Trump’s Administration Is About To Get A Congressional Reality Check

Can you hear that noise? It’s the sound of Trump’s lawyers scrambling to prepare for the investigations they know are coming, mixed with the sound of administration officials quietly looking for the nearest exit.

It’s a glorious noise.

After Democrats swept the midterms and took control of both chambers of Congress, Republicans are about to discover what happens when the people holding the gavels are no longer interested in looking the other way.

“Lawyer up,” incoming House Oversight Committee Chair Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) offered an equally concise warning: “Subpoenas.”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, poised to become speaker, promised accountability for those who have used public office to enrich themselves, their families and their friends.

And Democrats are already drawing up their investigative wish lists.

Garcia’s team has identified the Trump family, corporations benefiting from government connections, administration officials profiting from the presidency, and associates of Jeffrey Epstein as potential targets. He has also singled out Corey Lewandowski over allegations that he steered Department of Homeland Security contracts to allies.

Meanwhile, Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee are recruiting investigative staff, while Homeland Security Committee Democrats have told Secretary Markwayne Mullin to “clear your calendar.”

The committees may have overlapping interests, including Trump’s financial dealings, immigration enforcement and the administration’s relationship with powerful private interests. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the incoming Judiciary chair, has also made investigating Trump’s potential violations of the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause a priority.

Of course, Democrats shouldn’t expect the administration to roll over and hand them the receipts. The Justice Department has already advanced an expansive interpretation of executive privilege that could make obtaining information from outside presidential advisers more difficult. And administration officials have reportedly retained lawyers in anticipation of congressional investigations.

DHS General Counsel James Percival has already accused Democrats of being more interested in “political shenanigans than in governing.”

Well, that’s adorable.

For years, Democrats have complained that their oversight requests were met with silence, stonewalling and legal maneuvering. Now they have the power to issue subpoenas, compel testimony, and keep asking questions until somebody answers.

The Trump administration may be preparing for a fight, but Democrats finally have the tools to make it one. And judging by the number of lawyers suddenly being hired, somebody over there understands exactly what’s coming.

The blue wave didn’t just change who runs Congress. It changed who gets to ask the questions.

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