Trump orders DOJ to probe Democrats' impeachment threats as a collision course takes shape in Washington
With Congress back Monday and a Dec. 11 shutdown clock already ticking, the president directed the Justice Department to investigate Democratic leaders over what he called criminal extortion, while the incoming House Oversight chair promised sweeping subpoenas the moment power changes hands.
In brief
President Donald Trump escalated his post-election counteroffensive Saturday, directing the Justice Department to investigate Democratic leaders over what he called criminal threats to impeach administration officials, as Congress prepares to gavel in Monday for a lame-duck session already defined by confrontation and a government funding deadline less than five weeks away.
The move lands at a volatile moment. Democrats swept both chambers of Congress on Nov. 3, and the incoming House Oversight Committee chair, Rep. Robert Garcia of California, has spent the past week making clear his party does not intend to wait until January to put the administration on notice.
What Trump said, and what he didn't
Trump on Saturday ordered the Justice Department to investigate what he called criminal threats by Democratic leaders against administration officials, Republican donors and supporters, accusing them of using impeachment and the prospect of imprisonment to intimidate political opponents.
Trump said he was ordering the DOJ to investigate Democratic leaders over what he described as threats against Republican officials, donors and supporters, without identifying the alleged communications or providing evidence of criminal conduct. He published the directive on Truth Social rather than through any formal executive order or written presidential memorandum.
In the post, Trump wrote: "The Democrats are going around threatening a lot of people, including the Attorney General of the United States, and others, with Impeachment and many other forms of punishment, even though they admit they have no reason to do so, and there have been no impeachable acts committed, or even thought of, by the victims of this illegal process."
Trump concluded his post by saying "these EXTORTIONISTS" should be imprisoned, adding that he wanted the DOJ to investigate the alleged actions as a "criminal act."
Trump further alleged that Democratic leaders had sent threatening letters to innocent individuals, although he did not identify the recipients or specify which communications he wanted investigated.
No DOJ statement confirming the opening of any formal investigation had been issued as of Sunday morning.
Garcia fires back, and so does Hegseth
The president's post was a direct response to Garcia. Garcia, the California Democrat poised to lead the powerful House Oversight Committee, doubled down on his warning to Trump and his allies Friday, releasing a video promising sweeping investigations into the administration.
Garcia warned Trump and his allies to "lawyer up" and said Democrats will take control of the House in January, giving them the power to issue subpoenas and compel testimony as they ramp up scrutiny of the Trump administration.
Garcia has previewed four major areas he will prioritize: what he calls "Trump family corruption," DHS and ICE abuses, corporate corruption and the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Garcia has previously said he wants to subpoena Attorney General Todd Blanche over the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files and the pages that were withheld.
Rep. Garcia also singled out Stephen Miller, Corey Lewandowski, Kristi Noem and Trump family members as particular individuals the committee would target.
Tech executives closest to Trump, including SpaceX's Elon Musk, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Nvidia's Jensen Huang, are expected to be early targets for House Oversight, Energy and Commerce and Senate Commerce. Democrats will also want to question OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic's Dario Amodei about their AI products.
Garcia is not alone. Rep. Jamie Raskin has said the Judiciary Committee's "number one" priority will be "looking at systems of bribery, kickback and financial corruption and opportunities for disgorgement and restitution to the American people." Rep. Bennie Thompson will focus on DHS contractors at the Homeland Security Committee. Rep. Maxine Waters will focus on deregulation and the banking and crypto industries at the Financial Services Committee.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, himself facing a possible impeachment vote once the lame-duck session begins, did not stay quiet. Hegseth urged troops to "ignore the noise" in a video posted to social media Saturday, insisting the Trump administration is "more resolute than ever to finish what we have started." Trump expressed confidence in Hegseth during a post-election interview with "60 Minutes," as the defense secretary faces a potential impeachment vote.
The lame duck opens Monday, with a Dec. 11 cliff
Congress returns to Capitol Hill on Nov. 9. The backdrop is bleak for anyone hoping for smooth legislating. Top of the agenda is the stopgap funding bill passed earlier this year to keep the government open through Election Day, which expires Dec. 11. A government shutdown is possible before the holidays if lawmakers cannot agree on a spending package.
The stopgap bill that Trump signed on September 2, now Public Law 119-103, keeps every federal agency funded through Friday, December 11, 2026.
Trump faces a government funding deadline in just 37 days, with Democrats' sweeping midterm victories threatening to complicate budget negotiations that Republicans had hoped to resolve before losing control of Congress.
So far this year, Congress has not yet passed any of the usual 12 appropriations bills. The fact that Trump needs the continuing resolution to keep many of his projects going gives Democrats a fair amount of power, even in the lame-duck session.
The agenda also includes the remaining fiscal year 2027 spending bills, the National Defense Authorization Act and the Farm Bill. Both stalled ahead of the midterms. The farm bill expired on September 30, and the surveillance authority known as FISA Section 702 has been lapsed since June.
