How much power will Donald Trump have?

By ITV News Producer Hannah Ward-Glenton

Having won the US presidential election, Donald Trump is arguably set to become the most powerful person in the world when he re-enters the White House as the 47th president of the United States in January.

Republicans won the presidency, have taken control of the US Senate and are fighting to keep their majority in the House.

If successful, that would give them a full sweep of GOP power in Congress alongside the president-elect.

Donald Trump is also likely to become the first Republican to win the popular vote - the most votes country-wide - since George W Bush in 2004.

So how much power will Donald Trump really have?

What does it mean if the Republicans win the House majority?

For a US president to easily pass laws, they must win the majority of votes in both the Senate and House.

President Biden started his presidency with control of both chambers, but the balance of power shifted after the 2022 midterm elections.

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A total of 362 laws were enacted before the change and only 106 since, showing the difference a full majority can make in terms of getting laws over the line.

If the Republican Party does get a majority in the House, they would have a unified grip on Washington, which would set the course for Trump’s agenda.

Winning control of the House also allows Trump to easily pick his own political appointees, including Cabinet officials and judicial picks, all of whom require Senate confirmation.

However, if the Democrats control the House, they could provide a backstop with veto power over the White House.

To gain control of the House, Democrats need to flip four seats from Republicans, while holding all of their own, which is a tall task - especially in congressional districts where Trump has already won.

If the Democrats did take the House while Republicans have the Senate, it would be the first time the chambers of Congress have both flipped to opposing political parties.

What areas does Trump want to focus on?

Speaking early on Wednesday at his election night party in Florida, Trump said the results delivered an “unprecedented and powerful mandate” for Republicans.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said Republicans in the House and Senate have been working on an “ambitious” 100 day-agenda, including cutting taxes, securing the US border and taking a ”blowtorch” to federal regulations if they sweep the White House and Congress.

Months before he won the election, Trump set a pretty clear picture of how he saw his second term in office.

In an interview with Fox News on December 5, he suggested he would be a "dictator" at the start of his reign.

Host Sean Hannity gave Trump the chance to assure the American people that he wouldn’t abuse power if he wins a second term, but the now-president-elect instead suggested he would rule with a firm hand.

“Except for day one,” he told a live audience in Davenport, Iowa. “I want to close the border, and I want to drill, drill, drill.

“We’re closing the border, and we’re drilling, drilling, drilling. After that, I’m not a dictator,” he clarified in the following days.

Trump promised to launch the largest domestic deportation in US history, echoing promises he made during his 2016 election campaign.

He pledged to use the National Guard to carry out deportations and said hundreds of thousands of immigrants who came to the US under two of Biden's schemes will be removed.

He also said he would expand a travel ban targeted at Muslims and end "birthright citizenship" for those born in the US to parents who are illegally in the country.

Exit polls showed that concerns over immigration had been high up on the list of issues that prompted Americans to vote.

How powerful is he internationally?

The role of US president is broadly viewed to be the most powerful leadership position on the planet.

A majority in both the House and the Senate would give Trump the power to pass bills on a whole manner of international issues.

He has promised to end both the wars in Ukraine and Israel quickly, although he has not revealed much in terms of how he would actually go about it.

There is speculation Trump could opt to dramatically reduce financial and military support for Ukraine, which could have a monumental impact on the outcome of Russia's 32-month incursion in the country.

The United States could also make a big difference to the various conflicts in the Middle East, and throughout his campaign, Trump vowed to bring peace to the region.

“Get it over with and let’s get back to peace and stop killing people,” Trump said on the conflict in Gaza in an interview with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt in April.

International mediators from the US, Egypt and Qatar have so far tried unsuccessfully to bring about a lasting ceasefire in the region.

Trump was widely perceived as more likely than Harris to allow Benjamin Netanyahu to conduct his offensives against Iran and its proxies in whatever way Israel chooses.

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