We’re getting an early, messy glimpse of divided government during President Trump‘s final two years in office.
Democrats’ massive wins to take control of the House and Senate in January have raised promises from them of a far-left agenda and efforts to roll back Mr. Trump’s policies. That includes aggressive investigations of his administration and possibly an attempt to impeach Mr. Trump for the third time.
The White House warned Democrats that it will fight those investigations at all costs, telling Democrats on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that their actions “may cross the line into blatant criminality.”
White House counsel Will Scharf also said the White House may hit back by launching its own investigations into the Democratic lawmakers who issue subpoenas or back congressional probes.
“Beyond being inconsistent with the clear, well-recognized constitutional limitations on your investigative functions, threats to executive branch officials designed to deter them from public service or process designed merely to abuse or instill fear may cross the line into blatant criminality. And issuing unlawful subpoenas with the intention of depriving citizens of their constitutional rights and privileges may warrant further investigation,” he said.
Mr. Scharf wrote that Democrats’ comments after the midterm elections “make it abundantly clear that any forthcoming investigative process will be deployed to harass and aggrandize, rather than advance any legitimate legislative end.”
He cited comments by Democrats who vowed to hand out subpoenas like “candy” or “Mardi Gras beads,” including Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts, who pledged to issue enough subpoenas “to level forests.”
Rep. Robert Garcia, California Democrat who has warned administration officials to “lawyer up,” said Democrats’ planned actions are well within the law.
“It appears Donald Trump has something to hide. Congress has wide latitude to conduct investigations and oversight, an authority inherent in the power to legislate,” Mr. Garcia said. “The American people voted overwhelmingly for us to pass laws to root out corruption and abuse. The Trump administration continues to weaponize the government with threats of unconstitutional attacks on Congress. We are a co-equal branch of government and will not be deterred by baseless threats from a weaponized DOJ or from the president’s lawyers.”
Democrats have already opened a series of investigations into what they say is corruption from Mr. Trump and his family members.
Mr. Garcia’s committee has sent letters seeking more information about Mr. Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner’s business dealings and former U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle’s plea for money from a Trump donor to pay off her credit card debt.
Other committees have already begun investigations into Mr. Trump’s crypto ventures and allegations that he’s personally profiting from the presidency, including by issuing pardons to donors.
Mr. Trump said he was ordering a Justice Department investigation of Democratic lawmakers’ intimidation of Republicans.
The president accused Democrats of “weaponization and lawfare.”
“The Democrats are going around threatening a lot of people, including the Attorney General of the United States, and others, with Impeachment and many other forms of punishment, even though they admit they have no reason to do so,” he said on social media.
A Justice Department official accused Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut Democrat, of harassing citizens in his probe of pay-to-play allegations involving donors to the White House ballroom.
The first vote in this new confrontation came when the House blocked an effort, introduced by outgoing Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the war in Iran and other actions. The vote was 211-204.
Mr. Hegseth described the push for his impeachment as an attack on U.S. troops who carried out operations in Iran, Venezuela and the Caribbean. Mr. Trump called him on social media “perhaps the most popular and successful military official in the Country.”
Democratic veterans in Congress are vowing to continue the fight to impeach Mr. Hegseth next year.
“Pete Hegseth, he lucked out. He squeaked through this one,” said Rep.-elect Richard Ojeda, North Carolina Democrat.
The anti-war drama is also affecting 2028 presidential considerations, contributing to the rivalry between Mr. Hegseth and Vice President J.D. Vance, the presumed leading GOP contender for the party’s nomination.
Expect the next two years to generate full employment for lawyers.
