This Week in Democracy – Weeks 50 & 51: Fascism at Home, Imperialism Abroad
Two weeks of Zeteo's project to document the ongoing growth of authoritarianism in Trump's second term.
We knew Donald Trump would be busy harming democracy, Americans, immigrants, and the world during the holidays and start of the new year, but we never imagined it would be this horrific.
Just since Christmas, the president and his cronies have bombed Nigeria, invaded Venezuela and kidnapped its president, seriously threatened Greenland, Mexico, and Colombia, killed a US citizen in Minneapolis, Minnesota, shot and wounded two people in Portland, Oregon, and spewed some of the most vile lies, rants, and disinformation yet (and that says a lot if you’ve read the last 49 weeks of ‘This Week in Democracy’).
That’s not even mentioning Trump’s rewriting of the history of the Jan. 6 insurrection on the White House website, his administration’s latest efforts to cover up the Epstein files, and the additional likely illegal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific.
Welcome to Trump’s America.
Brace yourself for a long list this week, as we picked up from where we left off before the holiday break. Here’s ‘This Week in Democracy – Weeks 50 and 51’:
Wednesday, December 24
A dozen senators sent a letter to the Justice Department’s Inspector General calling for an investigation into the DOJ’s failure to release the entirety of the Epstein files by the Dec. 19 deadline, accusing the department of withholding files, releasing documents that were largely already available to the public, heavily redacting documents, and removing files after releasing them.
Meanwhile, the DOJ tweeted that the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the FBI have “uncovered over a million more documents potentially related to” Jeffrey Epstein and claimed the department has “lawyers working around the clock” to review the documents and make necessary redactions, a process the DOJ says “may take a few more weeks.”
The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration has drawn up draft solicitations for contractors to help massively overhaul the country’s immigration detention system, with plans to renovate seven large-scale industrial warehouses to hold more than 80,000 people at a time. As part of the overhaul, ICE is expected to detain people in processing sites for a few weeks before transferring them to one of the warehouses, which are expected to hold between 5,000 and 10,000 each, while awaiting deportation.
On Truth Social, Trump called late-night talk show host Stephen Colbert a “pathetic trainwreck,” adding he’s “running on hatred and fumes,” and is a “dead man walking!”
In another ridiculous post, Trump continued to call for the revocation of broadcast licenses for networks he claims are “almost 100% Negative” to him, MAGA, and the Republican Party.
Reuters reported that the Trump administration ordered the US military to spend at least the next two months enforcing a “quarantine” of Venezuelan oil, with one official saying that the White House’s belief is that, by late January, “Venezuela will be facing an economic calamity unless it agrees to make significant concessions to the US.”
A federal judge issued a ruling prohibiting ICE and the DOJ’s Executive Office for Immigration Review from conducting “sweeping” arrests at immigration courthouses in Northern California.
Thursday, December 25
On Truth Social, Trump announced that, at his direction, the US launched a deadly strike against “ISIS Terrorist Scum” in Nigeria, who he claims have been “targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” He also warned there will be “many more” dead “Terrorists” if the “slaughter of Christians continues.” Zeteo reported that Nigerian officials and those monitoring political violence in the country have accused the Trump administration of spreading misinformation, noting that Christians make up a smaller percentage of the death toll attacks in the country than Muslims.
Also on Truth Social, Trump wished a Merry Christmas to “the many Sleazebags who loved Jeffrey Epstein,” before “falsely claim[ing] they had nothing to do with him,” as well as those involved in the “ongoing Radical Left Witch Hunt” against the president, warning that “this time so many of their friends, mostly innocent, will be badly hurt and reputationally tarnished,” and adding, “Enjoy what may be your last Merry Christmas!”
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from detaining Imran Ahmed, the CEO and founder of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, two days after the State Department imposed visa bans on Ahmed and four Europeans accused of working to censor freedom of speech in the US.
