Donald Trump has sweeping plans for a second administration. Here’s what he’s proposed

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US forces seize seventh sanctioned tanker linked to Venezuela in Trump’s effort to control its oil

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. military forces boarded and took control of a seventh oil tanker connected with Venezuela on Tuesday as part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to take control of the South American country’s oil.

https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-oil-tanker-us-military-trump-086d42db3d56f0e952014f97fa30faaf?

Trump’s Board of Peace is dividing countries in Europe and the Middle East

JERUSALEM (AP) — Divisions emerged Wednesday over U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace as its ambitions have grown beyond Gaza, with some Western European countries declining to join, others remaining noncommittal and a group of Muslim countries agreeing to sign on.

https://apnews.com/article/mideast-wars-gaza-board-of-peace-trump-1-21-2026-2f0e063d03babbd3276f31289ba5f2a2?

ps:I wonder what brought him around??

Immigration crackdown

The Trump administration is accusing Minnesota's Democratic leaders of blocking their attempts to carry out immigration enforcement. On Tuesday, the Justice Department issued subpoenas to at least five top Minnesota officials, including Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. The subpoenas are part of an investigation into whether state and local officials obstructed federal immigration enforcement efforts, sources say. This comes as President Trump has raised the prospect of deploying US troops to Minnesota under the Insurrection Act — an extraordinary step that would almost certainly face immediate legal challenges.

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? Trump 2.0 market underperforms 1.0

Data: Financial Modeling Prep. Chart: Axios Visuals U.S. stocks performed worse during the first year of President Trump's second term than during the same period of his first term, Axios Pro Rata author Dan Primack writes. The S&P 500 also underperformed the first year of the Biden and Obama presidencies. ? By the numbers: The S&P 500 climbed 15.7% between Trump's second inauguration day and last Friday, which marked the final trading day of his first year in office. It was up 24.1% during the first year of his prior term, and up 19.3% during Biden's first year. Obama outperformed them both with a 35.3% gain. ?? Between the lines: Stocks experienced a major sell-off yesterday, with the S&P 500 shedding more than 2% as Trump doubled down on his desire to take control of Greenland. It was the index's worst day since October. Go deeper: Trump's affordability message keeps running into trouble, by Axios' Madison Mills.

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Trump’s Greenland move threatens to overshadow his focus on home prices At the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, President Donald Trump’s ambitions to wrest control of Greenland from NATO ally Denmark could tear relations with European allies and overshadow his original plan to use his appearance at the gathering of global elites to address affordability issues back home. Read more.

Why this matters: Trump arrives for the international forum at Davos on the heels of threatening tariffs on Denmark and seven other allies unless they negotiate a transfer of Greenland — a concession the European leaders indicated they are not willing to make. Trump said the tariffs would start at 10% next month and climb to 25% in June.   Wall Street wobbled on Tuesday as investors weighed Trump’s new tariff threats and escalating tensions with European allies. The S&P 500 fell 2.1%, its biggest drop since October.   Trump said he planned on using his Davos appearance to talk about making housing more attainable and other affordability issues that are top priorities for Americans. U.S. home sales are at a 30-year low with rising prices and elevated mortgage rates keeping many prospective buyers out of the market.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ WATCH: ‘It’s a joke:' Trump again slams Norway over Nobel Peace Prize snub   Minor electrical issue with Air Force One delayed Trump’s European trip, White House says   Live updates: Trump in Davos   Danish veterans of US wars feel betrayed by Trump’s threats against Greenland   Israel agrees to join Trump’s Board of Peace as some western European nations say no

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Trump Tries to Keep Second Set of Damning Files Secret Forever

The president filed a motion against his own Justice Department in an attempt to prevent their release.

President Donald Trump is seeking to stop his own Justice Department from releasing a whole new set of files he’d rather keep away from public view.

