House Democrats plan to investigate companies and financial firms affiliated with President Donald Trump if the party retakes the lower chamber in the 2026 midterm elections, rather than pursuing impeachment immediately.
The plan reflects the fear that attempting to impeach the president would allow him to cast himself as a victim of partisanship, as well as the belief that the White House would resist oversight. Senior Democrats and committee aides have discussed using congressional investigative powers, such as issuing subpoenas and holding public hearings, to seek evidence of wrongdoing by the Trump administration, according to four people familiar with the discussions who spoke to Reuters.
“We’re not going into this to impeach,” one senior Democratic aide said. “The focus is on building a body of evidence through investigations that can hold Trump accountable.”
Democrats have already begun requesting records from companies and contractors involved in potential investigations, according to the report, to “pave the way for subpoenas” if Democrats retake the House. Such requests currently can be ignored since Democrats are in the minority in the chamber, but they reflect a long-term hope of uncovering evidence of an impeachable offense.
“If investigations uncover evidence that we believe meets the threshold, we will not hesitate to move forward,” the aide also said.
The plan to prioritize scrutiny of Trump allies in the private sector somewhat contradicts intermittent calls from various Democrats to impeach the president throughout his second term.
Dozens of Democrats called for his impeachment in April after he threatened to wipe out “a whole civilization” in reference to Iran. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) recently called for Trump’s impeachment after he delivered an address last month in which he alleged election interference in the 2020 presidential election.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said in mid-June that Democrats haven’t “ruled anything out” when asked about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) call for Trump to be impeached, saying Democrats will focus on affordability and bringing down the cost of living if elected in November. Recent congressional ballot polling shows Democrats with a slight edge in their battle to retake the House despite the party’s approval rating dipping in recent months.
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Discussions reportedly feature companies owned by Elon Musk, such as Tesla, as well as Department of Homeland Security contracts and financing for the White House ballroom. The sources said no final list has been established and that U.S.-based firms will be prioritized in the plan.
There is no evidence to suggest wrongdoing by Trump or his administration. He became the first president to be impeached twice by the House during his first term, though he was acquitted by the Senate both times.