Il presidente degli Stati Uniti Donald J. Trump saluta mentre lascia il cantiere della sala da ballo presso la Casa Bianca, a Washington - Italy Photo Press 16878

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US: Vance distances himself from Trump and is working to build a new right-wing movement. Hegseth is already facing the prospect of impeachment

Democratic Senator Chris Coons, who is likely to become chair of the Foreign Relations Committee when the new Congress takes office in January, has already made it clear that scrutinising tech billionaire Elon Musk is a top priority

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Summary by key points

Democratic Senator: ‘Scrutinising Musk is a top priority’
Iran, Axios: Trump uncertain following defeat in the US mid-term elections
Midterm, Trump Jr: agrees with Vance on the war in Iran

about 1 hour ago

Fox: Vance is working on the ‘new right’ following the GOP’s defeat

JD Vance is seeking to forge a new alliance with Republicans disillusioned with Trump ahead of the 2028 elections, according to Fox News. A Trump administration official, speaking to Fox News Digital, stated that Vance’s rallying cry for the ‘new right’ – broadly defined as a coalition of Republicans aligned with the President’s original ‘America First’ movement – is based on four key words: staying out of foreign conflicts, making the US an affordable place for Americans who wish to raise a family, and closing the borders.

09:255 November 2026

Zelensky: I hope the outcome of the mid-term elections will mean more aid for Kyiv

In an interview with the German television channel ZDF, President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed the hope that the outcome of the US mid-term elections – with a victory for the Democrats – would help to increase US aid to Ukraine and step up the pressure on Vladimir Putin to end the war. “We have bipartisan support,” he said. “I am also grateful to the Republicans, but the Democrats are very clear about their support for Ukraine and the provision of aid. There is talk of re-establishing ties between the US and Europe, which have weakened somewhat in recent years. Without these ties, it is very difficult to stand up to Putin.”

09:035 November 2026

Midterm, Trump Jr: agrees with Vance on the war in Iran

Donald Trump Jr., son of the US President, shared Vice-President JD Vance’s analysis of the defeat in the mid-term elections. In a post on X, Vance had written, amongst other things, that ‘the reason we lost is the war’ in Iran. “Every word is 100 per cent spot on,” wrote Donald Trump Jr. in a comment on Vance’s post.

08:415 November 2026

US: Democrat Jeffries stands as a candidate for Speaker of the House

Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat and the current Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, has officially announced his candidacy for the post of Speaker of the House in the next Congress. At present, the Democrats already hold a solid majority, having won 237 seats.

Jeffries is set to become the first African-American Speaker of the House in US history. In January, once the new Congress has been sworn in, the House will vote on Jeffries’ nomination and on those of any other Democratic members who may stand for the post. “Against all odds, the Democrats in the House have achieved consistent successes despite being in the minority. Now, as the majority, we must bring about the profound change that the American people are calling for,” Jeffries said in a statement, outlining the parliamentary group’s plans for the new year.

08:405 November 2026

Democratic Senator: ‘Scrutinising Musk is a top priority’

Democratic Senator Chris Coons, who is likely to become chair of the Foreign Relations Committee when the new Congress takes office in January, has already made it clear that scrutinising tech billionaire Elon Musk is a top priority. “One more item to add to the list of questions for Musk when I summon him via a subpoena,” Coons wrote on X, referring to a report that the SpaceX boss had held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding satellite communications. Coons has just secured a third term in Delaware; he takes a hard line on China and does not hesitate to criticise Israel whilst remaining a supporter of the Jewish state; he is also one of the few lawmakers with specific expertise on the African continent.

08:395 November 2026

US: Bannon calls on Trump to set up a commission on the war in Iran

Steve Bannon, President Donald Trump’s former adviser, is calling for the establishment of a presidential commission on the war with Iran. “We need a presidential commission, comprising US citizens and institutions, to formally investigate what happened on 7 October.”

If the Israelis do not wish to do so for political reasons, that is their choice: it is their country. However, we have been drawn into this affair, which has had a significant impact on what was a historic night in American politics.

“We must also examine how, years later, we became involved in Operation Midnight Hammer, followed by the second phase: regime change,” Bannon wrote in his podcast, *Bannon’s War Room*.

08:395 November 2026

Iran, Axios: Trump uncertain following defeat in the US mid-term elections

The Republicans’ defeat in the US mid-term elections has heightened uncertainty within Donald Trump’s administration over the strategy to adopt towards Iran. According to Axios, citing sources close to the White House, not even the president’s closest aides know what his next move will be, whilst various options are being considered, ranging from the resumption of military strikes to the opening of negotiations with Tehran.

“He doesn’t want to come across as someone who has been defeated twice,” a former presidential adviser told Axios, referring to the risk that a potential setback on the Iran issue could exacerbate the political fallout from the election defeat.