Friday, December 26
AP reported that a federal judge canceled Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s trial for human smuggling charges and instead ordered a hearing to determine whether Abrego Garcia’s prosecution was sought vindictively in an effort to selectively target him. If prosecutors fail to explain their reasoning for charging Abrego Garcia, the charges against him could be dismissed.
In an interview with Politico, Trump claimed the original plan to launch strikes in Nigeria was slated to take place earlier, but he directed them to “give them a Christmas present,” adding, “They didn’t think that was coming, but we hit them hard.”
During another interview, Trump potentially leaked new information by claiming that, on Wednesday, his administration “knocked out” what he described as a “big plant or big facility” in Venezuela, “where the ships come from.” It wasn’t clear what the president was talking about at the time, even to some Trump administration officials, as Zeteo reported.
On Truth Social, Trump lashed out about the one million additional documents found by the Justice Department related to Epstein, complaining that the DOJ “is being forced to spend all of its time on this Democrat inspired Hoax,” and asking, “When do they say NO MORE, and work on Election Fraud etc.”
Saturday, December 27
The BBC reported that Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell sent a letter to jazz musician Chuck Redd threatening to file a $1 million lawsuit against him after Redd canceled a Christmas Eve performance at the venue following the addition of Trump’s name to the building.
Sunday, December 28
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump administration is using a novel interpretation of the False Claims Act, which is normally used to probe government contractors committing fraud, to investigate US companies over the use of DEI initiatives in hiring and promotion, including Google and Verizon.
Monday, December 29
The Trump administration made another significant cut to the amount of money the US has traditionally pledged to the UN, saying it would only contribute $2 billion, a massive drop from contributions in recent years that reached as high as $17 billion. Additionally, the administration warned UN agencies to “adapt, shrink, or die,” with Secretary of State Marco Rubio tweeting that “this new model…will require the UN to cut bloat, remove duplication, and commit to powerful new impact, accountability, and oversight mechanisms.”
A federal judge allowed the Trump administration to move forward with sharing information about Medicaid recipients, including their “basic biographical, location, and contact information” with ICE, but blocked the administration from sharing additional information beyond that.
The New York Times interviewed outgoing Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who said that after she threatened to expose the names of men who had abused survivors of Epstein, Trump yelled at her during a phone call and warned that “my friends will get hurt,” and that the victims had done nothing to merit a meeting in the Oval Office.
The Times also reported that the only drug that washed ashore following a Nov. 6 lethal strike by the Trump administration against a boat in the Gulf of Venezuela was traces of a substance that looked and smelled like cannabis.
On Twitter, the US Southern Command announced that, at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s direction, the US military conducted a lethal strike on a boat in the Eastern Pacific, killing two people.
The Trump administration sued Virginia over its policies allowing some undocumented students to pay in-state tuition, arguing the laws discriminate against US citizens. It marks the seventh state the Trump administration has sued over in-state tuition policies for eligible undocumented students.
CNN reported that the mysterious Venezuela strike Trump referred to last week was conducted by the CIA on a dock where US officials claim Tren de Aragua was storing and planning to transfer narcotics onto boats. Those briefed on the strike say no one was on the dock at the time and there were no fatalities. Asked about whether the CIA conducted the strike, Trump said, “I know exactly who it was, but I don’t want to say who it was.”
Trump said he would support an attack by Israel on Iran if it rebuilds its nuclear missile program, warning that “We will knock the hell out of them.”
Trump welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Mar-a-Lago, marking Netanyahu’s fifth visit to the US since Trump’s second term began in January. During the visit, Trump said he spoke to Israeli President Isaac Herzog and suggested a pardon is “on its way” for Netanyahu, who he called a “war-time prime minister.” He also claimed without evidence that “more than half” of Gaza’s population would leave the territory if given the opportunity, something he called “common sense.” Netanyahu also awarded Trump the Israel Prize, making him its first non-Israeli recipient.