There is about zero chance that Congress will pass Trump's full $1.5 trillion National Defense Authorization Act, according to the American Prospect's Robert Kuttner. Some Republicans are preparing to push for one last filibuster-bypassing reconciliation bill to enact remaining legislative priorities, like a boost to defense spending, but it's not clear the bruised party will have the votes to try.
In the final weeks of the year, Republican leaders will also attempt to carry out Trump's top directives before the majority of both chambers flips. Democrats are unlikely to cooperate knowing they will be in charge in 2027, which gives them an edge in negotiations.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has said a debt limit increase could come in the lame duck.
Constitutional questions in the courts
The clash over oversight powers will not stay inside the Capitol. The Supreme Court is weighing a case that could end an already limited ability to sue federal agents, like ICE, for constitutional violations. The widely shared images of immigration enforcement agents using violence to carry out the Trump administration's crackdown put the spotlight on how difficult it is to take federal officers to court.
If the 1971 Bivens decision is eliminated, there will be "literally no way to sue in federal court when a federal agent like ICE violates the Constitution," according to one attorney involved in related litigation. In recent years, the court has sought to limit the ability to sue federal employees, including barring lawsuits in cases that are "different in a meaningful way" from the details spelled out in Bivens or the two other cases in which the Supreme Court has allowed similar constitutional claims.
Separately, the Supreme Court last week rejected the Trump administration's emergency application seeking to segregate ballots in California. The court rejected the emergency application without explanation or any publicly noted dissent, leaving the lower courts' refusals to grant emergency relief undisturbed.
What to Watch
Nov. 9: Congress gavels back in. Watch whether House Republicans can hold together enough votes to elect a speaker before the floor even turns to spending or defense. Any Republican defections could stall the entire lame-duck agenda before it starts.
DOJ response: DOJ previously investigated Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin over a separate matter. Whether Attorney General Todd Blanche formally opens an inquiry targeting congressional Democrats, or quietly shelves Trump's Truth Social directive, will signal how aggressively the department is willing to move against the incoming majority.
Garcia subpoena timeline: When the new Congress convenes in January, Democrats will gain control of the committee's subpoena power, allowing them to compel testimony and obtain documents. The first formal subpoena targets will reveal whether Garcia starts with administration officials or goes straight for Trump family business records.
Dec. 11 shutdown clock: If Congress misses December 11, a funding gap would begin the next day, a Saturday, which changes how a shutdown would look at first. Talks between Johnson and Democratic leaders on what gets attached to any CR have not been reported as having started.
Bivens at the Supreme Court: Oral argument in the case testing whether Americans can sue federal agents for constitutional violations is pending this term. The Justice Department has urged the justices to close the door on such claims entirely. Rory Little, who teaches constitutional and criminal law at the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, predicted the court will either "overrule an old civil rights precedent" or "once again" say it doesn't apply to the latest case, with the result, Little wrote, seeming "pretty much preordained."
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CAN I KICK IT? screens New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument, on Aug. 22. (Courtesy SHAOLIN JAZZ)
The live-cinema series CAN I KICK IT? returns to the National Mall this month with what its producers are calling the "Gangsters on the Mall" chapter of their free outdoor summer run. On Saturday, August 22, the SHAOLIN JAZZ production brings the 1991 crime classic New Jack City to the Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument for a night of film, music, and community under the DC summer sky.
What sets the event apart is the sound. As the film plays, DJ 2-Tone Jones builds an original score in real time, reimagining one of the most iconic crime movies of the ’90s through hip-hop, soul, funk, and more. It is less a movie screening than a live performance built around the film.
The details:
Film: New Jack City (1991), with a live soundtrack by DJ 2-Tone Jones
When: Saturday, August 22 — seating opens at 7:30 p.m. (bring lawn chairs and blankets); film begins at 8:30 p.m.
Where: Sylvan Theater at the Washington Monument, Independence Ave SW & 15th St NW
A parking note from the organizers: expect road closures and restricted parking east of 14th Street NW due to a separate race event in the District. Roads west of 14th Street NW will be accessible and available for parking.
New Jack City is the second of three screenings in this year’s free CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series, which opened with Black Panther at Skyland Town Center and concludes with Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial on September 5. Produced by the Washington, DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, the series has presented more than 150 live cinematic experiences at venues across the country, from Lincoln Center to SXSW.
"I wanted to be able to tell good stories with substance and remove the ‘ego’ out of the art," said Andrew Huang during a recent interview. Now, he’s building his career at the intersection of discipline, creativity and innovation.
Andrew Huang, founder of New Place Studios. (Courtesy photo)
As a Chinese American, Huang was reared with a deep respect for hard work, consistency and excellence. He describes his childhood as "not so affluent" and later attended college to hone his passion for videography. "In college I tried to do something I loved, which was video, but along the way I knew that I had to find a job. And so I thought, ‘what was the low hanging fruit to get to that stable 9 to 5 job?,’" he stated.
Later in life, Huang found himself working for corporations where his creativity was often limited, eventually leading to burnout. "I worked in a corporation for a long time and there were a lot of missing pieces. I wanted to fill in gaps missing in corporate video production," said Huang.
