As the 2026 midterm elections near, analysts warn that a Democratic surge could send shockwaves through the Trump administration, prompting high-profile resignations among its top officials.
Political journalist Jason Easley suggested that Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel could step down preemptively rather than face potential subpoenas from a newly empowered Congress. “It would not be surprising if Democrats do well in the midterms, people like Pam Bondi and Kash Patel resign before they can be slapped with subpoenas,” Easley wrote in PoliticusUSA.
Republicans currently cling to a slim House majority, 219 to 213, while the Senate stands at 53 Republicans and 45 Democrats, with two independents caucusing with the latter. History, however, offers little comfort to the ruling party. Easley pointed out that the president’s party has lost seats in 20 of the past 22 midterms, and that the depth of those losses tends to track with approval ratings. With Trump’s historically low marks—his 100-day approval rating remains the worst in eight decades, the odds may favor a Democratic comeback.
Bondi, a loyal Trump ally and former Florida attorney general, has spearheaded several controversial Justice Department initiatives, including investigations into political opponents and broad expansions of executive power. Kash Patel, now serving as FBI Director, has been central to Trump’s efforts to overhaul federal law enforcement and root out what the president calls “deep state disloyalty.” Both have become lightning rods for criticism and potential targets for congressional scrutiny should Democrats reclaim oversight authority.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, told MSNBC that Democrats intend to “restore the rule of law and fight for justice” if they win back the majority. That comment, Easley argued, was not mere rhetoric but a preview of an aggressive investigative agenda that could extend subpoenas deep into the Trump administration’s inner circle. Raskin would almost certainly chair the committee in a Democratic House, giving him broad subpoena power to summon top officials, including Bondi and Patel.
Easley wrote that such a shift could expose what Democrats see as years of unchecked executive excess. “The next Democratic president will have to make fixing the damage Trump has done to the country and our system of government a priority,” he noted. His analysis paints a scenario in which key Trump figures might quietly exit before being forced to testify or hand over internal documents.
Republican aides worry that a wave of resignations could rattle the administration and erode public confidence just as Trump prepares to mount his 2028 re-election campaign. Meanwhile, Democrats argue that accountability is long overdue, saying the administration has shielded officials from oversight for too long.
For now, the speculation remains just that, but the political math is sobering. If Democrats flip just a handful of seats, they regain control of the House—and the investigative machinery that comes with it. That would mean subpoenas, hearings, and headlines the White House can’t control.
Should Democrats ride a midterm wave, the Trump administration could see defections at the top. Bondi and Patel, both fixtures of Trump’s hard-line governance, may decide that disappearing quietly is safer than facing the full force of a Democratic Congress.
