Trump vows Republicans will retaliate over Capitol riot probe, investigate Biden if they retake Congress

Former president says there will be revenge for investigation

Former President Donald Trump vowed on Saturday that Republicans in Congress would launch investigations targeting President Joe Biden and his family if the party retakes either the House or Senate in this year’s midterms.

Mr Trump spoke in Texas on Saturday night as he vowed retaliation for the ongoing investigation being carried out by the House select committee investigating 6 January, as well as the fraud investigation into his company, the Trump Organization, led by New York’s attorney general.

“When Republicans retake congress the Biden corruption will be investigated and exposed,” he told a crowd of his fans, which roared its support in response.

Of the House committee, he added later: “What the un-select committee is doing, it’s a disgrace.”

His remarks were his second in just a few weeks mentioning the ongoing investigation headed by Letitia James, who earlier this month unveiled the specific allegations of criminal activity her office is investigating. According to court filings, Ms James’s office believes the Trump Organization routinely misrepresented the values of its assets for tax purposes.

The former president did not say what specific angle he thought GOP lawmakers would pursue in their hypothetical investigations into the president, but he reiterated criticism of Hunter Biden’s past work in Ukraine before Mr Biden took office as well as the Biden family’s other various business dealings.

He also touted his support for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican and loyal Trump supporter, and suggested that he take over the job of New York attorney general.

“They want to put me in jail,” he told a booing crowd. “This has being going on since I came down the escalator ... in Trump Tower six years ago.”

Mr Trump then once again faulted Ms James for her supposed political agenda centered around targeting him, pointing out her criticism of his business practices during her campaign for office. Ms James’s comments at the time came in response to well-reported accounts of the supposed criminal practices being employed by the Trump Organization, including congressional testimony from Michael Cohen, Mr Trump’s former attorney.

House Republicans have vowed retaliation against Democrats, specifically in the form of measures to strip specific Democratic House members seen as favourite enemies of the GOP base, like Reps Adam Schiff and Ilhan Omar, of their committee assignments, if they retake power. GOP leaders have yet to make many specific threats about investigating Mr Biden himself, while far-right members of the House GOP caucus have been vowing his impeachment for months.

Even if Republicans retake the House in November, the January 6 committee has several months to complete its investigation which has already revealed embarrassing and politically-damaging insights into the events of the day when Trump supporters attacked the Capitol.

In the months ahead, the committee is expected to continue its investigation which may escalate into criminal prosecution for allies of the former president just months before Americans are set to decide control of the House and Senate.