'Identity crisis': Can Democrats 'deliver' following their 'historic', once in a generation victory?

Well, let's talk now in perspective to U.S. domestic politics and policy specialist and former U.S. diplomat Laurie Dundon, who joins us on the program. Great to have you with us, Laurie. I mean, I've seen the expression blue tsunami, even one word merging it together, a blue tsunami. I mean, perhaps that's a little bit strong. Tell me what you think. But it is certainly, isn't it, a huge blue wave we're seeing here. It's huge. It's historic. It's, you know, much higher than expected on the Democratic side. I mean, I think in the last days and weeks, the fact that a lot of the data was kind of pulling in the same direction, indicating there would be more Democratic wins than. hoped for three months ago or hope for even one month ago. So there was a little bit of comfort going into the night. But, you know, see the results come out. I think that it's been it's excited a lot of Democrats and excited a lot of the country. And now the question will be, can they deliver? Exactly. That's the question, isn't it? They've got two years, of course, until the presidential elections. The way the American system is, which perhaps seems a little bit alien to some people living in other countries, of course, there isn't really a central figure, is there, for the Democrats to get behind. Can they pull it together? It's two years to go. There's still a lot riding on it, isn't there? There is. I mean, once you start thinking about the presidential two years down the road, actually, both parties, I think, are going to be going through a lot of reflection and a lot of data review after this, you know, race by race and looking to see, you know, wasn't only, for example, the most. loyal names to Trump, for example, even, you know, the Ken Paxton's or others, senators who had, you know, blatantly stood or Darlene Graham had stood behind Trump. It wasn't only them who lost. It was, you know, kind of the centrist Republicans, Susan Collins as well. So them sorting the Republican Party sorting through. Who lost and why, and then looking at the coalition that Trump had built in 2024 and how that fell apart last night, and then the Democrats, you're right, still very much have an identity crisis internally. They have been experiencing this the last two years very intensely, but they have not at all kind of moved forward in terms of resolving it. So they'll be looking at, you know, El-Sayed's win in Michigan, since he had run as a Democratic Socialist of America, clearly openly as DSA. And what does that mean? Did he win or did, was he hurt, did he win, sorry, excuse me, because of Or despite. that close alliance. What hurt him, you know, in the end, what brought him through and over the post. And, you know, those kind of, let's say, claims for success will go on within both factions within the Democratic Party. But one thing's for sure, there's a saying in American politics, the presidential election starts. The minute after the midterms finish, so I would say it's a little bit after midnight on the West Coast, the presidential election for 2028, at least in terms of the party's considerations internally, has begun. Laurie, you're alluding to it there, but there is, isn't there, this huge battle within the Democrats about whether to go further to the progressive side or whether to stay a little bit more centrist. That is going to be really key, isn't it? It will. And it's going to play out on the congressional agenda, but it's also just going to play out as the personalities kind of not just take the microphone and try to, you know, build their own star, but really claim credit for the elections that were won, individual elections that were won last night. So I mentioned El-Said, but there's going to be a number of others where both sides, both the centrists use it as an example to argue that their case is stronger and the progressives. Likewise, so so that'll that push and pull is going to go back and forth. What's going to be interesting is to watch how that happens now within the new Congress, the factions and the coalitions. In fact, because the Dems won such a significant number, such enough of a margin in the House. The new Speaker will have some leeway to play within these different factions and groups to get things passed or to get things done. He's not beholden to any... He won't really have to be beholden or held hostage kind of to one group or the other just to get something over the finish line. So it'll be interesting to see on what issues Each kind of faction wants to play and try to show they can deliver, whether some of the groups that want to really push impeachment and investigations of the Trump administration as first priority are given the leeway to do that or held back by some of the others who say, no, let's focus on economic legislation. Watching this will be very interesting the next couple of years, but I'm actually really interested to keep an eye on how the legislative executive tension, you know, the new Congress and Trump sorts out. Yeah, the big other thing, of course, then to watch is how Donald Trump's going to react. I mean, on the one hand, we've heard heard from him. Almost blaming other Republicans, saying if my name had been on the ballot, we would have won easily. He also then said he will work with the Democrats. I mean, to a certain extent, he's going to have to now, isn't he? Otherwise, he's just a completely lamed up president. I would say that's a bit of an overreach just in terms of him being a lamed up Trump. Trump is never going to stop being Trump, meaning he has rooted a number of his policy decisions and political decisions in the fact that he believes he knows best, and therefore all power should be centralized within his executive authorities and has created a whole structure to expand the rights of executive order or push forward until the courts have pulled him back. So I don't expect that Trump will stop. In that regard at all, what will be interesting is to push and pull where legislation or where Congress, for example, on funding for defense issues may set restrictions, not pass the funding measures that Trump wants. Will that stop him from acting anyway? You know, he he has in his private life. Just spent and spent and put himself into debt. So Congress does have powers like the power of the purse and power of budget, which are normally very, very strong tools for them to use to keep a presidency in check. They will be testing how to use those. They will certainly be pushing to show that they tried. There will be cases, and probably a lot of them, where Trump will veto, and this dance is going to be very delicate to watch. Look at issues of defense, look at issues of tariffs, where Congress has actually constitutionally more authority, but that's not how it's played out in the last two years. And, you know, look for some issues around investigations where, as I mentioned, some factions in particular. Within the Democrats and on the Hill will want to to push after individuals, get rid of individuals in the Trump administration, even if that doesn't slow down Trump himself. Laurie, we're running out of time, but I would like to ask you just briefly, I mean, for those of us living elsewhere in the world, I mean, what could this mean for all those other big stories? Of course, I'm thinking of Ukraine. I'm thinking of the war in the Middle East. And how might that that impact us? You mentioned tariffs as well. Yeah, I mean, there's... Foreign policy was, I think, a factor in this election for American voters more than any that I've seen in the past few decades. I mean, it had been foreign policy issues like the Iraq war were controversial in other votes, but the connection to domestic complaints and domestic frustrations was extremely large this time around. So I think Trump will have to look at a few foreign policy Let's see issues in terms of. energy, mineral resources, things like that, that he's going to keep pushing to try to get economic gain at home. Otherwise, and the big things you mentioned, tariffs, yes, another thing Americans were loud and clear on last night. Tariffs have hurt their pocketbook at home. Tariffs have hurt their lives at home and the prices in the stores. So there's going to have to be some packaging of movement on that or collaboration. It may or may not be significant In reality, though. Ukraine is one that's going to be very interesting. I would not put that in the basket of popular pressure, but I would say that's how dynamic plays out in the Hill. There is actually a large amount of bipartisan support. For resuming assistance to Ukraine and and a talent and skilled congressional representatives and senators may be able to push something like that over the line and reverse Trump's recent decisions to pull back financial assistance and military assistance to Ukraine. So let's watch that one. Laurie, thanks very much for being with us. Laurie Dundon there, US domestic politics and policy specialist, former US diplomat as well. Great to talk to you as ever on the programme today. Laurie Dundon joining us there. Thanks very much.