Trump filed a motion seeking a court order preventing the Justice Department from releasing the second volume of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s involvement in attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

The motion, which was filed in Palm Beach on Tuesday and first reported by Politico’s Kyle Cheney, reads that Trump, “respectfully moves, in his individual capacity and as a former defendant in this since-dismissed criminal action, for an order prohibiting the release of Volume II of the Final Report prepared by so-called ‘Special Counsel’ Jack Smith and his office.”

The 19-page filing also requests that the District Court of the Southern District of Florida “permanently prohibit the release of Volume II,” requesting that “the Department of Justice, as well as its current, former, and future officers, agents, officials, and employees,” should be barred “from (a) releasing, sharing, or transmitting Volume II or any drafts of Volume II outside of the Department of Justice.”

The release of the work would “lead to the public dissemination of sensitive grand jury materials, attorney-client privileged information, and other information derived from protected discovery materials, raising significant statutory, due process, and privacy concerns for President Trump and his former co-defendants,” it adds.

The first volume of the report was filed on Jan.7, 2025, less than two weeks before Trump’s second presidential inauguration. It focused on the issue of potential election obstruction, while the second, as-yet-unreleased volume, focuses on the handling of classified government documents.

Tuesday’s motion relies on prior determinations by the court that dismissed the classified documents case against Trump. It also ruled that Smith’s appointment and funding “violated the Appointments and Appropriations Clauses of the United States Constitution,” which in turn rendered “all acts undertaken by Smith,” including the preparation of volume two, null and void.

The Department of Justice had no comment when contacted by the Daily Beast.

Smith, who resigned three days after filing his report, has maintained that he had “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” that Trump attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election and hid classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

In a deposition released last month by the House Judiciary Committee, Smith asserted that his prosecutors “developed powerful evidence that showed that President Trump willfully retained highly classified documents after he left office” in 2021, storing them in a bathroom and ballroom at Mar-a-Lago.

“The decision to bring charges against President Trump was mine, but the basis for those charges rests entirely with President Trump and his actions,” Smith said in his deposition.

Smith’s investigation led to a grand jury indicting Trump on 37 felony counts, 31 of which fell under the Espionage Act and included charges of willful retention of national security material and obstruction of justice and conspiracy in relation to the removal of classfied documents from the White House.

Another grand jury indicted him on four counts including conspiracy to defraud the United States under Title 18 of the United States Code and obstructing an official proceeding as a result of his conduct leading up to and during the Jan. 6 Capitol Riots.

Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges, and trials were scheduled but never held. The classified document charges were dismissed in July 2024, and following the 2024 election, Smith announced that he was seeking to drop all charges.

Smith is set to testify on Thursday in front of the House Judiciary Committee once more about his investigation into Trump.

A lawyer for Smith said in a statement shared by PBS earlier this month, “Jack has been clear for months he is ready and willing to answer questions in a public hearing about his investigations into President Trump’s alleged unlawful efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his mishandling of classified documents.”

The president’s attempt to prevent the release of the second volume of the report comes as he faces increasing pressure for failing to release the majority of the files connected to the case of convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

In court filings submitted earlier this month, the DOJ admitted that more than 2 million documents remain in “various phases of review,” while just 12,285 documents have been released so far.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act required that all of the department’s investigative files relating to the case be released by Dec. 19, 2025.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-tries-to-keep-second-set-of-damning-files-secret-forever/?

ps:Of course he did! Makes you wonder what he's hiding??

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Trump, 79, Rambles About Sinks and Straws When Asked About His 2026 Agenda

The president cited changing showerhead water pressure as one of the highlights of his second term.

Donald Trump went on a bizarre ramble about sinks and how paper straws “melt in your mouth” when asked about working with Congress.

The 79-year-old president was interviewed by NewsNation host Katie Pavlich about how he plans to get his agenda through the Senate and the House in this midterm year, when Trump delivered the baffling response.

“One of the things I’d like to do, we passed so many executive orders. I have great executive orders that are really commonsense and good,” Trump said.

“I mean, like water coming out of a sink, the water wouldn’t come out. They had all sorts of ridiculous restrictions. I took all of that off. Coming out of the showerhead, you stand under a shower, there’s no water coming in. So many things like that. Straws—they don’t have to be paper anymore, they don’t have to melt in your mouth,” he added.

