Donald Trump Jr. and Zach Witkoff of World Liberty Financial at Token2049, a prominent crypto conference in Singapore, on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025.
Wachsman
Republicans on a House Natural Resources subcommittee blocked a Democratic motion to subpoena Donald Trump Jr., President Donald Trump’s eldest son, over his backing of critical mineral companies.
President Trump’s administration is trying to rapidly increase the production of critical minerals in the U.S. Vulcan Elements, a rare earth magnet maker backed by Trump Jr.’s 1789 Capital, received a $620 million federal loan last year from the Department of Defense.
Democrats on the panel sought to subpoena the younger Trump to force his testimony on the Vulcan deal. The hearing, called by the majority Republicans on the Oversight and Investigations subcommittee, was titled “Unleashing America’s Mineral Potential: The Critical Mineral Commodity Supply Chain.”
“We are done waiting for Republicans to fulfill their responsibility to conduct oversight,” said Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Ore, the top Democrat on the subcommittee, when offering the motion to subpoena. “Donald Trump Jr. must be made to answer whether the president’s son illegally profited from his father’s presidency.”
Dexter also called to subpoena Patrick Witt from the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital, and Vulcan Materials Co. CEO Ronnie Pruitt.
Trump’s family business ties have been under immense scrutiny during his second administration, particularly the investment activity of his sons, Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. Democrats have warned that they stand to benefit financially from the companies they are backing receiving lucrative contracts from the government their father runs.
Republican subcommittee chair Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., immediately moved the committee into a nearly hour-long recess following the motion. Upon returning, Gosar moved to table the motion to subpoena. The motion was tabled in a 5-2 vote. Republicans control the subcommittee 5-3.
Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., then immediately moved to adjourn the subcommittee hearing, following the tabling of the resolution.
Natural Resources Committee ranking member Jared Huffman, D-Calif., warned that the issue is “not going away.”
“You can do these moves, but you cannot hide, you cannot dodge accountability,” Huffman said.
The subcommittee then adjourned, with a vote of 5-2.