According to the American website’s analysis, Trump faces three main options: ordering further military strikes against Iran, attempting to reach an agreement through diplomatic channels, or continuing the strategy of economically strangling Tehran through sanctions and a naval blockade.

08:385 November 2026

US: Hegseth faces impeachment; vote as early as next week

The US House of Representatives could vote as early as next week on a motion to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who has come under fire from a section of his own Republican Party following the heavy defeat in the mid-term elections. This is according to CNN, which cites Republican sources as saying that the motion could secure the votes needed to pass.

Thomas Massie, the Republican MP for Kentucky, told CNN that he intends to push for a vote on impeachment when Congress resumes its sessions, scheduled for next week. Several sources within the Republican Party have told the broadcaster that they believe the motion could be passed. At the heart of the allegations is, above all, the handling of the war against Iran. Some Republican figures accuse Hegseth of having persuaded President Donald Trump to launch military operations against Tehran, without the attacks having produced the expected results.

Trump has, however, publicly defended his Secretary of War. Yesterday, the President stated that he was not considering replacing him, arguing that Hegseth is doing “an excellent job”.

The position publicly expressed by the president contrasts with rumours reported by CBS News, according to which Trump is said to have discussed with his advisers whether Hegseth should remain in post following the Republican defeat in the 3 November election.

The possible move against the head of the Pentagon represents a further source of tension within the Republican Party, whilst the Democrats prepare to formally regain control of Congress.

A possible vote in favour of impeachment by the House of Representatives would not automatically result in Hegseth’s removal from office. A subsequent trial in the Senate would in fact be required, with a two-thirds majority of the senators present needed to secure a conviction and removal from office.

08:375 November 2026

Mid-term, NYT: Trump a ‘lame duck’, could become unpredictable

Donald Trump finds himself facing a political situation he had always sought to avoid until now: that of being a ‘lame-duck’ president, with two years of his term still to run but a Congress now entirely under the control of the Democratic opposition. According to a report in the New York Times, the Republicans’ heavy defeat in the mid-term elections has ushered in a period of uncertainty at the White House, amid fears of new parliamentary inquiries, possible changes to the administration and the need to rethink the president’s political strategy.

“I’ll probably get on well with the Democrats, unless they want to be disruptive,” Trump said yesterday, speaking to journalists outside the construction site of the new White House ballroom. The President pointed out that he retains “the power of veto”, which will allow him to block legislation passed by Congress, before returning to the subject of the refurbishment of the presidential residence.

According to the New York Times, Trump is still trying to come to terms with the scale of his electoral defeat. One of his allies described him as “dazed” following the result. The president has rejected the idea that he is personally responsible for the Democratic surge, whilst Vice-President JD Vance explicitly attributed the defeat to the administration’s decision to wage war against Iran.

Meanwhile, the new Democratic majority is preparing to use its parliamentary powers to launch investigations into the administration’s conduct, the alleged conflicts of interest involving the President’s aides, and the way in which operations against irregular immigration are carried out.

According to a source quoted by the newspaper, the officials who could be subject to particularly thorough scrutiny include the White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, the Head of Border Policy Tom Homan and the Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin.

“Get your lawyers ready,” wrote Democratic MP Robert Garcia – who is set to take over as chair of the House Oversight Committee – on social media, summing up the mood amongst opposition figures.

The president also responded to the prospect of a new impeachment process. “I think it would destroy the Democratic Party if they did that: an impeachment without cause,” Trump said. “For what? For having a successful country? Our country is more successful now than at any other time in history,” he added.

According to the New York Times, some of the key aides at the White House had been working for some time on a strategy to enable the President to continue exercising his power even if he were to lose one or both Houses of Congress. Among the officials involved are Stephen Miller, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, Russell Vought, and the administration’s heads of legislative affairs.

The aim is to identify the initiatives that Trump can pursue using his executive powers, without needing to secure Congress’s approval. According to a White House source, a list of available options is expected to be presented to the President in the coming days.

Democratic control of Congress will not, in fact, prevent Trump from continuing to issue executive orders or grant presidential pardons – tools he has made extensive use of during his second term. The new situation will, however, make it more difficult to pass legislation and will force the administration into constant engagement with parliamentary committees.

This concern also extends to the administration. On Tuesday evening, during election night, when Trump had gathered advisers and members of the administration in the East Room of the White House, some of those present had discussed in private the possibility of replacing ministers and senior officials, including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

According to the newspaper, there is also growing concern amongst presidential staff that they will have to face parliamentary hearings and inquiries without having received adequate guidance on how to respond to requests from Parliament. Some officials anticipate an intensification of scrutiny and a high turnover of staff during the final two years of the term of office.(

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