“So I passed so many different things like that, and much more important things like that—they’re important, quality of life—and I’d like to have all of that confirmed by Congress.”

Trump is likely entering the final year of his second term with the GOP controlling both the Senate and the House.

Historically, the ruling party suffers huge losses in the midterm elections, with backlash to Trump’s erratic return to office cited as a key reason Republicans may suffer an electoral wipeout in November

Polls frequently show voters are unhappy with Trump’s handling of the economy, following his failure to deliver on his 2024 vow to immediately lower food prices and his constant insistence that millions of Americans aren’t facing a cost-of-living crisis.

The president appears convinced that his policy to “Make America’s Showers Great Again” will be remembered as one of the defining moments of his second term.

In April, Trump signed an executive order rolling back an Obama-era policy that restricted multi-nozzle showers from discharging more than 2.5 gallons of water per minute.

Earlier this month, the GOP-controlled House fulfilled the president’s demands to increase household water consumption and utility costs by passing the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation With Exceptional Rinsing (Shower) Act. The bill rolled back federal limitations on showerhead water pressure, a subject Trump has frequently complained about, as it affects the styling of his signature hairstyle.

Elsewhere during his interview on NewsNation, Trump suggested Democrats would “find something” to impeach him for if the party regains control of the House in the midterms.

“They’ll impeach me for having a good economy or something,” Trump added. “They’ll impeach me because I did an interview with you. They’ll impeach me because I look to that side of the room. These are bad people.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-79-rambles-about-sinks-and-straws-and-showerheads-when-asked-about-his-2026-agenda/?

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Value of Trump’s Grifting Memecoin Gets Obliterated

$TRUMP has seen a 94 percent decline from its peak last January.

Donald Trump’s memecoin has lost nearly all of its value from its peak a year ago. When the president’s $TRUMP launched last Jan. 20, just ahead of Trump’s return to the White House, it surged $1.20 to a high of $75.35, generating a market value of billions. However, 12 months later, it is now trading at $4.86, a 94 percent drop, according to The Financial Times. The 79-year-old is not the only member of the Trump family whose venture into cryptocurrency and memecoins has suffered over the past year. First Lady Melania Trump’s own memecoin, $MELANIA, was also launched in January 2025 and reached a peak of $13.73. Now, it is trading just below $0.15, a staggering 99 percent decline from its peak, according to CoinMarketCap data. The dramatic price declines in the memecoins mean those who invested early are likely to have suffered heavy losses. The Trumps, on the other hand, have reaped the rewards. A previous FT investigation found that the $TRUMP and $MELANIA memecoins generated about $427 million in sales and trading fees, with the family’s crypto ventures generating more than $1 billion in pre-tax profits.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/value-of-donald-trumps-grifting-memecoin-gets-obliterated/?

ps:Like all his other bogus graft he's selling!!!!!

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?? Trump backs off Greenland threat

President Trump says he won't follow through on his threat to impose tariffs on eight European allies over their opposition to his desire for Greenland, Axios' Dave Lawler and Barak Ravid report.

• He claimed to have found a "solution" to the Greenland crisis during a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
• Trump earlier today ruled out taking Greenland by force.

? Trump, on Truth Social: "We have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region."

• "This solution, if consummated, will be a great one for the United States of America, and all NATO Nations."
• Trump told reporters that the deal "gives us everything we needed." Asked whether Greenland would be part of the U.S., he said: "It is the ultimate long-term deal. It is an infinite deal."

? Markets went into a full relief rally on the news, with the S&P 500 up about 1.5% this afternoon.

• Go deeper.

