Trump vows comeback as Democrats threaten probes after midterm loss

US President Donald Trump vowed a political comeback on Sunday, 9 November, after his Republican Party lost control of Congress in last Tuesday's midterm elections. The result limits Trump's room to act during the remaining two years of his presidency and opens the way for Democratic-led investigations into the president, his family and senior administration officials.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that America had taken a giant step back with the election results and promised Republicans would return "bigger and stronger than ever before". On Friday he named hardline adviser Stephen Miller as his new White House chief of staff. Miller shaped Trump's tough immigration policy, which analysts cite as one reason for the Republicans' unpopularity. Several Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, have reportedly reflected on why the party lost so heavily.

Threats of impeachment

On Saturday, Trump said he was ordering the Justice Department to examine Democratic threats to impeach members of his administration, likening them to "extortion".

With control of committees in both chambers, Democrats can summon officials, demand documents and hold public hearings. Likely subjects include the Trump family's business and cryptocurrency dealings, government contracts involving billionaire Elon Musk, cuts to federal agencies, immigration enforcement and the war with Iran.

Hakeem Jeffries, set to become speaker of the new House of Representatives, told ABC he would support efforts to oust Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, one of the architects of the war on Iran that began in February. Jeffries said Hegseth had abused his power and drawn the country into an unnecessary war. Trump defended Hegseth in remarks to reporters, pointing to wins in Venezuela and Iran. In January, a US raid in Venezuela removed president Nicolas Maduro.

Attorney General Todd Blanche, formerly Trump's personal lawyer, told CNN the Justice Department would also defend Miller. Robert Garcia, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, replied that protecting the president is not Blanche's job, and vowed that Democrats would not be intimidated.