President Trump Should Embrace His Pen And Phone Era

Daily Wire ^ | Nov 5, 2026 | Ben Domenech

[conservative98]

"Time to double down."

After the shellacking Capitol Hill Republicans got on Tuesday, we’re fully in President Trump’s pen and phone era. He should embrace it.

He’s certainly entertaining the other possibility. When the president called in to Fox News on the night of the election, he was asked a typical Washington question: will you be able to work with the new opposition majority?

Trump sounded a bipartisan note, saying that he’d be, of course, open to working with Democrats on some issues, not others –

[cut]

The president can obviously go down that road if he wants, but the lessons from his predecessors illustrate the advantages of taking a different path. When Barack Obama got the rebuff of the 2014 election, when Republicans won the Senate and expanded to their largest House majority since 1928, he essentially said: Who cares? Go pound sand.

Because it was Obama, the media praised him for the “pen and phone” approach to sidestep even having to work with these dirty Republicans. He signed DACA and DAPA extensions, preventing 4.5 million illegal immigrants from deportation. He pushed the Clean Power Plan and signed radical climate policies, did end runs around Congress to prop up Obamacare, pushed through wage hikes for federal bureaucrats, and signed executive orders on all manner of leftist priorities. He didn’t stop being president just because he had to deal with Republicans down the street – he ignored them.

For Trump, this note of election night goodwill should be just that – a note.

---

TOPICS: Editorial; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: penandphone; trump

[frog in a pot]

Indeed, Trump should play hardball and that would include revealing every bit of trash he has on R politicians.

The anti-MAGAs are going to take steps that make the Mar Lago raid and pulling people out of bed at 4am look like a polite house call.

As Hillary wrote:
"Last night, Americans made a clear call for accountability and affordability. A body politic cannot recover until its harms have been treated and its wounds have been healed. Crimes against our people and our Constitution must be answered for.

So much for the Rino call: "Forget the purported election theft, let's not waste time and just move on."

[frog in a pot]

Oooops, meant D politicians

[frog in a pot]

Oooops, meant D politicians

[jroehl]

President Gerald Ford issued 66 vetoes during his presidency (August 1974–January 1977).

- 48 regular vetoes
- 18 pocket vetoes
- 12 vetoes overridden by Congress
- 54 sustained (not overridden)

## Why was it significant?

Ford faced a heavily Democratic Congress following the 1974 midterm elections, which occurred in the aftermath of Watergate and Richard Nixon’s resignation.

He frequently opposed congressional spending programs and what he considered excessive federal expenditure.

His vetoes became part of a major constitutional and political confrontation:

1. Congress passed spending and domestic-policy legislation.
2. Ford vetoed bills he believed were too expensive or undesirable.
3. Congress repeatedly attempted to override him.
4. Twelve times, Congress successfully overrode his veto.

One particularly important statistic: Ford had more vetoes overridden than any president since Harry Truman at that point in modern history.

His presidency illustrates how a president can use the veto as a major negotiating weapon even when the opposing party controls Congress.

[ProgressingAmerica]

No.

We do not need to continue the trend toward dictatorship.

The constitution should prevail here, not more of what is ostensibly anarchy.

If he is going to put an end to other executive orders already in place, that would be quite good though.

[qam1]

DO you know the Liberals have planned for us?

You still want to play nice?

It’s too late

[ProgressingAmerica]

You make assumptions not said by myself. Who said anything about playing nice? The first thing would be to force them to pass a true budget. Put an end to these Obamunism emergency continuing resolutions. The House’s job is to pass a budget. So pass a budget. Go ahead Dems. Do it. Enjoy.

The Constitution is very powerful, we have just refused to read it for so long you don’t even know what it gives you anymore.

[American Infidel]

Crimes against our people and our Constitution must be answered for.

You mean like leaving our borders wide open for four years and allowing unvetted third world migrants to invade our country while being financially supported by the US taxpayer? Or forcing people to get chemical injections if they want to keep their jobs or be allowed to access places of public accommodation as outlined in the civil rights act?

[Elsie]

both

[FLT-bird]

Absolutely! Do what Obama did and just ignore Congress and issue executive orders.

[Boardwalk]

I was shocked at the true cost of funding congress. Truly shocked at how much they budget for themselves. They need to get to work on a few budgets and take less recess, non session days, extra long holidays, August, and otherwise not worth the expense.

[frog in a pot]

both

Fair enough. {;^)

I did briefly consider including Rinos and indeed 'both" but then decided IMO there are more productive ways of dealing with timid R's and outright Rinos.

[frog in a pot]

You raise just a few of many very inconvenient facts Hillary would prefer to ignore.

K. Harris also chimed in with some advice about how important it was now to deal with the corruption of the Trump admin.

Both of them are living examples of the old saying,
“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”

[rollo tomasi]

Seppuku would be the proper worldly action but I will settle for a little public humility instead of the grin and bear he deflects/projects while pimping a ballroom and golf course.

[rollo tomasi]

I hope you educate yourself on the fact that a lot of EOs Obama “decreed” (Reached beyond administrative law) were blocked by federal judges. Presidents have very little powers under the Constitution for good reason.

[Segovia]

{The first thing would be to force them to pass a true budget. Put an end to these Obamunism emergency continuing resolutions. The House’s job is to pass a budget. So pass a budget. Go ahead Dems. Do it. Enjoy.}

Well, there Bucky, don’t let us throw a stone in your road! You just go right ahead and “force them”! They did absotively NOTHING for the past two years, so you’ve got your work cut out for ya! How ‘bout they go ahead and scrap the filibuster and pass the SAVE AMERICA ACT, while they’re still on the payroll, though?

[FLT-bird]

I hope you educate yourself on the fact that a lot of EOs Obama “decreed” (Reached beyond administrative law) were blocked by federal judges. Presidents have very little powers under the Constitution for good reason.

I'm well aware of the ongoing judicial insurrection. Still, presidents have been able to function pretty effectively in pushing their agenda even after losing control over Congress.