Trump threatens Democrats who want to launch administration investigations with jail time in fiery rant

President Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate Democratic lawmakers he accuses of threatening members of his administration, just days after the party won the midterm elections.

In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump claimed a crime had been committed without offering any evidence. “The imprisonment should be against these EXTORTIONISTS,” he wrote.

Behind the rhetoric, the White House is reportedly preparing to sideline Congress for the rest of Trump’s term.

Newly appointed chief of staff Stephen Miller and budget chief Russ Vought have reportedly been drafting executive actions that would push the administration’s policies through without input from lawmakers.

Executive orders allow a president to direct federal departments and agencies without going through Congress.

Axios reported that the DOJ has already drafted legal opinions to defend the executive branch on new tariffs, immigration restrictions and tighter White House control over federal spending.

One former political adviser and close ally of Trump put it bluntly to Axios. “Many Democrat lawmakers are going to find themselves under indictment and fighting conviction,” he said.

Incoming House Oversight Committee chair Robert Garcia plans to scrutinize the president and his family’s business dealings, his immigration and deportation policies and the continuing probes into the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

A Democratic congressional official said Trump’s deals with companies, including the White House partnership with the UFC, will come under the microscope.

Democrats are also keen to look at how Donald Trump Jr financed his wedding celebrations earlier this year, after reports indicated a Russian billionaire linked to Vladimir Putin partly paid for the party.

Jared Kushner is another focus. Democrats want to examine his role negotiating deals with foreign leaders for Trump while he operates a multi-billion-dollar private equity firm that has taken in large sums from foreign entities. World Liberty Financial, a crypto firm backed by Don Jr and Eric Trump, drove major profits for the family last year.

Garcia and his colleagues say they will push ahead regardless. The official said the priority is holding corruption to account, getting to the bottom of the Epstein investigation and holding DHS and ICE accountable for alleged abuses, while accusing the ‘Trump crime family’ of getting away with wrongdoing.

The administration’s threats escalated this week when White House counsel Will Scharf sent Garcia a three-page letter.

It warned that any probe must serve a legitimate investigative purpose rather than punish political opponents, and that threats designed to deter officials from public service ‘may cross the line into blatant criminality’.

Scharf also suggested unlawful subpoenas approved by Democrats could warrant a federal investigation, specifically citing Garcia’s post-election message that Trump officials should ‘lawyer up’.

Pressed on whether he would pursue lawmakers, Blanche said it ‘depends on what’s said’ by the Democrats.

Publicly, spokeswoman Lauren Bis said Trump is willing to work with anyone, but that if Democrats pursue ‘sham investigations’, they are choosing to work against the American people.

The White House has been approached for comment