Trump orders Justice Department probe of Democrats over alleged threats

President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. Justice Department to investigate Democrats for what he said was "threatening a lot of people" with impeachment and other punishment, according to Al Jazeera. He made the order in a Truth Social post on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, describing the Democrats' actions as a "criminal act."

The post came days after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, the House of Representatives and the Senate, from Republicans in Tuesday's midterm elections. The Justice Department is the federal agency responsible for law enforcement, and it is led by the attorney general.

In the post, Trump called Democratic lawmakers "extortionists" and described Democratic promises of accountability as "extortion at the highest level," according to Democracy Docket. He also claimed Democrats were threatening his donors over their political views, and he named Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin. Politico reported that Trump accused Democrats of threatening Republican donors with imprisonment.

Democratic lawmakers have said they intend to pursue their own inquiries into several areas. These include the financial dealings of the Trump family, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (the federal agency that enforces immigration law), Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Todd Blanche.

Robert Garcia, a Democratic congressman from California who is likely to chair the House Oversight Committee, a panel that conducts investigations, posted "LAWYER UP" on social media once it became clear Democrats would take the House.

Trump's order is an announcement of a directive to the Justice Department.