Donald Trump won't have much choice in the matter. One has to wonder whether Democrats recognize their similar predicament.

Late last night, Trump called in to Fox News' election coverage well after the direction of the midterms became obvious. Trump sounded philosophical, expressing some surprise that "they" – Republicans – didn't do better. He also offered a conciliatory message to Democrats gaining control of both chambers of Congress, congratulating them on their victory and pledging to work with them for the next two years, a message he repeated to other media outlets as well:

"My message is congratulations to the Democrats, and I look forward to working with you for the good of our country," Trump told CBS News late Tuesday.

"I think they're gonna want to work with me," he continued. "Otherwise, I'd just veto everything, and they're not gonna want that."

Trump previously made it clear he remained confident in his ability to pursue the MAGA agenda despite the outcome of the midterms.

"I have the ultimate power — it's called 'veto,'" Trump previously told CBS News.

First, let us have a brief discussion about the word "they." Presidents often distance themselves from midterm results, arguing that local politics or candidate errors resulted in the losses. They will remind reporters that they themselves were "not on the ballot," although midterms are almost always a referendum on the president. 

Trump, however, does not have that fig leaf, thanks to the extraordinary effort he put into telling voters that they should turn out like he was on the ballot. Trump held rallies in every battleground, even Alaska, to pound that message as often as possible. He thought – not without justification – that Republicans who usually only turn out for his elections could be motivated to show up in this cycle and therefore change the turnout model. Trump made this midterm very much a "we" cycle, not a "they" cycle, and "we" did not do better is a lot more accurate than "they."

Trump made himself the focal point of the midterms, and just got his answer on how voters view him. It may be a long while before we see a future president use that strategy or hold another "midterm convention" for that purpose.

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On that point, though, it's worth asking: Did Trump's massive midterm campaign hurt, or did it help? It may take months to analyze the data on that. It's entirely possible that the results would have been even worse without Trump's GOTV effort and enthusiasm-boosting rallies. It's also equally possible that Trump's brand on the midterms catalyzed the big turnout for Democrats, and that the GOP may have been better off focusing on local and regional issues in the election. We may never get definitive data on this question.

That's not the pertinent question now, however. Trump has little choice but to work with Democrats, but Democrats who want to make an argument for 2028 have little choice but to work with Trump, too. Whether they like it or not, Trump will be president for the next two years. They can stage an impeachment again (and again, and again), but they don't have the votes to remove him. All that does is bolster his standing and give Trump reasons to undercut Democrats using his executive authority. The risk of having control of Congress for two years and having nothing to show for it by Election Day 2028 may not be fully appreciated by exultant Dems at the moment, but it's real and could kneecap their ambitions for a full return to control in Washington, D.C. 

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Trump's comments yesterday offered a return to some normalcy in the political environment. Trump acted graciously in the moment, did not contest the results or talk about fraud, but accepted the outcome and pledged to work with the opposition. That matters more than perhaps some people realize. Our politics have turned deadly, literally in the case of Butler, PA, and we need to dial down the conflict before it gets worse. Trump showed some leadership last night, and hopefully will continue to do so in the days ahead. Let's see if Democrats realize the risk in eschewing reciprocity there, too.