Democrats won. Now what?

Like everyone in my orbit, I'm relieved and thrilled at the scope and scale of the Democratic win this midterm cycle. I'm relieved to tears that we didn't see ICE agents at the polls trying to intimidate. It's my hope that this Congress will have a spine.

There must be ethics investigations. I'm wary of the Democrats appearing to prosecute their political enemies for political reasons, but I strongly believe there have been egregious ethics violations by this administration and their allies.

1. World Liberty Financial, the UAE and Binance. A UAE-backed firm used the Trump family's stablecoin to put $2 billion into Binance, which could net the family hundreds of millions. In October 2025, Trump pardoned Binance's founder, and a month later the UAE got approval for advanced AI chips. Rep. Ro Khanna is investigating. I think this is the strongest one on the list.

2. Kushner. Forget the unverified secret bank accounts for a sec. His firm, Affinity Partners, got $2 billion from the Saudis right after he left the White House, and now he's raising more from Middle East governments while serving as Trump's peace envoy... to the Middle East. Democrats are already asking about his investments and the accounts.

3. The Qatar 747. Qatar gave Trump a $400 million jet, which one law professor called "a pretty textbook case of a violation of the Emoluments Clause." The memo saying it was fine came from Pam Bondi, a former Qatar lobbyist, and the DOJ won't release it. Easy first subpoena, I think.

4. Pay-to-play pardons. In May 2026, Democrats sent letters to 17 people Trump pardoned after they made big donations or hired lobbyists (Binance's founder is one of them). The New York Times also reported that Trump's political appointees cut short a DOJ investigation into whether someone made improper payments to get one of those commutations.

I would not try to impeach the president. I think that unites Republicans and creates a spectacle and allows Trump to be a victim. He thrives in that environment, so let's avoid that. I do not want the Democrats to spend that political capital on it.

These investigations must happen because the rule of law is important. The law is not just whatever the party in power says it is. There must be consequences for breaking the law. There is an objective reality, facts and law.

In addition to the ethics investigations, I hope the Democrats shore up our democracy over the next few years. Here are some specific topics I'm interested in:

• Term limits for the Supreme Court. A lifetime appointment means a seat comes down to who happens to die or retire on whose watch. I like the idea of staggered terms so every president gets about the same number of picks.
• Proportional representation, or at least a ban on gerrymandering. I want my vote to count the same no matter which party drew the map. Politicians picking their voters is backwards.
• Money in politics. I don't think billionaires and super PACs should get to buy elections. I'm not sure what the fix looks like (it probably runs through Citizens United), but I'd love to see them try. Mayor Pete is in favor of a constitutional amendment.
• Ban stock trading for members of Congress. If you're writing the laws, you shouldn't be trading on them. This one seems popular with pretty much everyone, so I don't understand why it hasn't happened yet.
• Enforce blind trusts. The president and the people around him should have to put their money somewhere they can't see it or steer it. I think most of the ethics list above wouldn't exist if this were the rule.

I don't know how much of this can be done in this Congress, vs having to wait for the next Democratic president, but I hope we get real investigations. I hope they build meaningful momentum for 2028.