If Democrats win back one or both houses of Congress this November, thanks to the Iran war and many other issues Americans are upset about, they won’t just deal a blow to President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda.
They’ll also gain control of congressional committees and, with it, the ability to issue subpoenas and hold hearings.
President Donald J. Trump rings the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq during an event to launch Trump Accounts, Monday, July 6, 2026, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)
President Donald Trump participates in a working lunch meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo, Japan. (Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok)
This could mean a wave of new investigations into actions taken by the president and his administration in the first two years of his second term, with little oversight from Congress.
What investigative measures could Congressional Democrats take if they regain the committee gavels in 2027?
Corruption First
According to a Politico report last week, the main focus will be the president and his family’s efforts to enrich themselves.
The report says that if Democrats recapture the House, Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) would assume the chairmanship of the House Oversight Committee, while Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) would take over the House Judiciary Committee.
Both would launch investigations into matters such as Trump’s acceptance of a new Air Force One from Qatar and the Trump family’s crypto investments.
The probes are also expected to involve other administration officials.
“Ideally, it’s the president’s sons and the president and the family,” Garcia told Politico in an interview. Others will likely be called to testify, like White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and her chief of staff and rumored lover Corey Lewandowski, the Politico story said.
Another possible avenue of investigation includes Trump’s second-term pardons.
“We are going to be looking at systems of bribery, kickback and financial corruption and opportunities for disgorgement and restitution to the American people,” Raskin told Politico. “That would be No. 1.”
Another Impeachment?
There were, of course, similar investigations in the second half of Trump’s first term, when Democrats were in control of the House.
And this led to Trump being impeached twice, first for his phone call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and then later for the January 6 riot.
Trump himself has predicted that he will be impeached again if Democrats get back either house of Congress. Frank Bowman has even written an upcoming book, Great and Dangerous Offences: The Case For (and Against) Impeaching Trump a Third Time.
It remains clear, however, that neither the first-term impeachment led to Trump’s removal or disqualification from office, nor did it prevent him from being elected to a second term. So are Democrats willing to say the “I” word, and possibly consider another impeachment?
“Nobody on the Democratic side is afraid of impeachment,” Raskin told Politico, referring to that possibility as a “tool in the toolbox.”
A CNBC story this week also looked at what Democrats might do, and whether impeachment might be on the table.
That report stated that Democrats seeking a return to the majority are “developing a broad investigative strategy targeting companies and financial firms surrounding President Donald Trump, instead of trying to impeach him immediately.” They plan to seek “hearings, subpoenas and document requests,” and they believe the White House would likely resist any investigative efforts, while private companies might not.
One aide laid out the strategy.
“We’re not going into this to impeach,” a senior Democratic aide said of the party’s current strategy. “No one wants a failed vote on day one. The focus is on building a body of evidence through investigations that can hold Trump accountable.”
CNBC listed some other possible avenues of investigation: “Department of Homeland Security contracts, financing for Trump’s planned White House ballroom, corporate donors and alleged pay-to-play arrangements,” as well as Trump family-associated financial entities.
Bowman, the author of the book on impeachment, examined the questions Democrats will need to answer if they go down that road again.
“Anyone considering a third Trump impeachment has to answer two questions,” he wrote for Slate. “First, has Trump engaged in impeachable conduct in his second term? Second, even if so, what is the purpose of a third impeachment effort, and is that purpose achievable?”
Where Will It Lead?
These investigations could have outcomes other than impeachment.
This could include everything from embarrassing moments for individuals called to testify in televised hearings to further investigations into second-order crimes such as perjury.
But one thing that’s unlikely is any more criminal charges for Trump himself, thanks to the 2024 Supreme Court decision on “presidential immunity,” which gives sitting presidents much broader powers to avoid prosecution.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
