The next two years could reveal a lot about the past two.
If Democrats win at least one chamber of Congress in November, they’ll gain sweeping powers to probe President Donald Trump’s actions since he returned to office two years ago.
Already they’re eyeing everything from Trump’s personal financial interests to his efforts to reshape Washington, D.C., in his image. The list of potential targets is so long that Democrats will likely have to decide which investigations to prioritize.
If the Democrats win back the House, they will be able to haul administration officials into committee hearings, subpoena records from government agencies and private companies, and put a spotlight on some of Trump’s most controversial actions.
If they win back the Senate, they’ll also be able to grill administration and judicial nominees.
The promise to fight corruption has become a central tenet of the party’s 2026 campaign message — and a preview of what a Democratic-led Congress could look like in 2027.
Sen. Jon Ossoff, a Georgia Democrat who has grabbed headlines in recent months for his oversight work and pointed questioning of Trump officials, recently told MS NOW he expects that every committee across Capitol Hill will play a role in scrutinizing the Trump administration, predicting that the findings will “shock the American public” and “lay bare the need” to constrain the executive branch.
Trump has even framed the risks of losing control of Congress in personal terms, telling House Republicans in January that “if we don’t win the midterms … they’ll find a reason to impeach me.”
The administration has also taken steps that would help it fight congressional inquiries next year. Earlier this month, the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel concluded that Trump can invoke executive privilege over communications with certain outside advisers, which could make it harder for Democrats to compel private citizens to testify about their conversations with the president.
So what might be on Democrats’ target list? Lawmakers and candidates have already provided plenty of clues.
Here’s a look at some of the issues they may investigate.
Trump family finances
Since the president returned to office, Democrats have argued that he is using his time in the Oval Office to boost his family’s bottom line. In 2025 his business ventures alone generated more than $2 billion in revenue. Democrats are already laying the groundwork for probes rooted in the president’s 1,000-page annual financial disclosure, which he filed in June.
The topic is so big that there might be several different investigations:
- Crypto: The disclosure revealed that in 2025 alone, Trump earned more than $500 million from World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency company he co-founded with his sons before returning to office. He also reported more than $600 million in income tied to the Trump meme coin. Senate Democrats have demanded hearings into his family’s cryptocurrency holdings. And a House Democrat has launched an inquiry into a reported investment tied to a top United Arab Emirates official into the cryptocurrency company. In July, Trump told CNBC there’s “nothing illegal” about the crypto venture.
- Stocks: Democrats have also expressed a desire to investigate Trump’s penchant for trading stocks while in office — something they say raises questions about potential conflicts of interest. In 2025 alone, a staggering 21,000 trades were made in his name, according to a CNBC analysis of his financial disclosure. Trump has denied any conflict of interest, saying he has no contact with the institutions that manage his money. “We have funds that run my money,” Trump said in July. “They invest my money, and I don’t talk to them.”
- Conflicts of interest: House Democrats are also poised to amp up their probe of others in Trump’s orbit, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner. Earlier this year, Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland — the likely next chairman of the House Judiciary Committee — announced an investigation of Kushner’s dual roles as White House peace envoy and private businessman, accusing him of an “incurable conflict of interest.” In particular, Democrats have raised concerns that Kushner is helping lead diplomatic negotiations on behalf of the United States in regions such as the Middle East, while at the same time his firm has benefited from funding from entities such as Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. Kushner has denied any wrongdoing.
- Emoluments, including the ring: Democrats want answers about a $25,000 ring given to Trump by the head of Belgium’s diamond industry four weeks before the Trump White House approved tariff exemptions worth billions for that industry. While the White House has dismissed questions of impropriety, Democrats believe it fits into a larger pattern of corporations giving Trump gifts in order to get special treatment.
The Epstein files
Democrats and Republicans alike on the House Oversight Committee have spent much of the past year bringing in witnesses to testify about the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the rollout of the Department of Justice’s tranche of files. Expect Democrats to continue that probe if they hold the committee gavels.
- The files: Democrats have repeatedly taken aim at the Justice Department for what they say is slow-walking the legally required release of the Epstein files and questionable redaction practices. Democrats such as Virginia Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, who is part of the House Oversight Committee, have called for Attorney General Todd Blanche to testify under oath about the release of the files. A New York Times report about a “freakout” in the White House Situation Room over the document dump has only intensified Democratic scrutiny.
- Special treatment: Democrats are already reviewing the prison transfer of convicted Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell from a low-security facility in Florida to a minimum-security prison in Texas. The move came after Blanche conducted a two-day interview with Maxwell in which she stated she never saw Trump act inappropriately, prompting questions about a possible quid pro quo. Blanche has defended the move, saying there had been “numerous threats against her life.”
Washington makeover
Trump is using his second term to leave his imprint on the nation’s capital — knocking down the White House East Wing, redoing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, taking over the Kennedy Center and laying out plans for a new “triumphal” arch. Democrats have questions about all of these actions.
- White House ballroom: Democrats have questions about the ballooning price tag of the East Wing renovations project, not to mention other projects on the White House campus. A recent Washington Post report pegged overall costs at north of $900 million. Democrats have — on multiple occasions — requested audits of the project, which appears to be funded by a combination of federal funding and private donations.
- Reflecting Pool: The algae bloom at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool this year generated massive public attention and unfounded accusations by the president that his renovation project was damaged by sabotage. Democrats have already demanded access to documents tied to the project, seeking to know more about the no-bid contracts awarded to companies with ties to the president.
Iran war
How much does the Iran war cost? Democrats — and some Republicans — have demanded an answer to that question since the conflict began in February. Democrats have accused the Trump administration of underselling the count. Last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pegged the cost at $37.5 billion so far — a number Democrats say does not take into account the damage to U.S. military assets in the region from Iranian strikes.
The Department of Justice
Blanche’s ascent to attorney general earlier this month has only intensified Democratic concerns that the DOJ will merely act as an arm of the Oval Office. But those concerns of a weaponized department predate Blanche. Democrats have already announced a review of “retaliatory” prosecutions of leading public officials, such as New York Attorney General Letitia James — who previously took Trump to court — and the six Democratic lawmakers who urged members of the military and national security community to not follow illegal orders.
Other investigations
- Immigration enforcement: So far, 2026 has seen several high-profile cases of people killed at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents — including American citizens. Democrats want an independent review of these incidents, arguing that the Justice Department made misleading claims about the deaths.
- Renewable energy projects: House Democrats have already launched an investigation of the Trump administration’s settlement with an energy company to curb planned offshore wind projects.
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