A freshman Republican senator from Utah is pushing the Senate Judiciary Committee to subpoena Donald Trump Jr. in connection with a ProPublica report detailing the president’s eldest son’s financial relationship with a Russian oligarch — an unusual move that Washington observers say signals a widening rift within the GOP as midterm elections approach.
Sen. John Curtis sent a letter to Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley requesting the subpoena, according to reporting in the Daily Wire. Curtis’ request also includes a call to subpoena Hunter Biden, a move that appears designed to counter any suggestion that he is selectively targeting the president’s family.
“Questions have arisen about the relationships of President Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., with foreign business figures and the acceptance of significant gifts,” Curtis wrote in the letter. “These include a lavish wedding afterparty, on a private island, provided by Russian oligarch Umar Kremlev, who reportedly traveled to China as part of a delegation accompanying Vladimir Putin shortly before giving the gift.”
Curtis went on to cite what he described as a pattern of concerning activity, pointing to Donald Trump Jr.’s promotion of family-backed cryptocurrency ventures, his pursuit of international real estate deals involving meetings with foreign heads of state, and reported investments in defense contracting. He also noted financial and advisory ties to prediction-market platforms that depend on favorable regulatory decisions from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Where Curtis Sits in the GOP
Curtis, who was elected in 2024, has positioned himself as a Republican willing to break with his party on certain issues. The Daily Wire described him as having “slid happily into an even squishier-than-Mitt Romney role early on” — a reference to the Utah senator he succeeded, who was known for his willingness to buck party leadership. That characterization suggests Curtis is comfortable occupying the role of a centrist or independent-minded voice in the Senate Republican Conference.
What makes his move noteworthy is its timing. The letter comes months before voters head to the polls for midterm elections, and Curtis is not waiting for the results to make his preferences known. By signaling his willingness to cooperate on subpoenas targeting Trump family members, he is effectively telegraphing how he might act if Democrats take control of the Senate or House.
The Daily Wire characterized the move as “Washington just tipped its hand this week, and the call came from inside the house — or, well, the Senate.” The outlet’s analyst argued that the real aim of any impeachment effort by Democrats would be to put on a show for their base, rather than pursuing a realistic path to removal from office. But impeachment itself may not be the main event — the Daily Wire suggests the focus will be on sustained investigations, subpoenas, and hearings that target the Trump family and their associates.
The Broader Battlefield
According to the Daily Wire’s analysis, the post-midterm landscape could see Democrats pursuing what the outlet describes as “sustained, over-the-top, and well-funded lawfare” targeting Trump associates and family members, with the process itself serving as the punishment. The outlet predicts that targets will include figures across the crypto industry, foreign investment funds, and others who have done business with the Trump family since the 2024 election.
The Daily Wire also suggested that the tech industry, which has moved in Trump’s direction, could be a particular target of Democratic investigators. Under this scenario, Hill Democrats would use witness depositions and broad subpoenas to shake loose information and pursue “every scalp they can,” the outlet stated.
Even as Democrats might push for impeachment against cabinet officials — the Daily Wire floated the possibility of targeting the Department of Government Efficiency, ICE, or even HHS Secretary RFK Jr. — the outlet argued that the absence of a realistic removal path means the true purpose is political theater and base mobilization. The Daily Wire called the idea of rushing through Cabinet-level impeachments “a sideshow that plays to their base.”
A Familiar Playbook
For Republicans who remember the first two impeachments of Donald Trump — the 2019 Ukraine phone call impeachment and the 2021 impeachment following January 6 — the comparison is obvious. The Daily Wire noted that “the abortive Russiagate/Ukraine phone call impeachment wasn’t a great lead-up to the 2020 election for Democrats, and it’s unlikely to be any better headed into 2028.” That assessment suggests the outlet views another impeachment effort as politically risky for Democrats, even as it could energize their base.
Curtis, though, may see his role differently. His letter doesn’t endorse impeachment explicitly, but it does call for the committee to investigate matters that could become the foundation for broader inquiries if Democrats take control. That could put him in the position of helping to build a record that later serves as the basis for action against the president’s family.
The Daily Wire framed the stakes bluntly for voters: “If you vote Democrat in November, that’s what you’re voting for — whether you know it or not.” The outlet’s argument is that Democratic campaign messaging around affordability, housing, and jobs will give way to investigations once the election is over. That remains to be seen, but Curtis’ move is an early indicator that the post-election environment may be shaped as much by subpoenas as by legislation.
What Comes Next
Whether Grassley acts on Curtis’ request is uncertain. The Daily Wire noted that “none of this is likely to happen” in terms of the subpoenas actually being issued while Republicans hold the majority. But the outlet argued that the significance lies in Curtis’ willingness to support such efforts so early, before votes are counted and before the shape of the next Congress is known.
If Curtis represents a faction of Republicans willing to work with Democrats on investigations targeting the president’s family, that could complicate GOP unity in the next Congress. It could also serve as a preview of the political battles to come, with the Trump family, Trump-adjacent businesses, and the tech firms that have embraced the administration all potentially drawn into the fray.
For now, the letter signals that the fight over subpoenas and investigations is already underway, even before the first ballot is cast. As the Daily Wire put it, Democrats won’t be about “changing the country” after the midterm — they’ll be about “getting every scalp they can.” And if they can’t get the president himself, the outlet predicted, they’ll settle for the people around him.
Source: www.dailywire.com — https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrats-want-their-scalps