Donald Trump often warns his supporters that he’ll be investigated if Democrats win in November.

“If we don’t win, they’ll end up impeaching me,” he told supporters at an Oklahoma rally this month. House Speaker Mike Johnson made the threat more explicitly in June, telling a room of conservative activists that Democrats would turn every committee into an investigative body and go after Trump’s family, Cabinet, donors and friends. “Half of you in this room will be targeted,” he warned.

There’s some irony in that warning.

Since Trump returned to office, investigations or prosecutions have involved several people who have been critical of him, including former FBI Director James Comey, former CIA Director John Brennan, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Sen. Adam Schiff and Rep. Ilhan Omar, among others. Some cases have been dismissed or dropped; others remain active. Now Trump and Johnson are telling his supporters to worry that Democrats might target him.

But the warning also reveals Trump’s view of politics: It’s hardball, and he assumes his opponents will play the same way.

That makes some of his other warnings revealing, too. Trump has argued that Democrats might change the political system by making Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico states, expanding the Supreme Court and eliminating the Senate filibuster. All of these ideas are much less likely than Trump makes them out to be, though they have been proposed by reform-minded members of Congress.

But the fact that Trump is saying Democrats would do them suggests that’s what he would do in their place.

Here’s a closer look:

Statehood for D.C.

Do Democrats support it? Yes. The House passed bills to admit D.C. as a state in 2020 and 2021. The 2024 Democratic Party platform also says Democrats “unequivocally support” D.C. statehood.

What do polls show? Statehood is popular with D.C. residents, but national opinion is less settled. In a 2025 Economist/YouGov poll, 39% supported making D.C. a state and 33% opposed it.

What are the arguments for it? D.C. residents pay federal taxes but have no voting representatives in Congress. Congress also has broad authority over the district, including the power to review or block some local laws. Supporters say statehood would give residents full representation in Congress and more control over local affairs, as residents of states have.

Why does Trump think Democrats would do it? Statehood would likely add two Democratic-leaning seats to the Senate.

What are the obstacles? Congress would have to pass a statehood bill. Under current rules, supporters would need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, and Trump could still veto it. There are also constitutional questions, including how to address the 23rd Amendment, which gives the district three Electoral College votes.

Statehood for Puerto Rico

Do Democrats support it? Only if Puerto Rico wants it. In 2022, the House passed the Puerto Rico Status Act, which would have set up a federally sponsored, binding vote with three options: statehood, independence or sovereignty in free association with the U.S. The 2024 Democratic platform also endorsed the bill.

What do polls show? In a nonbinding referendum in Puerto Rico in 2024, 58.6% of votes cast for one of the three listed options favored statehood. (The current territorial status was not on the ballot, and opponents urged voters to leave the question blank.) In a 2025 national poll, 45% of U.S. adults supported statehood for Puerto Rico and 28% opposed it.

What are the arguments for it? Supporters say statehood would give Puerto Rico’s U.S. citizens voting representation in Congress and a vote in presidential elections. They also argue that statehood would end the unequal treatment Puerto Rico faces in some federal programs.

Why does Trump think Democrats would do it? Statehood would add two senators and several House members, though it’s much less clear which party would benefit the most.

What are the obstacles? The most likely path is for Congress to pass a bill creating a binding referendum, Puerto Rico to approve statehood and then Congress admitting it. As with D.C., admission would need to overcome a Senate filibuster and get the president’s signature.

Expanding the Supreme Court

Do Democrats support it? Some do. The 2024 platform called for Supreme Court term limits and a code of ethics, but did not endorse adding seats. In 2023, Democrats introduced the Judiciary Act, which would have expanded the court from nine justices to 13. It never came up for a vote.

What do polls show? The public is divided. In a 2024 Emerson College poll, 37% supported expanding the court to 13 justices and 39% opposed it.

What are the arguments for it? Supporters say adding seats could counterbalance a court they see as having been reshaped by partisan confirmation fights, and could help restore public confidence in the institution. Critics warn that expansion could make the court look even more partisan and lead to the next Republican majority simply adding seats of its own.

Why does Trump think Democrats would do it? He has warned that Democrats might expand the court to secure a liberal majority.

What are the obstacles? Congress sets the number of justices by law, so expansion would not require a constitutional amendment. But a bill would need 60 votes to overcome a Senate filibuster and could still be vetoed by Trump.

Ending the filibuster

Do Democrats support it? Some do. Others have proposed changing it in some way. In 2024, then-Vice President Kamala Harris said she would support suspending the filibuster to pass a federal abortion rights law.

What do polls show? It depends on how the question is asked. In a 2024 Navigator Research poll, 60% said eliminating the rule that lets a Senate minority block legislation would have a positive effect on government. But a 2021 poll showed more support for reforming the filibuster than ending it entirely.

What are the arguments for it? Supporters say the filibuster lets a minority of senators block bills even when they have majority support, making it harder for Congress to act on important issues — including the three ideas discussed above. The Senate already ended the filibuster for confirming Supreme Court justices to lifetime positions.

Why does Trump think Democrats would do it? Trump has repeatedly urged Republicans to eliminate the filibuster while they control the Senate, arguing that Democrats would do the same if they regained power in order to pass their agenda.

What are the obstacles? The Senate previously used a simple-majority vote to end the filibuster on Supreme Court justices. Because it’s a rule change, it does not require a presidential signature.

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