By — Eric Tucker, Associated Press Eric Tucker, Associated Press By — Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press Alanna Durkin Richer, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trumps-justice-department-faces-a-new-era-of-scrutiny-under-a-democratic-led-congress Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Trump's Justice Department faces a new era of scrutiny under a Democratic-led Congress Politics Nov 13, 2026 10:29 AM EST WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has functioned for nearly two years as an extension of the White House, unchecked by a Republican-controlled Congress as it pursued investigations into President Donald Trump's enemies, fired waves of career employees and defended administration stances that judges across the country repeatedly deemed legally dubious. Now, sweeping Democratic gains in Congress have shifted the balance of power in Washington, teeing up an onslaught of expected investigations into those actions and others as well as scrutiny from the majority party that the current Justice Department had until now managed to skirt. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Enter your email address Subscribe…
Trump's Justice Department faces a new era of scrutiny under a Democratic-led Congress
In short
Lawmakers are preparing to challenge the administration's legal actions following two years of unchecked investigations into the president's political opponents and extensive staff purges. However, incoming committee leaders will encounter substantial procedural roadblocks, as the executive branch is expected to resist document demands and decline to prosecute its own officials for contempt. Democratic investigators plan to target specific failed legal maneuvers, including an unsuccessful effort to indict former aide Cassidy Hutchinson and an accelerated inquiry into Representative Ilhan Omar. Meanwhile, agency leaders have instructed staff to adopt an aggressive posture to continue executi…
Key points
- Democrats plan to aggressively investigate recent Justice Department cases targeting perc…: Democrats plan to aggressively investigate recent Justice Department cases targeting perceived political opponents that stalled or collapsed in court.
- Enforcing congressional oversight will prove difficult because the Justice Department is…: Enforcing congressional oversight will prove difficult because the Justice Department is unlikely to prosecute its own leadership under criminal contempt referrals.
- Recent internal upheaval, including senior leadership departures following Stephen Miller…: Recent internal upheaval, including senior leadership departures following Stephen Miller's White House promotion, has left the department depleted of career personnel.