He later described how his upbringing and a mindset of "survival" led him toward a corporate career. However, his desire for balance and authentic storytelling ultimately pushed him to take the entrepreneurial leap.
"I founded a new place where you can create video and film with ‘substance and style,’" said Huang. His desire for work-life balance and passion for storytelling naturally evolved into a small business based in Virginia. With the launch of New Place Studios, the entrepreneur quickly found himself reconnecting with the values that would become the foundation of everything he creates behind the camera.
Huang said being a business owner has allowed him to first embrace himself. While others may see video as simply capturing moments, he sees it as a way to preserve stories that inspire, connect and leave a lasting imprint.
By combining cinematic visuals with cutting-edge production techniques and a keen understanding of branding, Huang helps organizations and individuals communicate their vision with purpose. He said understanding a client’s "why" serves as the compass for delivering the services they need.
One benefit of working with a small business, he said, is that clients get to see the production process unfold through a micro lens while working with the same faces throughout the entire project. "The work feels personal," said Huang.
Huang does not regret leaving behind the flash-over-substance mentality and corporate hustle culture. That does not mean the Asian American entrepreneur has been without challenges in the industry. "It’s relatively hard to find other Asian American creatives or people who would want to work with me in the DMV," said Huang.
He identifies the industry culture in which everyone is trying to blend in, creatives may fear displaying their Asian identity and some feel pressure to adopt an American corporate persona. He also points to what he describes as a level of gatekeeping within the industry. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2024 statistics, Asian American and Pacific Islander entrepreneurs own more than 3 million businesses and employ 5.2 million people in the United States.
After tapping into organizations such as SCORE, which offers free small business mentorship, New Place Studios has become a trusted creative partner throughout the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia). The company produces a range of creative services, including commercials, corporate branding, documentaries, film, 2D animation, motion graphics and photography.
For Huang, entrepreneurship has become more than a departure from corporate life. It has given him the freedom to create with intention, build meaningful connections and tell stories that go beyond the surface.
The 2026 CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
For three Saturdays this summer, some of Washington’s most familiar public spaces will do something they rarely do after dark: fill up with blankets, lawn chairs, and the sound of a movie being scored live, in real time. CAN I KICK IT?, the traveling “live cinema” series produced by the DC-based multimedia arts company SHAOLIN JAZZ, is bringing a free outdoor run to the city — pairing three era-defining films with an original soundtrack performed on the spot by DJ 2-Tone Jones.
The premise is what sets it apart from a normal screening in the park. Rather than simply pressing play, 2-Tone Jones builds a score as the film unfolds, pulling from hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, rock, electronic music, and sounds from around the world. The result, the organizers say, is less a movie night than a one-time performance — the same film you know, wired to a soundtrack you have never heard and will not hear again. Guest DJs warm up the crowd starting at 7:30 PM before each 8:30 PM screening.
The 2026 outdoor schedule
All three events are free and open to the public.
Saturday, August 8 — Black Panther at Skyland Town Center. A pop-up marketplace and community activities kick off the evening; guest DJs at 7:30 PM, film at 8:30 PM. Marvel’s superhero epic gets a one-night-only live score in Southeast DC.
Saturday, August 22 — New Jack City at the Sylvan Theater, Washington Monument. Seating begins at 7:30 PM; the film starts at 8:30 PM. The 1991 crime drama plays out at the foot of one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks.
Saturday, September 5 — Scarface at the Lincoln Memorial. Seating at 7:30 PM; film at 8:30 PM. The series closes with Brian De Palma’s crime saga against the backdrop of the Memorial, scored live from start to finish.
First up: Black Panther at Skyland Town Center on August 8. Poster courtesy of SHAOLIN JAZZ.
A DC company with a national footprint
SHAOLIN JAZZ describes itself as a Washington-based arts company working at the intersection of music, film, art, and culture, and CAN I KICK IT? is its signature production. According to the organizers, the series has staged more than 150 live cinematic experiences around the country — at performing arts centers, museums, festivals, and cultural institutions including Lincoln Center in New York, SXSW, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Republic Square in Austin, the Tacoma Armory, and The Cary Theater.
“CAN I KICK IT? has always been about creating a shared experience,” said Gerald Watson, co-founder of SHAOLIN JAZZ. “When you combine iconic films with live music in public spaces, something special happens. People aren’t just watching a movie — they’re experiencing it together. That’s what makes these nights so memorable.”
Cinema as a community event
The DC run lands as cities across the country look for new ways to activate public space through arts and culture — and this series is a straightforward pitch for how to do it: take a landmark everyone already knows, add a film everyone has an opinion about, and let a live soundtrack turn the evening into something neighbors experience shoulder to shoulder. Families, film buffs, and music fans are all invited, and admission won’t cost a thing.
The CAN I KICK IT? outdoor series runs August 8, August 22, and September 5. All events are free; check SHAOLIN JAZZ (shaolinjazz.com) for the latest details and any weather updates before heading out.
