Congressional Democrats are already planning a long list of their targets if they win control of Congress next week.
While they have been vague about their legislative agenda, Democrats are relishing putting a slew of Trump administration officials under the oversight microscope. But the universe of their scrutiny will go well beyond the executive branch and extend into the business community.
Here is a list of Democratic targets in 2027 if they win the House and/or the Senate.
Pete Hegseth
The War Secretary is facing an impeachment vote in the lame-duck session of Congress, though the pressure on Hegseth will only intensify in the new year. Democrats are split on whether to impeach President Donald Trump for a third time, but they are united on impeaching the former Fox News host. Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), an Iraq and Afghanistan war veteran, said recently that ousting Hegseth is “priority No. 1” if Democrats retake the majority. Impeaching Hegseth in a Democrat-controlled House is almost a sure thing. However, getting 67 votes in the Senate to remove him is unlikely. There is speculation that Hegseth is interested in being appointed to Sen. Marsha Blackburn’s (R-TN) seat if she wins her gubernatorial race next week. If that happens, impeaching Hegseth in 2027 would become a moot point.
Trump and his family
Democrats have gone after Trump and his family for raking in billions of dollars in crypto and other investments at a time when most people believe the economy is on the wrong track. If they win on Tuesday, Democrats are expected to push legislation that would curtail stock trading among all government officials.
Elon Musk
There is no love lost between the Left and Elon Musk. The wealthiest man in the world provided Trump with a major boost in his 2024 electoral victory, and he is now pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into the midterm elections. Democrats have demanded answers from Musk on disruptions to satellite communications systems in Ukraine, and they would likely scrutinize his stewardship of the Department of Government Efficiency, which fell well short of its promised $2 trillion in savings.
Epstein files
There is a bipartisan push for another Epstein files transparency bill, and there would be ample oversight of what information the Trump administration failed to release. The Epstein files controversies played a role in cratering Trump’s approval ratings over the last 18 months.
Corporate America
The Trump administration is going to fight Democratic oversight powers at every step, and some of the standoffs between the executive and legislative branches would surely end up in the courts. Business officials know they are easier targets, and Democrats would go after many industries, such as oil and gas, tech, healthcare, and defense sectors, among others. Many in corporate America are nervous about 2027, as the GOP has become more populist in the Trump era, leaving them unable to rely on Republicans to defend them.
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ICE
Should Immigration and Customs Enforcement be abolished or reformed? Democrats are split on the issue, though polls have shifted toward action over the last two years. It’s unclear what strategy Democrats will adopt, but they will surely go after two of the Trump administration’s leading voices on ICE: White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser Stephen Miller and border czar Tom Homan.
Tariffs
Republicans on Capitol Hill and many farmers were wary of Trump’s tariff moves last year and hoped they would be temporary, but the president has stood firm on them. Democrats will aggressively pursue tariffs early next year and will likely find some GOP allies.
Iran negotiators
The war was supposed to last six weeks, and then wrap up by the summer or, at the latest, by Labor Day. Yet, there is no end in sight, and this election will be seen as a referendum on the unpopular conflict that has roiled the Middle East. Democratic lawmakers will try to end the war, though the executive branch, not Congress, sets U.S. direction on foreign policy. Democrats will scrutinize Iran war negotiators Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Vice President JD Vance. Democrats eyeing the White House in 2028 will need to have plans to end the war and will go after Vance, who is expected to run for president. Throughout this year, Democrats have questioned why Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is also seen as a possible 2028 candidate, has not been deeply involved in the talks.
Todd Blanche
The attorney general, who was confirmed 50-49 thanks to outgoing Sen. Bill Cassidy’s (R-LA) vote, drew outcries from Democrats when the Justice Department filed a preemptive lawsuit on Alaska’s Senate race. He was also deeply involved in the administration’s reluctant release of the Epstein files and personally interviewed convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell before she was transferred to a minimum-security prison a week later. Blanche is Trump’s former personal attorney, and Democrats maintain the DOJ takes its orders from Trump.
Kash Patel
Democrats and Patel have clashed repeatedly during this Congress on an array of issues, and that will continue in the next one. Democrats have grilled Patel on election issues and ongoing investigations. In a hearing earlier this year, Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) called Patel a “thug,” and Patel responded that the possible 2028 presidential candidate is “a mockery in the United States Senate.”
RFK Jr.
Democrats and a few Republicans have criticized the health and human services secretary for his position on vaccines. Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA), who is probably going to run for president, has ripped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as measles cases in Pennsylvania have mounted this year.
IRS
Kenneth Kies, a well-known Republican tax lobbyist, quit his high-ranking post at the Treasury Department in July. Media reports indicate he balked at tax audit requests from the White House, though Kies has not publicly commented. The White House disputes that characterization, claiming Kies wasn’t a team player. Democrats called on an IRS watchdog to investigate the Kies matter, and they might go further if they retake the House or Senate.
Bill Pulte
The controversial housing director tends to go outside his lane. That has infuriated high-ranking Trump officials such as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who almost came to blows with Pulte last year. Even though Pulte had no experience in national security, Trump appointed him acting director of national intelligence. He wasn’t in that position for long, but he sparked criticism after firing a slew of intelligence officials.
Former high-ranking Trump officials
Kristi Noem, Corey Lewandowski, and Kimberly Guilfoyle were all forced out by Trump after “pay-to-play” stories emerged in the press. They will remain in the headlines amid ongoing investigations. The Wall Street Journal has reported that Lewandowski, who worked closely with then-Homeland Security Secretary Noem, is under federal investigation. All three have denied wrongdoing.
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One Big Beautiful Bill Act
On the campaign trail, Democrats have vowed to undo the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, the GOP’s signature legislative achievement since Trump won his second term. They want to roll back the Medicaid reforms and spending reductions in the massive measure and want to rescind the law’s provisions on tax breaks for the wealthy. But they haven’t coalesced around a definition of “rich” and are unlikely to try to repeal tax breaks for the middle class, as well as the no-tax-on-tips and overtime rules.
Trump side interests
Trump has exasperated Democrats and some Republicans with his construction of a new White House ballroom, an extensive renovation of a public golf course in Washington, and his push to build a 250-foot triumphal arch between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery. Democrats probably won’t be able to stop all these initiatives, though a Republican senior appropriator said he has concerns about using defense funds for the arch.