Tuesday, December 30
MS NOW (formerly MSNBC) reported that then-top Trump transition official Emil Bove was alerted by a Justice Department lawyer days before Trump was inaugurated that Tom Homan was being investigated for bribery after accepting $50,000 from undercover agents in exchange for help securing lucrative contracts if Trump became president. Homan later received a security clearance despite career DOJ officials believing he wouldn’t be able to get one due to evidence gathered in the bribery probe.
A federal judge ruled the Trump administration can’t move forward with efforts to defund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), which is responsible for enforcing consumer financial laws and taking action against companies that violate those laws. The judge found the administration’s legal argument to do so is “an unsupported and transparent attempt to starve the CFPB of funding and yet another attempt to achieve the very end the Court’s injunction was put in place to prevent.”
On Twitter, Deputy Health Secretary Jim O’Neill announced that the Trump administration will freeze federal childcare funds to Minnesota in response to “blatant fraud that appears to be rampant” in the state and across the country, citing a right-wing influencer who claimed Somali residents operating daycares in Minneapolis committed up to $100 million in fraud. In response, Governor Tim Walz said the move was “Trump’s long game,” and that it’s “been his plan all along.” (Watch Mehdi’s 60-second rant about the right’s blatant racism towards Somalis here.)
A federal judge released excerpts of emails as part of a newly unsealed order that showed senior Justice Department officials, including Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, were involved in the decision to charge Kilmar Abrego Garcia with human smuggling, disputing claims from DOJ lawyers that the move was made solely by local prosecutors.
Reuters reported that the Justice Department is still reviewing more than 5 million Epstein files and needs 400 lawyers to help review them, a process that is expected to extend into late January.
At the direction of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the US military conducted strikes against three boats, though it’s unclear where the strikes took place. Later on Twitter, the US Southern Command said three people were killed in the first strike, while other targets “abandoned the other two vessels.” (The Intercept later reported that the US military actually killed 11 people in the boat strikes, bringing the total number of people killed in US strikes to 123.)
Wednesday, December 31
The House Judiciary Committee released the transcript of former special counsel Jack Smith’s testimony delivered earlier this month, during which he noted that “there is no historical analog for what President Trump did” in his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Smith also said he was still considering indicting some of Trump’s co-conspirators when he won the 2024 presidential election, and repeatedly denied there was any political interference in his investigation by the Biden administration to charge Trump.
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to facilitate the return of a man to the US after he was deported in violation of a court order.
A federal appeals court ordered the Trump administration to return control of hundreds of California National Guard troops to Governor Gavin Newsom. Meanwhile, Trump announced on Truth Social that he would be removing the National Guard from Chicago, Los Angeles, and Portland, following a Supreme Court ruling the week earlier that said he couldn’t deploy troops to Chicago. However, Trump signaled he would be open to redeploying troops again, saying, “We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again – Only a question of time!”
Also on Truth Social, Trump continued to call for the freeing of Tina Peters, the former Colorado county clerk who was convicted of tampering with voting machines following the 2020 presidential election, and said he wishes “only the worst” for the state’s governor and district attorney, adding, “May they rot in Hell.”
Trump went on another racist rant against Somalis and Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, saying on Truth Social that “Lowlifes like this can only be a liability to our Country’s greatness,” and added, “Send them back where they came from.”
A federal judge blocked the Trump administration from ending the Temporary Protected Status of nearly 90,000 immigrants from Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, and noted that statements by Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem “reflect a stereotyping of the immigrants…as criminal invaders and perpetuate the discriminatory belief that certain immigrant populations will replace the white population.”
On Twitter, the US Southern Command announced that, at the direction of Hegseth, the US military conducted lethal strikes on two boats. Five people were killed in the strikes, though the tweet did not specify where they took place.
The Washington Post reported that the Kennedy Center changed its bylaws earlier in May to limit voting to presidentially appointed trustees, a move legal experts say could conflict with the institution’s charter.
The Post also reported that ICE is planning to spend $100 million for a year-long recruitment campaign specifically targeting gun rights supporters and military enthusiasts to join the agency as deportation officers as part of a “wartime recruitment” strategy.