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? Inside America's new immigration system

Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios

In just one year, President Trump has blocked millions of immigrants from entry, tightened rules penalizing those who might need assistance, and revoked protections for immigrants already here, Axios' Brittany Gibson writes. Why it matters: Trump won his first term promising to stop illegal immigration. Now his second term is reshaping legal immigration. ?️ The big picture: Trump has regularly been publicly supportive of legal immigration. But a steady stream of policy changes has made legal immigration much harder, with more to come: Vetting is tougher. The administration plans to make the citizenship test harder and is requiring applicants demonstrate community ties and "positive attributes and contributions." Travel bans are freezing out applicants. Pauses on processing for asylum and immigration cases have shut out as many as 20% of the people in the legal immigration pipeline. Work visas have shorter shelf lives. A new rule shortened the length of employment authorization documents from 5 years of valid status to 18 months. Needing government help counts against you. A new rule will weigh whether an applicant would ever need social safety-net programs. Big humanitarian programs are gone. Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem terminated temporary protected status for immigrants from 11 countries. Keep reading.

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? Axios report: Trump's media legacy

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Trump's historic disputes with the press have intensified in his second term as he uses his political power to set new legal and regulatory standards that threaten the media's independence, Axios' Sara Fischer and Kerry Flynn write in a Media Trends Executive report. Why it matters: Policy changes and new legal standards are much harder to unwind than harassment campaigns, even with a new party in power. In an exclusive report sent to Media Trends Executive members earlier this month, we break down how President Trump has overhauled the media landscape in the first year of his second term: The Trump administration ramped up pressure on independent federal agencies like the FCC and FTC, pushing them to enforce its political priorities. The Justice Department rolled back policies that restricted law enforcement efforts to seize reporters' phone records and threatened prosecutions. The president injected himself into major media mergers and ownership fights, seeking to reward allies and punish critics through dealmaking oversight. Read the report ...

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Immigration officers assert sweeping power to enter homes without a judge’s warrant, memo says Federal immigration officers are claiming the authority to forcibly enter people’s homes without a judge’s warrant, according to an internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement memo obtained by The Associated Press, marking a sharp reversal of longstanding guidance meant to respect constitutional limits on government searches. Read more.

Why this matters: The memo authorizes ICE officers to use force to enter a residence based solely on a more narrow administrative warrant to arrest someone with a final order of removal, a move that advocates say collides with Fourth Amendment protections and upends years of advice given to immigrant communities.   For years, immigrant advocates, legal aid groups and local governments have urged people not to open their doors to immigration agents unless they are shown a warrant signed by a judge. That guidance is rooted in Supreme Court rulings that generally prohibit law enforcement from entering a home without judicial approval. The ICE directive directly undercuts that advice at a time when arrests are accelerating under the administration’s immigration crackdown.   Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in an e-mailed statement to the AP that everyone the department serves with an administrative warrant has already had “full due process and a final order of removal.” She said the officers issuing those warrants have also found probable cause for the person’s arrest. She said the Supreme Court and Congress have “recognized the propriety of administrative warrants in cases of immigration enforcement,” without elaborating. McLaughlin did not respond to questions about whether ICE officers entered a person’s home since the memo was issued, relying solely on an administrative warrant and if so, how often.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Autopsy finds Cuban immigrant in ICE custody died of homicide due to asphyxia   Army orders military police to get ready for a possible Minneapolis deployment, AP source says   Immigration enforcement arrives in Maine as a court freezes restrictions on tactics in Minnesota   Immigration officials allow suspect in $100M jewelry heist to self-deport, avoiding trial

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Stock market cuts through to Trump on Greenland in a way allies’ messages didn’t Investors appeared to have gotten through to President Donald Trump about the risk posed by his designs on Greenland with a message he wasn’t hearing from European leaders: Threatening allies with tariffs and land seizure isn’t exactly the type of policy that generates confidence in the global economy. Read more.

