Democrats have been stockpiling ideas for months on how to retaliate against companies and figures that have aligned themselves closely to President political agenda, telegraphing that merger breakups and committee investigations will play a central role in their efforts to push back against the administration should they regain power.
Most recently, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., took to social media to highlight his most recent entry on that list.
“Brendan Carr is a corrupt political hack and fake chair of the FCC,” Jeffries said in a post to X. “This guy (and the entities he promotes) will find himself on the wrong side of a congressional investigation in short order.”
Jeffries’ comments were made in response to a post from Carr, suggesting the administration would more closely review license renewals for broadcasters perpetuating “fake news.”
The struggle over political alignment isnt unique to Carr.
The comments have piled up as the nation inches closer to the â a critical opportunity for Democrats to break a Republican governing trifecta and more visibly push back against the Trump administration. Even regaining control of just one chamber of Congress could enable Democrats to carry out their list of retaliation.
hope to pressure companies that have received approval for mergers under Trumps watch.
“Once we take power, whoever the president is, were going to break up your companies,” Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., told Semafor.
“So, all the investment you did to create these mergers are going to be for naught. Your investors are going to be pissed at you, and youre likely going to end up getting fired as the CEO because you wasted so much money and corrupted yourself in the process,” Gallego said.
Under Trumps administration, have included Paramounts $82.7 billion acquisition of Warner Bros., Capital Ones $35 billion acquisition of Discover and Nippon Steels acquisition of U.S. Steel for $14.9 billion.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., similarly echoed Gallegos thinking in a X post.
“Paramount should enjoy its growing news monopoly while they have it, because when Democrats win back power we are going to break up these anti-democratic information conglomerates,” Murphy wrote. “All of them.”
Skydance Media, the parent company of Paramount, has close ties to the Trump administration through its CEO, David Ellison â a figure who appeared as a Republican guest at the 2026 State of the Union and who has been a frequent guest at the White House.
Susan Rice, a former top official in the Biden and Obama administrations, also recently caused a stir after she appeared to vow political retribution during a Vox interview last month against companies once Democrats regain control of Congress and the White House.
“Theyre going to be held accountable by those who come in opposition to Trump and win at the ballot box,” Rice said.
“I think whether youre a law firm, whether youre a university, whether youre a media entity, whether youre a big corporation, whether youre big tech, you need to play a long game, not this short game that has been so detrimental,” Rice added.
up a part of how Democrats will also look to pursue their objectives if they regain power.
Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., the third most powerful Democrat in the House of Representatives, noted that using the subpoena powers to bring in former President likely clears the way for lawmakers to compel high-profile testimony from Trump’s orbit.
“It sets an interesting precedent on who is subject to come into Oversight, and we will see what the next year holds for Trump Inc. and the Trump family,” Aguilar said, alluding to the request
