WAR? I’LL GIVE YA WAR!
Dems vow to flex new muscle on Don & his administration; Prez says ‘we’ll do the same’ to them
House Democrats are preparing to launch a slew of subpoena-powered probes of the Trump administration when the party takes control of the chamber in January — a possibility that the President warns would put them in a “war-like posture.”
Following a midterm election that split control of Capitol Hill between the two parties, President Trump on Wednesday told Democrats that any action they take to keep him in check will be answered in kind and cautioned that their efforts would likely result in “investigation fatigue.”
“They can play that game, but we can play it better,” Trump said during a lengthy and — at times — combative White House news conference.
“If that happens, then we’re going to do the same thing and government comes to a halt,” he added. “And I would blame them.”
Democrats regained control of the House in Tuesday’s midterm elections by winning 221 seats, three more than the 218 needed for a majority in the 435-member chamber. Republicans won 198 contests with about a dozen yet to be decided, and added to their majority in the Senate.
Trump alternatively threatened Dems against probing his presidency and promised to work across the aisle on “a beautiful bipartisan-type situation.”
However, the congressional split is more likely to lead to gridlock for Trump’s legislative agenda as well as a series of significant investigations into his administration.
New York Democrats, including Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Eliot Engel, are in line to take on important roles atop committees that could hold the Trump administration accountable and shine a light on Trump’s finances and policies, Russian election interference and a host of cabinet-level ethics scandals.
“Americans are demanding accountability to make sure that our leaders are working for the American people and not in their own self-interest or personal benefit,” Nadler, who is set to chair the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement. “This is what has been missing from the Republican Congress, which has refused to uphold our laws or conduct oversight on important issues, and we must re-assert that we are a government of the people, by the people, and for the people."
Nadler will have the ability to probe for inappropriate interference with the Justice Department and possibly push forward with efforts to protect special counsel Robert Mueller from the President.
He has also expressed interest in an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and perjury lobbed at Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and could look into Trump’s dismissal of former FBI director James Comey.
He also vowed Wednesday to make the post-midterm firing of Attorney General Jeff Sessions a priority.
Engel, in line to head the House Foreign Affairs Committee, could investigate
Trump's Saudi Arabia policy in the wake of Jamal Khashoggi's murder and push for congressional authorization for the use of military force in places like Iraq and Syria.
“I don't think we should challenge something just because it's put forth by the administration, but I do think we have an obligation to review policies and do oversight,” Engel told Reuters in a telephone interview.
Other committees could subpoena records and call on administration and cabinet officials to testify on a host of policy issues, including immigration, national security, the President's financial ties, election security and questionable security clearance approvals.
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), in position to become the House Intelligence Committee chairman, has made clear he wants to open a more aggressive investigation into Russia election meddling and next-inline to take over the House Ways and Means Chair Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) could subpoena the President in an attempt to get Trump's tax returns.
Political insiders on both sides of the aisle said Dems have to be judicious about wielding their newfound committee chairmanships as the President openly prepares to spin any resistance into a political issue.
“President Trump will welcome any resistance from Democrats and use it as fodder for 2020,” one GOP strategist said.
Likely House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also cautioned her own party against overreach. “I don't think we'll have any scattershot freelancing,” Pelosi said. “When we go down any of these paths, we know what we're doing and we'll do it right.”
Trump pushed back against the idea that Dems will finally get him to turn over his tax returns, falling back on an old excuse for breaking precedent and never making the forms public before entering the White House.
“But if I were finished with the audit — I would have an open mind to it,” he said. “But I do not want to do it during the audit. And no lawyer, even from the other side, they say often. Not always. But when you are under audit, you do not subject it to that. You get it done, and then he released it.”
There's no rule against releasing tax forms while under audit.
A Democratic source familiar with internal House Oversight Committee discussions said Trump's tax returns wouldn't necessarily be a top priority for Dems.
“We're looking to take a wide-angle look at the administration,” the source told the Daily News. “They are going to take a holistic approach to the darkness the administration has been operating in.”
Trump said he was unconcerned, claiming Democrats have “nothing, zero,” on him.
The President also painted the midterms as a win for Republicans, even though his party lost control of one chamber of Congress, and blasted members of the GOP who lost their seats.
“Mia Love gave me no love, and she lost,” Trump said of the Utah congresswoman. “Too bad. Sorry about that, Mia.”
“Peter Roskam didn't want the embrace,” he went on, naming Republicans who fell to Democrats after shrugging off his support. “Erik Paulsen didn't want the embrace.”
Trump said the midterms “defied history,” as he took credit for Republican gains in the Senate.
“I thought it was very close to a complete victory,” he said.
Trump, who berated and abused Democrats with vitriolic language throughout the campaign, went on to repeatedly praise Pelosi and said his chances of striking legislative agreements were greater with a divided government.
“The election's over,” Trump said. “Now everybody is in love.”