Trump Vows Comeback While Democrats Prepare to Investigate His Administration

Donald Trump isn't retreating. Two days after Republicans lost their grip on Congress in Tuesday's midterm vote, the president took to Truth Social to declare that America had taken a step backward and that he would be back, in his words, bigger and stronger than ever before. The defeat leaves him politically boxed in for the final stretch of his term, with a Democrat-controlled Congress now holding subpoena power.

Democrats aren't wasting the moment. With majorities on key committees in both chambers, incoming leaders can call officials to testify, demand documents and stage public hearings. Hakeem Jeffries, in line to become House speaker, told ABC he'd back an effort to remove Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, calling him unfit — and a Republican lawmaker could reportedly file an impeachment motion as early as Monday.

Trump shrugged off the Hegseth push, telling reporters the defense secretary was guilty only of winning wars, pointing to a January raid on Venezuela that, in his framing, toppled President Nicolás Maduro, and to the ongoing conflict with Iran. Jeffries sees it differently, blaming Hegseth for a reckless and costly war that has driven up prices and made the country less safe.

The Republican loss has also forced some soul-searching inside the party, including from Vice President JD Vance, over why voters turned away so decisively. On Friday, Trump answered with a hardline pick: Stephen Miller, the architect of his immigration crackdown — a policy analysts flagged as a drag on Republican support — will serve as his new chief of staff, signaling a bare-knuckle second act.

Democrat-led committees have plenty of targets in their sights, including the Trump family's business and cryptocurrency dealings, federal contracts tied to billionaire Elon Musk, cuts to government agencies, immigration enforcement and the conduct of the Iran war. Trump said Saturday he had ordered the Justice Department to examine Democratic impeachment threats against his officials, comparing the pressure to extortion.

Attorney General Todd Blanche, once Trump's personal lawyer, promised on CNN that the Justice Department would defend Miller and other administration figures. House Oversight Democrat Robert Garcia fired back at Blanche on the same network, saying protecting the president and his cabinet isn't the attorney general's job and that Congress won't be intimidated. Subpoena fights and public hearings are now the likely terrain of the next two years.