Donald Trump Jr. and Zach Witkoff of World Liberty Financial attend Token2049, a prominent cryptocurrency conference, in Singapore on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.
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Republicans on the House Natural Resources Subcommittee blocked a Democratic motion to subpoena President Donald Trump’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., over his support for important mineral companies.
As President Trump’s administration seeks to rapidly increase production of critical minerals in the United States, Vulcan Elements, a rare earth magnet maker backed by Trump Jr.’s 1789 Capital, received a $620 million federal loan from the Department of Defense last year.
Democrats on the committee tried to subpoena the younger Trump to force him to testify about the Balkan accords. The hearing, convened by the majority Republican members of the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, was titled “Unlocking America’s Mineral Potential: Supply Chains for Critical Mineral Commodities.”
“We are done waiting for Republicans to fulfill their oversight responsibilities,” Rep. Maxine Dexter (D-Ore.), the subcommittee’s top Democrat, said in introducing the subpoena motion. “Donald Trump Jr. must be made to answer whether the president’s son illegally profited from his father’s presidency.”
Dexter also asked that Patrick Witt be subpoenaed by the Pentagon’s Strategic Capital Office. After publishing this story, CNBC was informed by the committee that Dexter incorrectly named Vulcan Materials CEO Ronnie Pruitt. She intended to subpoena John Maslin, CEO of Vulcan Elements, a company backed by Donald Trump Jr.
Trump’s ties to the family business have been the subject of intense scrutiny during his second administration, particularly the investment activities of his sons Trump Jr. and Eric Trump. Democrats have warned that the companies they support stand to benefit financially from lucrative contracts from the government run by her father.
Republican subcommittee Chairman Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.) immediately adjourned the committee for nearly an hour in response to the motion. Upon his return, Gosar moved to file a motion for subpoena. The motion was tabled on a 5-2 vote. Republicans control the subcommittee 5-3.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) directed that subcommittee hearings be halted immediately after the resolution was introduced.
Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman, D-Calif., warned that the issue is “not going away.”
“You can make these moves, but you can’t hide them or escape responsibility,” Huffman said.
The subcommittee then adjourned on a 5-2 vote.
