House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has publicly vowed congressional investigations targeting individuals and entities perceived to be aligned with President Donald Trump’s political agenda should Democrats regain control of Congress. The pledge, made on social media, specifically named Brendan Carr, a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as a target.
“Brendan Carr is a corrupt political hack and fake chair of the FCC,” Jeffries posted on X. “This guy (and the entities he promotes) will find himself on the wrong side of a congressional investigation in short order.” The statement followed Carr’s suggestion that the administration would more closely review license renewals for broadcasters he accused of disseminating “fake news.”
Jeffries’ comments are part of a broader, months-long effort by Democrats to prepare potential retaliatory measures against companies and individuals who have supported Trump, according to sources familiar with the planning. These measures include potential breakup of mergers and extensive committee investigations.
Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona has taken a particularly aggressive stance, threatening to initiate breakups of companies that benefited from mergers approved during the Trump administration. “Once we take power, whoever the president is, we’re going to break up your companies,” Gallego told Semafor. “So, all the investment you did to create these mergers are going to be for naught. Your investors are going to be pissed at you, and you’re likely going to end up getting fired as the CEO as you wasted so much money and corrupted yourself in the process.”
Notable mergers completed under the Trump administration include Paramount’s $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros., Capital One’s $35 billion acquisition of Discover, and Nippon Steel’s $14.9 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut echoed Gallego’s sentiments in a post on X, stating, “Paramount should enjoy its growing news monopoly while they have it, because when Democrats win back power we are going to break up these anti-democratic information conglomerates. All of them.”
Skydance Media, the parent company of Paramount, has drawn scrutiny due to its CEO, David Ellison’s, close ties to the Trump administration. Ellison was a Republican guest at the 2026 State of the Union address and has been a frequent visitor to the White House.
Former Biden administration official Susan Rice similarly signaled a willingness to pursue political retribution, stating in a Vox interview that companies aligning with Trump would be “held accountable by those who come in opposition to Trump and win at the ballot box.” Rice urged companies to adopt a “long game” rather than the “short game” she believes has been detrimental.
Democrats also intend to leverage subpoena power to compel testimony from figures within Trump’s orbit. Representative Pete Aguilar of California, the third-ranking Democrat in the House, pointed to the precedent set by the potential subpoena of former President Bill Clinton as a means to secure testimony from individuals connected to Trump. “It sets an interesting precedent on who is subject to come into Oversight, and we will observe what the next year holds for Trump Inc. And the Trump family,” Aguilar said.
The focus extends to the private sector, with Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas demanding a subpoena for Elon Musk during a House Oversight Committee hearing, citing his involvement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and recommendations for spending cuts. Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a similar motion in the Senate, emphasizing Musk’s influence within the administration.
Democrats contacted by Fox News Digital did not respond to requests for comment regarding their plans to implement these stated intentions.
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