US Republican Party officially wins govt 'trifecta' of House, Senate & White House

But the Republican majority in both houses is "razor thin".

Tan Min-Wei

November 14, 2024, 08:31 PM

The United State's Republican Party has swept the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, with many analysts suggesting that this will put President-elect Donald Trump in prime position to enact his agenda.

Trifecta

On Nov. 13, 2024, it was confirmed that the Republicans would maintain their control of the House of Representatives when Axios reported that victories in seats in California and Arizona allowed the party to cross the 218-seat threshold for a majority.

This adds to their commanding victory in the presidential election, as well as their retaking of the Senate.

The final count is still trickling in, with Axios reporting there are more seats to be reported, with the Republicans currently outnumbering the Democrats by 218 to 208, with a total of 435 seats.

Axios described the Republican majority as "razor thin", currently with only 10 seats.

This means that it only takes 10 Republican congressmen rebelling against a vote to hold up the business of the entire House, assuming this number holds.

Rebellion foments

This is not an abstract concern, with the current Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, owing his position to an intra-party rebellion by a small right-wing pro-Trump faction ousting his predecessor Kevin McCarthy.

Johnson will no longer face the same threat, as the various Republican factions have reached a compromise.

Where previously a single member was able to begin proceedings to unseat a Speaker, USA Today reports that the number is now being raised to 10.

The main proponent of the original rule, Matt Gaetz, is also leaving Congress, having resigned his seat to presumptively take the role of Attorney General under Trump.

Tapped up

Gaetz's appointment is one of at least three Republican congressmen who have been tapped for higher office, including Elise Stefanik being appointed Ambassador to the United Nations, and Michael Waltz becoming National Security Adviser.

Congressmen appointed in such a way are required to vacate their seats and will require a new election to be called, which is not guaranteed to return Republican winners.

This means that the more Republican congressmen Trump appoints, the thinner their majority will be, and the higher the possibility of a minor party rebellion causing legislative chaos.

The situation in the Senate is also similarly thin, with the Republicans holding 53 out of 100 seats after winning four senate seats.

But that majority could similarly thin, as Trump is likely to appoint sitting senators such as Marco Rubio to senior positions.