President Trump on Wednesday threatened to respond to any House Democratic efforts to investigate the White House by saying he would counter with investigations “at the Senate level” in the wake of a midterm election that ensured the two chambers of Congress would be divided for the next two years.
“If the Democrats think they are going to waste Taxpayer Money investigating us at the House level, then we will likewise be forced to consider investigating them for all of the leaks of Classified Information, and much else, at the Senate level. Two can play that game!” Trump tweeted.
Democrats took back the majority in the House on Tuesday, while Republicans appear to have picked up at least three Senate seats, with others remaining too close to call.
{mosads}The House majority gives Democrats subpoena and investigatory power, posing potential headaches for the White House. Top Democratic lawmakers have vowed to demand the president’s tax returns and investigate other aspects of his presidency if they regained the majority.
The additional GOP Senate seats could provide a cushion for Trump to get his Cabinet appointees and judicial nominees confirmed.
The president is scheduled to hold a press conference at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday to discuss the midterms.
Trump’s threat on Wednesday to pit the two chambers of Congress against each other with dueling investigations comes after he told House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in a phone call Tuesday night that the two parties should work together, and after he told an Indiana rally crowd that he “eventually” wants to unite the country.
The president has often floated investigating the opposing party. He has been vocally critical of Attorney General Jeff Sessions for failing to properly look into what he believes are Democratic misdeeds and has questioned why special counsel Robert Mueller is not investigating Democrats.