Democrats have been making all kinds of threats to go after Trump officials and even people aligned with the administration, like Elon Musk.
You even had people like Democrat Rep. Robert Garcia (CA-42), the likely incoming chair of the House Oversight Committee, telling the new White House Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller, that he'd better "lawyer up." That caused a big backlash from Attorney General Todd Blanche, who said he would be Miller's lawyer, arguing it's the Department of Justice (DOJ) that defends administration officials in their official capacity.
The Democrats are playing this game where they get to make threats against officials and even private citizens like Musk, but any response about how wrong that is from the DOJ or the White House is somehow what's wrong and "weaponizing," not their weaponizing of Congress.
Democrat Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33) went on CNBC with Andrew Ross Sorkin and Joe Kernen to attack the DOJ and the White House for responding to their actions. But Sorkin raised the point of how the DOJ has defended White House officials in the past, under both Republicans and Democrats. Then Kernen really eviscerated Aguilar.
Joe Kernen LAUGHED Democrat Rep. Pete Aguilar off the set on live TV. Aguilar came on Squawk Box this morning and tried to claim it’s Republicans who turned the Justice Department into a political weapon. Kernen was willing to do what most of the press won’t...he CALLED OUT Aguilar to his face called and started rattling off names. He began by naming every Democrat AG who did EXACTLY that...then told Aguilar he was impressed he could even say what he just said with a straight face. It was brilliant to watch. KERNEN: “Congressman, if we lived in a perfect world, I’d be nodding.” “But do I need to mention Merrick Garland? Do I need to mention Eric Holder? Janet Reno? Loretta Lynch, who was on the plane with Bill Clinton?” “I mean, come on.” “I love you, congressman. But you delivered that with a straight face, which is what I liked.” Aguilar had nothing. He called it a conspiracy theory and tried to pivot to costs. AGUILAR: “If you want to talk about 12 year old conspiracy theories about planes, that’s fine. Joe, the American people are getting crushed with costs.” Kernen wasn’t done. KERNEN: “Eric Holder was Obama’s wingman.” Good for Kernen. This needed to be said.
— Overton (@overton_news) November 11, 2026
Kernen was on an epic roll. He reminded Aguilar of a little history — including under Democrat presidents.
“But do I need to mention Merrick Garland? Do I need to mention Eric Holder? Janet Reno? Who was on the plane with Bill Clinton? Loretta Lynch....I mean, come on I love you, congressman. But you delivered that with a straight face, which is what I liked.”
Aguilar couldn't do much in the face of that recitation of reality. He tried to argue that the Loretta Lynch meeting with Clinton was invoking "12-year-old conspiracy theories about planes."
But then Kernen dropped in off the top rope and finished him off: “Eric Holder was President Obama’s wingman.”
Good for Joe Kernen. Game, set, and match, right there.