The midterm results have changed the map in Washington. With Democrats set to control both chambers when the new Congress convenes, President Trump will face two years of oversight from lawmakers who spent the last two largely in the minority.
The Justice Department is likely to be the first target. Democratic lawmakers are preparing inquiries into how it has handled politically sensitive cases, the removal of career officials, and allegations that federal law enforcement has been used against the president’s opponents.
Attorney General Todd Blanche has signaled that the department will cooperate with congressional oversight, while making clear it will not abandon the president’s agenda.
How much any of this changes is an open question. Investigations can produce damaging testimony and documents, but compelling an administration to change course is far harder than making it answer questions. Still, the era in which the White House faced little pressure from Capitol Hill appears to be over, and the next two years could bring a prolonged struggle over the limits of presidential power.