Thursday, January 1
Zohran Mamdani was inaugurated as mayor of New York City. Mamdani is the city’s youngest mayor in more than a century, and its first Muslim mayor, first South Asian mayor, and first mayor born in Africa. (Read more of Zeteo’s coverage of Mamdani’s inauguration here.)
A group of employees affected by the Trump administration’s new policy eliminating coverage for gender-affirming care from federal health insurance programs filed a legal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, arguing the move is sex-based discrimination and should be rescinded.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) published a new memo suspending immigration applications for people from 20 additional countries included in Trump’s expanded travel ban, including Nigeria, South Sudan, and Syria. The memo also directs USCIS employees to review cases that were approved during the Biden administration for people from those countries.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Trump claimed that he actually got a CT scan back in October, contradicting his earlier assertions that he received an MRI. His doctor told the Journal that the CT scan was done to “definitively rule out any cardiovascular issues” and the results showed no abnormalities. Trump also said he takes a higher dosage of daily aspirin than his doctors recommend, which causes him to bruise easily.
Friday, January 2
On Truth Social, Trump threatened to take military action against Iran if the country “shots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters,” saying the US “will come to their rescue” and that the military is “locked and loaded and ready to go.”
Saturday, January 3
In the middle of the night, Trump authorized a series of strikes in Venezuela, as well as the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, by the US military. The illegal strikes took place without congressional authority. Maduro and Flores were transported to New York, where they face drug and weapons charges. Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was subsequently sworn in as interim president following Maduro’s kidnapping.
During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump referred to the operation as an “assault like people have not seen since World War II,” said the US will “run” Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition,” and warned that the US military is “ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so.”
Trump also threatened Colombian President Gustavo Petro, claiming without evidence that he “has factories where he makes cocaine,” and adding, “he does have to watch his ass.”
Semafor reported that the New York Times and the Washington Post learned about the Trump administration’s plan to invade Venezuela ahead of time but held off on reporting about it in an effort to avoid endangering US troops.
Wisconsin circuit judge Hannah Dugan resigned from her post following threats from state Republicans to impeach her after she was found guilty last month of obstruction after being accused of misdirecting federal agents to help an immigrant evade arrest in her courthouse. In her resignation letter to Governor Tony Evers, Dugan warned that the “unprecedented federal legal proceedings” against her “threaten the independence of our judiciary.”
On Truth Social, Trump shared a conspiracy video that ludicrously claimed that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was behind the assassinations of former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband. In response, Walz called the post “dangerous, depraved behavior” that is “going to get more innocent people killed.” The Hortmans’ children also published a statement asking Trump to delete the post and apologize for spreading misinformation about their parents’ murders. (A conservative, 57-year-old Vance Boelter, was indicted in July on six federal charges in connection with the stalking and murders of the Hortmans.)
The Justice Department missed a statutory deadline set by the Epstein Files Transparency Act to explain which documents had been redacted or withheld within 15 days after the files were mandated to be released on Dec. 19.
Sunday, January 4
The Cuban government said 32 of its citizens were killed during the Trump administration’s raid on Venezuela to capture the country’s president and first lady.
On ‘Meet the Press,’ Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued that congressional approval wasn’t required for the administration’s attack on Venezuela, saying, “This was not an invasion or an extended military action.” Asked whether Cuba is the next target of the Trump administration, Rubio responded, “I think they are in a lot of trouble.”
Aboard Air Force One, Trump threatened to strike Venezuela again if the country “doesn’t behave.” He also admitted that he had notified oil companies before attacking Venezuela, despite deciding not to notify Congress. Asked about taking US action in Cuba, Trump said he thinks the country “is going to fall.” Senator Lindsey Graham took a stronger stance, saying Cuba’s “days are numbered.”
Zeteo reported that Trump is still “very interested” in secret plans drawn up last year to send US Special Forces into Mexico to capture or kill cartel figures, according to one administration official.
