After securing majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate in the midterm elections, Democrats are preparing for a new confrontation with President Donald Trump, analysts say. Their efforts could go beyond blocking his policies to include extensive investigations into his business dealings, his family's wealth, the war on Iran, immigration policies, and possible accountability measures against members of his administration, including efforts to remove some of them, according to The Washington Post.
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While Democratic campaigns focused on the rising cost of living and healthcare during the election period, senior party members on congressional committees had spent months preparing investigative files and identifying documents and witnesses they would seek to subpoena if the party regained control of Congress.
The Democratic strategy centres on using congressional investigative and subpoena powers to scrutinise decisions made by the Trump administration, particularly possible abuses of presidential authority for the financial benefit of the president, his relatives or his allies, rather than immediately pursuing impeachment proceedings.
1. Trump's Family Wealth and Immigration Policies
The business activities of the Trump family are at the top of the list of issues Democrats have pledged to investigate, according to the BBC.
Representative Robert Garcia, a Democratic member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has identified the issue as a priority for investigations. Meanwhile, Jamie Raskin, who is expected to chair the House Judiciary Committee following the Democratic victory, intends to examine allegations of bribery, conflicts of interest and the use of public office for private gain.
Potential investigations could cover the Trump family's investments in cryptocurrency, government contracts awarded to companies linked to family members, donations to the president's projects, and whether certain presidential pardons were connected to financial or political benefits.
One prominent figure in this context is Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and envoy on Middle East affairs, who runs the investment firm Affinity Partners.
In August, Raskin asked Kushner to provide documents concerning potential overlaps between his diplomatic responsibilities and private investments. The investigation was later expanded to include a real estate deal worth more than $120 million in Albania.
Raskin renewed his demands in late October, calling on Kushner to step aside from his negotiating responsibilities until the nature of his financial interests becomes clear.
Investigations are also expected to examine Donald Trump Jr.'s financial relationships with companies that have received government contracts or funding. These matters involve allegations requiring investigation and do not constitute judicially established violations.
On immigration, Democrats are preparing to investigate operations by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), amid allegations of excessive use of force, detention conditions and incidents involving the deaths of US citizens during immigration enforcement operations.
The investigations could also cover contracts awarded to private companies operating detention centres and government deals related to expanding migrant deportation capacity.
Raskin and Senator Elizabeth Warren, together with dozens of lawmakers, had previously asked six companies linked to detention expansion plans to provide information about their expected profits, political lobbying and campaign contributions.
2. The Epstein Files
The late businessman Jeffrey Epstein's case is expected to be among the most sensitive investigations, particularly following the release of millions of pages of documents and continuing disputes over records that have not been disclosed by the Justice Department.
On October 26, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee issued a report containing serious allegations concerning Trump's relationship with Epstein and the Justice Department's handling of evidence and victims' testimony. They called for the appointment of an independent special investigator. Trump denies the allegations against him.
If Democrats regain control, they could demand additional documents, subpoena Justice Department officials and financial institutions that dealt with Epstein, and potentially seek to question Trump himself.
3. The War on Iran and Efforts to Remove Hegseth
The war on Iran is high on the Democrats' list of priorities, particularly questions surrounding presidential war powers, the cost of military operations, human casualties and preparations made before the strikes.
In March, Representative Gregory Meeks, the leading Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to be subpoenaed to testify about the negotiations preceding the war, as well as its military and diplomatic planning.
In June, Meeks also demanded details of the memorandum of understanding with Iran, questioning the nuclear guarantees, sanctions, security arrangements and future of negotiations.
Democrats could launch parallel investigations into Hegseth's management of the Pentagon, covering military spending, ammunition stockpiles, civilian casualties and defence contracts, with the aim of seeking his removal, according to the BBC.
Their scrutiny could also extend to US military operations in the Caribbean and policy towards Venezuela, particularly strikes targeting boats that the administration says are used for drug trafficking, as well as agreements concerning Venezuelan oil.
In the Middle East, the overlap between Kushner's diplomatic responsibilities and investment interests could provide grounds for examining aspects of the administration's negotiations involving Iran, Israel and Gaza. This does not, however, indicate a unified Democratic position on changing Washington's policy towards Israel.
4. The Justice Department and the Restructuring of Federal Institutions
Another issue Democrats are preparing to investigate is the Justice Department's use of its powers to pursue the president's critics, alongside the administration's interventions involving universities, media companies and law firms.
The issue has gained importance following recent legal proceedings against figures who have criticised Trump, including former FBI Director James Comey. Critics of the administration say some of these cases are politically motivated, while the Justice Department maintains that it enforces the law without political interference.
Some Democrats also intend to review the dismissal of government employees, the closure of federal programmes, cuts to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and changes introduced by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency initiative to restructure the federal government.
Key questions include whether the administration has respected congressional spending appropriations and whether it has withheld funds legally allocated to specific programmes without legislative approval.
5. Federal Debt and the Budget Deficit
Federal debt is emerging as another economic issue Democrats could use their congressional majority to investigate. Total US debt surpassed $40 trillion for the first time in August, reaching approximately $40.59 trillion on October 29, an increase of nearly $2.5 trillion in one year.
Estimates by the Congressional Budget Office indicate that the federal deficit will reach approximately $1.9 trillion in fiscal year 2026. Meanwhile, debt held by the public is projected to rise from 101% of GDP to 120% by 2036.
The office also estimated that legislative changes enacted since the beginning of 2025 would add approximately $3.4 trillion to projected deficits over the next decade.
Democrats may seek to hold the Trump administration accountable for the impact of tax cuts, military spending and tariff policies on national debt, using the investigative powers of the House Budget and Oversight committees to subpoena Treasury and financial administration officials.
However, accumulated national debt is a longstanding responsibility shared by successive Republican and Democratic administrations, and Democrats have yet to present a unified plan to reduce it.
The issue is becoming increasingly urgent as federal debt approaches the statutory borrowing limit of $41.1 trillion. The Congressional Budget Office expects that limit to be reached during 2027, potentially setting up an early confrontation between the new Congress and the White House over raising the debt ceiling and conditions on government spending.
Could the Investigations Lead to Trump's Impeachment?
Impeaching Trump remains the most controversial possibility within the Democratic Party, but it is not the leadership's declared priority. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has said the party has not ruled out any congressional tools, without committing to launching new impeachment proceedings.
A simple majority in the House of Representatives is sufficient to approve articles of impeachment against the president or other officials. However, conviction and removal from office require the support of two-thirds of senators present, a threshold that is difficult to reach amid deep partisan divisions.
The distinction between the two possible electoral outcomes is important. If Democrats had won control of the House alone, they would have been able to lead its committees, launch investigations and block Republican legislation. Control of the Senate as well gives them the ability to block Trump's judicial and executive appointments.
Nevertheless, controlling both chambers would not be enough to pass their entire legislative agenda. The president retains veto power, while most ordinary legislation in the Senate requires 60 votes to overcome a procedural filibuster.
In excerpts from an interview published last Sunday, Trump said he could become "Mr. Veto" if Republicans lost control of Congress, before both sides would eventually have to reach agreements.
The White House is already preparing plans to continue implementing its policies through executive authority and to respond to requests for documents and congressional subpoenas.
The elections could therefore restore Congress's oversight role, which had weakened during the period of Republican control of both chambers. However, they will not give Democrats unilateral authority to reverse Trump's policies.
The real test will be whether Democrats can turn their investigations from political battles into documented findings and connect them to the issues of prices, healthcare and public spending that concern voters, before attention shifts to the 2028 presidential election.
Source: (Agencies)
