The prospect of investigations has already prompted a furious response from Trump and members of his administration.

The 2026 midterm elections took place on November 3, with every seat in the House of Representatives contested alongside 35 Senate races.Democrats entered the elections as the minority party in both chambers, but secured victories that are set to give them control of the House and Senate.The results mean Trump will spend the final two years of his second term dealing with an opposition-controlled Congress.One of the lawmakers preparing to take a leading role in the investigations is California Democrat Robert Garcia, who is poised to chair the powerful House Oversight Committee.Garcia has indicated that he intends to investigate what he describes as the ‘Trump crime family’, making clear that Democrats do not intend to back away from challenging the administration.Speaking about the party’s approach, he said: “The days of us not fighting back are over.”Congressional committees have the authority to request government documents, hold hearings and investigate the actions of federal departments.They can also issue subpoenas, which may compel individuals to provide evidence or hand over records.Democrats are expected to use those powers to examine a number of controversial areas of Trump’s presidency.These include immigration enforcement, the handling of the Epstein files and the president’s decision to launch military strikes against Iran without congressional authorisation.They could also look into allegations that federal agencies have been used against political opponents, as well as claims that officials have failed to comply with court orders.The precise scope of the investigations has yet to be confirmed, but Garcia’s comments suggest that senior figures within the administration could face questioning.