ELECTION NIGHT Donald Trump declared, “Promises made, promises kept.” With Republicans now controlling both chambers of Congress and the presidency, these “promises” are much closer to becoming reality. This marks the beginning of what Washington knows as a governing trifecta. In this rare political scenario, the president’s party holds the reins of power in both the executive branch and both houses of Congress.

Trifectas have become less common in the past few decades and rarely endure for long. Another characteristic of American politics is how the party that wins the White House typically loses congressional seats two years later, which can quickly switch control of Washington.

At the beginning of their presidencies, Trump and his successor, Joe Biden, had a two-year trifecta. There were still obstacles to the two presidents moving their agenda forward. For instance, Trump passed a comprehensive overhaul of tax rates with significant cuts in corporate tax rates and a reduction in individual taxes. Still, he failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, as promised. 

He also failed to pass a significant infrastructure bill. Meanwhile, he passed massive legislative packages: the American Rescue Plan and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, but, unfortunately for him, plans were scaled back on promoting his ambitious Build Back Better proposal because of adequate internal resistance, primarily from within his party.

Even with a trifecta, however, a president’s power remains circumscribed by the Senate filibuster—a procedural tool requiring 60 votes to advance most legislation. Without a supermajority, Trump, like Biden before him, would have to rely upon support from some opposition party members to pass significant bills. Holding a majority in the Senate, Trump still will face blockades if he lacks the 60 votes to end the filibuster, leaving some of his efforts at legislation to be routed by the opposition party.

The situation becomes even more complex because Republican senators have already displayed some kind of internal split. On Wednesday, Republicans elected John Thune as Senate Majority Leader, defeating Florida Senator Rick Scott, a favorite in Trump’s camp. This leadership shift means that some Republicans are reasserting their independence, which may complicate Trump’s ability to rally the party behind his proposals.

Still, Trump’s trifecta does give him some unprecedented levers to push Congress to make landmark legislative changes. Many of the most crucial initiatives he launched—removing millions of undocumented migrants, slapping across-the-board tariffs on imports, and rescinding environmental rules—are all much more tractable as legislation than they ever would’ve been as executive order actions that were successfully challenged in court repeatedly during his first term.

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Another strategic advantage of Trump is that he can reshape the judicial system in his first term. Putting three conservative justices on the Supreme Court and more than 200 judges in federal courts cemented a conservative judiciary that would bar any attempt to undo his legislative conquests. The Senate majority he can now boast of promises him an even more hassle-free route to approving future judicial appointments and filling slots for high-level administrative posts.

However, history, much as it may be trying to do so, suggests that such political dominance is rarely permanent. Even with a solid Republican majority in the Senate, Trump’s party risks losing its trifecta in the 2026 midterm elections, as frequently happens when the party in power is perceived as overreaching or unable to deliver on its promises.

Still, Trump’s legislative agenda will probably accelerate in the coming months. Even if the trifecta doesn’t last, the next two years could prove a turning point for his administration – as he tries to enact the sweeping changes he campaigned on in 2024. As always, political tensions within the Republican Party, as well as the need to negotiate with Democrats on critical votes, will determine just how far Trump can push his agenda through Congress.

Firmly planted in both the executive and legislative branches, Trump’s second term is shaped to be a significant legislative effort with probably contentious political battles with his administration. It will challenge the Trump administration to manage these internal divisions as it tries to achieve its boldest policy goals before the midterm power shift.