White House insider says Trump plans earthquake scheme if midterms create a ‘black hole’ of power
Maggie Haberman, The New York Times‘ White House correspondent, warned that President Donald Trump has prepared a dramatic two-point strategy to thwart Democratic oversight if Republicans suffer significant losses in November’s 2026 midterm elections.
Speaking during a recent episode of the legal podcast “The Court of History,” Haberman detailed a scheme that would hinge on aggressive pardons for Trump administration officials facing congressional scrutiny combined with widespread refusal to comply with Democratic subpoenas.
“I look past November and it’s something of a black hole because Trump, when he feels cornered, tends to be more wild,” Haberman said. “And, I don’t think we know what it looks like when an entire government doesn’t respond to subpoenas.”
How Trump plans to deal with loss of power
According to her reporting, the administration has already begun laying groundwork for what could become a constitutional crisis, with Trump signaling he would issue blanket pardons.
“He has made very clear that he’s going to pardon any number of people who have come within a certain radius of the Oval Office,” Haberman explained.
The second component involves the Trump administration’s reluctance to agree to congressional demands. Rather than responding to Democratic subpoenas or participating in oversight hearings, officials would effectively stonewall inquiries.
“What happens if the entire Trump administration basically doesn’t comply?” Haberman asked. “Then you have contempt of Congress referrals going to Attorney General Todd Blanche. I don’t really see that becoming a big rush on Blanche’s part.”
Democrats have already mapped their targets
Haberman outlined specific areas Democrats would likely investigate. Financial records of Trump family members, including those of Trump’s sons and Steve Witkoff‘s family, represent obvious targets for oversight.
“They will also likely subpoena records from the various CEOs who attended Trump’s inauguration, such as Amazon’s Jeff Bezos and SpaceX’s Elon Musk,” Haberman noted.
These investigations would require the Trump administration’s cooperation to proceed. Without that cooperation, Democrats would find themselves unable to move forward with inquiries into potential conflicts of interest, foreign dealings, or other matters within their investigative authority.
Kushner’s quiet diplomatic mission
The administration has already begun preparing for a Democratic takeover scenario. In recent weeks, Trump dispatched his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to meet privately with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries in Manhattan.
Kushner and Jeffries discussed subjects including housing, immigration and cost-of-living issues. The two had previously worked together on the First Step Act, a criminal justice reform bill that passed with bipartisan support in 2018.
Despite that history, the timing of the meeting sparked controversy among Democratic strategists, with some concerned that Kushner was trying to court Jeffries before an anticipated Democratic takeover.
Jeffries responded to the backlash by affirming his commitment to aggressive oversight.
“No one from the Trump cartel is getting a pass,” Jeffries said in a video posted to X.
What Happens After Election Day
Trump’s strategy hinges on his assessment that an uncooperative Attorney General would shield administration officials from accountability. It also assumes that public pressure alone would prove insufficient to compel compliance.
Whether the strategy succeeds amid constitutional challenges, public backlash, or splits within the Republican Party remains unknown.
“So, I don’t know what this looks like, but Trump doesn’t seem especially afraid,” Haberman concluded during her podcast appearance.