel, amid closely contested races in several traditionally conservative states.

During the interview, Trump also addressed persistent speculation regarding the possibility of seeking a third term in the White House. "I'd love to run again if I had the chance, but the language is very exacting," Trump remarked, citing the 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution, which explicitly bars any individual from being elected to the presidency more than twice.