Monday, January 5
The CDC cut the number of vaccines recommended for every child from the childhood immunization schedule, including the removal of vaccines for the flu, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and RSV.
Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and weapons charges during their arraignment in a Manhattan courthouse. Maduro called himself a “kidnapped president” who is a “prisoner of war.” During the hearing, Flores’s attorney told the judge that his client “sustained significant injuries” during her abduction and added that “there’s belief she may have a fracture or a severe bruising on her ribs.”
Politico reported that more than 300 federal judges, including some appointed by Trump, have ruled against the administration’s “mandatory detention” policy. In more than 1,600 cases, judges have either ordered the release of immigrants or a bond hearing.
On Twitter, Hegseth announced that his department is moving forward with administrative action against Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), including censuring and reducing his retirement grade from a Navy captain to a lower rank, over a viral video where he and other Democratic lawmakers called on military service members to refuse illegal orders. Hegseth called Kelly’s remarks “seditious statements” that were part of a “pattern of reckless misconduct,” and warned that “further violations could result in further action.”
In an interview with NBC News, Trump claimed the US is not at war with Venezuela but “with people that sell drugs” and added that the country will not have new elections within the next 30 days, saying, “We have to fix the country first. You can’t have an election. There’s no way the people could even vote.”
The Washington Post reported that the Department of Homeland Security has outlined plans to cut the FEMA workforce by thousands in 2026, including firing 85% of standby workers who are typically the first on the ground during a disaster, along with a 41% reduction in the Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery staffers, who often spend years helping communities recover from disasters.
The New York Times reported that the Trump administration has stopped claiming that Cartel de los Soles, which it accused Maduro of leading, is an actual organization. The old indictment mentions the “organization” 32 times, but the revised indictment only refers to it twice, calling it a “patronage system” and a “culture of corruption.” (Cartel de los Soles is a figure of speech used in Venezuela since the 1990s to describe military officials corrupted by drug money.)
The Wall Street Journal reported that the CIA conducted a classified intelligence assessment ahead of Trump’s invasion of Venezuela, which concluded that top officials of the Maduro government, including Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, would be the best to lead a temporary government in the country if Maduro lost power.
In an update to a federal judge, Justice Department officials revealed that they have released less than 1% of the total documents it possesses as part of the Epstein Files, with more than 2 million documents “remain[ing] in various phases of review and redaction.”
On CNN, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller refused to rule out the Trump administration using military force to take over Greenland, saying, “Nobody is going to fight the US militarily over the future of Greenland.”
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s (CPB) board voted to dissolve the organization after 58 years as a result of Trump’s move to defund it. The organization’s president and CEO said in a press release that its “final act would be to protect the integrity of the public media system and the democratic values by dissolving, rather than allowing the organization to remain defunded and vulnerable to additional attacks.”
CBS News reported that the Trump administration deployed 2,000 federal agents to Minneapolis as part of its immigration crackdown.
Tuesday, January 6
In an effort to rewrite history, the White House published its own “timeline” of the Jan. 6 insurrection, falsely claiming Trump invited those who participated in the riots to DC for “a peaceful and historic protest,” blaming the Capitol Police for turning a “peaceful demonstration into chaos,” referring to then-Vice President Mike Pence’s decision to certify the election an “act of cowardice and sabotage,” and accusing Democrats of manufacturing a “gaslighting narrative” about the insurrection in an attempt to certify “a fraud-ridden election” and to “persecute innocent Americans.”
On Truth Social, Trump announced that the “Interim Authorities” in Venezuela will turn over between 30 and 50 million barrels of “Sanctioned” oil to the US, with the funds generated being controlled by his administration.
Also on Truth Social, Trump said a “Fraud Investigation” of California is underway, but he didn’t give any specifics about the probe.
In a statement to Reuters, the White House said Trump and his administration are “discussing a range of options” to acquire Greenland, noting that “utilizing the US military is always an option at the commander-in-chief’s disposal.”
