House Democrats are signaling a wave of investigations into President Donald Trump should they win the House majority in 2026, devoting their attention to everything from the president’s business practices to his removal of agency watchdogs.
Democrats, who are three votes shy of a majority, lack the powers that come with a committee gavel, including the ability to issue subpoenas and set the agenda of the chamber’s two most prominent investigative bodies: the Oversight and Judiciary committees.
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But Democrats have taken fewer steps to carve out their investigative focus on checking the administration, should they reclaim the lower chamber. They have variously sent letters to federal agencies, held a series of shadow hearings, and generally coordinated their messaging, both in town halls and on Capitol Hill.
Elon Musk, the Tesla mogul-turned-Trump adviser, sits at the center of Democratic attacks. Musk is stepping away as the de facto leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, but Democrats have scrutinized the contracts his companies hold with the federal government, alleging conflicts of interest stemming from his relationship with Trump.
More recently, Trump’s acceptance of a Qatari luxury jet, to be used as Air Force One, has raised ethics and national security concerns from lawmakers of both parties, and Democrats are expected to make the transaction a priority for oversight.
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Also waiting in the wings are two sets of impeachment articles, though an effort to force a vote this month lacked the support of Democratic leadership. Trump was impeached by the House twice during his first term but acquitted by the Senate.
In the meantime, Republicans have used the investigative tools at their disposal to scrutinize the last administration, including allegations of a cover-up of former President Joe Biden’s health.
Democrats are defending 10 more competitive seats than the GOP, a factor that works against their hopes of a House majority. But they are also buoyed by historical headwinds — the party in power typically loses seats in a midterm election.
Democrats scrutinize Qatari plane gift
Democrats in both chambers are kicking off inquiries into Qatar’s gift of a $400 million Boeing 747 that the Pentagon has accepted.
House Judiciary Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) and Mary Gay Scanlon (D-VA) wrote to the Justice Department and the White House Counsel’s Office demanding information related to reported memos that apparently gave Trump the green light to accept the plane without seeking congressional approval.
Democrats have accused Trump of flouting the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, but the Justice Department argues the gift is not bribery because no act was offered in exchange for the plane.
Judiciary Democrats also filed a resolution condemning Trump’s acceptance of the plane, though it is unlikely that the GOP-led House will bring it up for a vote. If Democrats were to regain control of the House, Raskin is expected to become chairman of the Judiciary Committee and could ask Attorney General Pam Bondi and counsel David Warrington to testify on the gift and any communications or deals between Qatar and the United States.
Democrats have also alleged a broader set of conflicts of interest. On Trump’s 100th day in office, the late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), previously the ranking member of the Oversight Committee, released a list of 100 involving the president.
Some involved members of his administration, such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Musk, while other perceived conflicts of interest centered on his family’s investments in cryptocurrency.
The White House has denied any ethics lapses, telling reporters that Trump’s assets are in a “blind trust which is managed by his children.”
Investigating the Qatari plane could get bipartisan support, given criticisms from some Republican lawmakers, though Democrats’ efforts will likely be brushed off as hypocritical. The House GOP spent much of the last two years of Biden’s term inquiring into his son, Hunter Biden’s, business dealings, and whether the president benefited from an alleged “criminal scheme” orchestrated by the younger Biden and other members of the Biden family.
Democrats allege stock manipulation over Trump tariffs
Democrats have accused Trump of manipulating the markets with his “Liberation Day” tariffs, after he took to social media to announce, “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!” just hours before he issued a 90-day pause on the duties.
Calls for lawmakers to prevent unfair stock trading grew after public disclosures revealed that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) purchased stocks during the tariff-induced dip in the market, which later rose in value after Trump partially reversed his executive action.
Greene defended herself, saying she has “a fiduciary agreement with [her] portfolio manager” and that she does not “place [her] buys [her]self.”
“That’s something that my portfolio manager does for me, and he did a great job. Guess what he did? He bought the dip,” she said.
Kevin Hassett, the director of the National Economic Council, has previously denied allegations of insider trading in the White House.
Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, asked Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to call up a vote on bipartisan legislation to ban stock trading.
House Ways and Means Committee Democrats also used a March 25 hearing on the committee’s trade panel to attack Trump’s economic agenda, warning the administration about using tariffs without congressional approval.
Both Republicans and Democrats have expressed concern over the president’s executive action involving tariffs, though the House has quashed efforts to challenge them.
A provision enacted as Johnson ushered a March spending measure through the House blocks Democrats from bringing up resolutions related to tariffs until October. The House has also blocked Democrats’ attempts to call up resolutions to launch investigations into the Trump administration.
Investigations into stock trading could earn bipartisan support, but GOP lawmakers would likely point to several Democrats who have benefited from family members trading stocks for years, among them former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
Democrats view Musk as a winning target
Musk has become a central target for Democrats since he became a megadonor for the 2024 elections. His elevation as a top Trump adviser and stint as the head of DOGE have led to conflict of interest complaints.
Already, Democrats have sent letters inquiring about Musk to Hegseth, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
A Washington Post analysis found Musk and his businesses have received at least $38 billion in government contracts, loans, subsidies, and tax credits.
SpaceX is a leading contender to help build Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense system, prompting Senate Democrats to introduce legislation to bar companies owned by special government employees from receiving federal contracts.
The White House has previously said that Musk “committed to recusing himself from potential conflicts” and has taken steps to shield him from certain information, including a planned briefing on China, which it reportedly scrapped.
“For concerns regarding conflicts of interest between Elon Musk and DOGE, President Trump has stated he will not allow conflicts, and Elon himself has committed to recusing himself from potential conflicts. DOGE has been incredibly transparent about what they’re doing, posting daily updates on X and updating their website,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt previously told NBC News.
Musk’s DOGE is also expected to be the focus of investigative efforts as it faces court challenges to its mass layoffs and shuttering of federal agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Impeachment articles take back seat — for now
Reps. Al Green (D-TX) and Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Democrats who frequently buck tradition and sit on the outskirts of their party, have both attempted an impeachment inquiry into the president during this Congress.
Thanedar pulled his articles of impeachment against Trump after a pressure campaign from Democratic leadership, in which they rebuked the Michigan Democrat’s efforts as “not timely” and “unserious.”
Leadership was so against the impeachment resolution that when four original co-sponsors of Thanedar’s articles learned it did not go through the proper channels for approval, they removed themselves from the sponsorship list.
“This doomed impeachment vote is not about holding Trump accountable, but instead seems to be about the interest of the bill sponsor,” Congressional Progressive Caucus Chairman Greg Casar (D-TX) wrote in a notice to his caucus members.
Thanedar said he would “add to my articles of impeachment” and “rally the support of both Democrats and Republicans.”
Green filed his articles of impeachment on May 15, the day after Thanedar pulled his resolution. The Texas Democrat’s articles accuse Trump of undermining the judiciary and flouting the separation of powers, as well as “devolving our democracy into a de facto dictatorship with himself as the de facto dictator.”
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Leadership will likely dismiss Green’s impeachment efforts, as well, and many rank-and-file Democrats have said they think it’s not worthwhile, given that they lack a majority and the two-thirds votes in the Senate to convict Trump.
During Trump’s first term, Democrats, then in control of the House, impeached him twice — first for his alleged efforts to get Ukraine to investigate Biden, at the time his political rival. The second impeachment stemmed from his conduct surrounding the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. In both cases, he was acquitted in the Senate.