Reuters also reported that the Trump administration put Venezuela’s interior minister, a Maduro loyalist who controls security forces, on notice as a potential target unless he assists Interim President Delcy Rodriguez with meeting US demands and maintaining order in the country following Maduro’s ouster.
ABC News reported that the Trump administration warned Rodriguez that the Venezuelan government must meet the White House’s demands before it’s allowed to pump more oil, including severing economic ties with China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba, and agreeing to partner exclusively with the US on oil production.
The New York Times reported that the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel declared that Trump’s decision to attack Venezuela and kidnap the country’s president was lawful in a signed memo.
The Justice Department sued Arizona and Connecticut for failing to turn over their unredacted voter lists, which include information like birthdates and full or partial Social Security numbers.
NPR reported that the Pentagon is set to conduct a six-month review to measure the “effectiveness” of women serving in ground combat, according to a memo that also seeks to collect any internal research and studies on the “integration of women in combat.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the state’s Attorney General is “looking very seriously” at bringing state charges against captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Unlike his federal indictment, which focuses on drug trafficking and weapons, the case would likely include immigration charges. DeSantis also claimed that Maduro “was obviously very involved with bringing drugs, particularly to Florida.”
A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from banning words it associates with diversity, equity, and inclusion from grant applications for Head Start, an early education and family support program that serves hundreds of thousands of vulnerable youth. The judge also prohibited the administration from laying off additional federal employees in the Office of Head Start.
The Trump administration froze $10 billion in funding for child care subsidies, social services, and cash support for low-income families in five states controlled by Democrats — Minnesota, New York, California, Illinois, and Colorado — claiming, without evidence, widespread fraud in those states.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers during a closed briefing on Monday that Trump aims to purchase Greenland rather than invade it.
Trump border czar Tom Homan and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem both made threats to expand the federal crackdown on fraud in Minnesota’s social safety net programs to other Democratic-controlled states, including New York and California.
Wednesday, January 7
An ICE agent shot and killed 37-year-old US citizen Renee Nicole Good, a legal observer, in Minneapolis. Horrific footage of the incident showed Good in her vehicle, apparently attempting to leave the scene as an agent aimed his gun and shot her in the head.
On Truth Social, Trump falsely called Good a “professional agitator” who was driving “very disorderly, obstructing and resisting.” He also falsely claimed that she “violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer,” arguing the agent shot Good in self-defense.
During an interview with the New York Times, Trump once again falsely claimed that Renee Nicole Good “ran over” the ICE agent who shot and killed her in Minneapolis. After being pressed on the matter, Trump insisted on watching a slow-motion video of the incident, which Times reporters pointed out did not appear to show Good running over the ICE agent.
Trump also said the US may be running Venezuela and extracting oil from its reserves for years. When asked how long his administration would demand direct oversight of the country, Trump said, “Only time will tell.”
Trump filed a court motion seeking more than $6.2 million in legal fees and costs from the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office following the dismissal of the election interference case brought against him and his political allies.
Trump announced the US is pulling out of the foundational climate treaty known as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which was established in 1992, along with a number of other major international climate organizations.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US will sell Venezuelan oil “indefinitely” and that profits from the sales would be “deposited into accounts controlled by the US government” and then “flow back into Venezuela.”
Officials announced the US military had seized two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the North Atlantic and Caribbean.
Florida Governor DeSantis said he plans to call a special session to draw new mid-decade congressional districts in the state, but noted that he will wait until April to do so, in order to see whether the Supreme Court will strike down an anti-discrimination provision of the Voting Rights Act, which he says could affect “at least one or two” districts.
On Truth Social, Trump announced that, due to “very troubled and dangerous times,” he would call for the US defense budget to be increased by a whopping 66% in 2027, from $901 billion to $1.5 trillion.
Also on Truth Social, Trump said that Venezuela will be exclusively purchasing US-made products with the funds the country receives from its new “Oil Deal.”
CNBC reported that more than 100 people were killed during the US military raid in Venezuela that captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, according to Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, who added that a similar number of people were injured.
Thursday, January 8
The New York Times reported that documents suggest at least 100 more federal agents are being deployed to Minnesota following the killing of Renee Good.
During a White House press briefing, Vice President JD Vance disgustingly blamed Renee Good, the victim, for her killing by an ICE agent.
The New York Times reported that federal prosecutors are conducting a new investigation into New York Attorney General Letitia James’s financial transactions with her longtime hairdresser, who was charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges last month.
A federal judge ruled that Acting US Attorney John Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York was unlawfully serving in the position, marking the fifth federal prosecutor appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi to be disqualified from their post. The ruling also invalidated the grand jury subpoenas he issued last year to the New York attorney general’s office, which were part of an investigation into potential violations of constitutional rights during the state’s probes into Trump and the NRA.
Zeteo reported that the Trump administration has been planning how to respond if Democrats, or state or local prosecutors, ever tried to arrest or prosecute an ICE officer or federal agent, with the goal of protecting the accused agents “no matter what.” Two administration sources said that Trump has privately said that he could retaliate by refusing to hand over the agent, bringing federal “obstructing” charges, or threaten to further cut off federal funding to a state where an agent is arrested or prosecuted.
The Washington Post reported that the Trump administration has jailed multiple unaccompanied migrant boys, including some with no pending charges, in a juvenile detention facility in Pennsylvania known for its history of physical and sexual abuse against minors. Conditions at the facility were so bad that the state revoked one of its licenses, saying it committed “gross incompetence, negligence, and misconduct.”
The Republican-led House passed a bill to extend expired health care subsidies for millions of recipients who receive coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Seventeen Republicans voted alongside Democrats to pass the legislation, despite objections from Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson. The bill now moves to the Senate.
Bloomberg reported that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard was left out of months of planning by the White House to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro due to her past opposition to taking military action in the country.
Reuters reported that US officials, including White House aides, discussed sending individual payments ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 to Greenland residents as part of an effort to convince them to secede from Denmark and join the US.
The Senate voted to advance a bipartisan resolution to prevent Trump from using military force “within or against Venezuela” without prior approval from Congress. Five Republicans voted with all 47 Democrats to advance the motion —Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Todd Young (R-Pa.). In response, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Republicans “should be ashamed” of the senators who voted for the bill and claimed the War Powers Act is “Unconstitutional” and violates Article II of the Constitution.
Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) sent a letter to a federal judge suggesting a Special Master and Independent Monitor should be appointed to ensure the Justice Department released the entirety of the Epstein files, arguing that the DOJ “cannot be trusted” to do so after failing to meet its statutory deadlines.
US Border Patrol agents shot two people in Portland, Oregon, during a “targeted vehicle stop.”
Friday, January 9
On Twitter, the US Southern Command announced it seized a fifth oil tanker linked to Venezuela.
On Truth Social, Trump said he has “cancelled the previously expected second Wave of Attacks” against Venezuela, saying it “looks like it will not be needed” because of the country’s cooperation with the US.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the Trump administration is launching an investigation of money services businesses in Minnesota.
Speaking to reporters, Trump said he “can’t think of anybody in history that should get the Nobel [Peace] Prize more than me,” less than one week after invading Venezuela and just two weeks after striking Nigeria.
Trump continued to threaten Greenland, telling reporters that while he’d like to make a deal to acquire the territory, “If we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way.”
Did you miss previous weeks? Catch up here.
Don’t Miss It: If you’ll be in the DC area later this month, Zeteo is hosting a special LIVE in-person event you won’t want to miss: Join Mehdi, Swin, Rep. Ro Khanna, Joy Reid, Jim Acosta, Sarah Matthews, and Miles Taylor for a powerful evening at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, Jan 20, 2026!
Thank you for finally using the F word -- and calling it what it is. FASCISM
What's the hold-up with the Epstein files? Now he's pretending they weren't best buddies for 15 years and is telling Marjorie Taylor Greene not to tell names because that would hurt his friends.