Why this matters: Trump on Wednesday backed off his threat to slap punishing tariffs on eight European allies for opposing his insistence on acquiring Greenland from longtime ally Denmark after the plan spooked Wall Street by sparking serious talk within NATO about a fundamental rupture to the transatlantic military alliance that’s been a linchpin of post-World War II security. Markets saw their biggest losses since October.   Trump said he had come to terms with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on a “framework” on Greenland that “gets us everything we needed to get” if the agreement is fulfilled. The president promptly took to financial network CNBC just before Wall Street trading ended for the day, boasting that the framework was “going to be a very good deal for the United States” and allies. He downplayed the role that the jittery market played in his decision on tariffs. The S&P 500 rallied 1.2% after his remarks, recovering about half the ground it had lost a day earlier.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Inflation fears are high for most Americans. But a new poll shows one group is particularly worried   Trump pushes for lower rates and ban on investor home purchases in bid to make homes more affordable   Danish leader says kingdom can’t negotiate sovereignty after Trump’s Greenland about-turn   WATCH: Trump keeps calling Greenland ‘Iceland’ during Davos speech   Russia watches US-European tensions over Greenland with glee, gloating and wariness   Trump’s European threats could make it harder for future US leaders to repair ties   Trump is rolling out his Board of Peace at Davos at a time when US leadership is being questioned   Who’s on Trump’s Board of Peace and who said no   Mexico’s president says it was ‘sovereign decision’ to send cartel members to US   US government warns it will take action if Haitian politicians destabilize country   Former DEA agent sentenced to 5 years in prison for using badge to protect drug trafficking friends   House Republicans vote to lift 20-year ban on mining near pristine Boundary Waters Canoe Area   Former Iowa superintendent expected to plead guilty to falsely claiming US citizenship   Judge tosses lines of NYC’s only Republican House seat, as state enters redistricting wars   Bruce Lee play and Vocal Arts DC join growing list of Kennedy Center cancellations

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Trump Snubbed by Every Major Ally for Big Signing Ceremony

The president’s launch of his much-trumpeted ‘Board of Peace’ initiative featured representatives from fewer than 20 countries.

Some of the United States’ longest standing allies have scorned en masse a signing ceremony for Donald Trump’s new “Board of Peace” initiative.

Not a single representative from a Western European country was present at the launch Thursday morning at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Fewer than 20 nations made an appearance, among them Gulf States like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, along with Argentina and Paraguay. The number stands well below the 35 anticipated by senior White House officials.

“Every one of them’s a friend of mine,” Trump said from the stage. “In this group I like every single one of them, can you believe it? Usually I have about two or three that I can’t stand.”

“They’re great people,” he added. “They’re great leaders.”

As about a dozen world leaders sat stone-faced on the stage, Trump went on to brag that his new group would bring “glorious peace” to the Middle East.

“For that region and for the whole region of the world, because I’m calling the world a region,” he said. “The world is a region.”

“Everybody in this room is a star. You’re all stars,” he said.

At several points throughout the signing ceremony, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared to be the only person in the room loudly applauding before others slowly joined in.

Trump’s “Board of Peace,” which offers permanent membership for a $1 billion dollar fee, has the stated goals of “promoting stability” and restoring “lawful governance” in conflict zones, initially focusing on reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. But critics have slammed the initiative as an effort by Trump to create a MAGA-fied corollary to the United Nations.

Israel, whose president Isaac Herzog is presently at the Davos summit, did not send a representative to Wednesday’s ceremony.

Other invitees who’d otherwise attended the conference—among them French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney—also did not show up.

European partners have expressed skepticism about the “Board of Peace” given the U.S. president’s decision to invite Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin, who’s engaged in a bloody war against Western ally Ukraine, and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close Putin ally and key enabler of that conflict.

The initiative’s unveiling also came amid Trump’s own mounting threats to take control of Greenland, an autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, which the president has chalked up to his snub for the Nobel Peace Prize last year.

“Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace,” the MAGA leader wrote in a letter to Norway’s prime minister earlier this week.

The Norwegian government is not in any way affiliated with the Nobel Committee, a non-state body that decides independently who will be granted its various prestigious awards.

On Wednesday, Trump said progress had been made toward a deal on advancing U.S. interests in Greenland while avoiding military confrontation with other NATO members and the brewing trade war with Europe his threats have helped spark.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/president-donald-trump-snubbed-by-every-major-ally-for-big-board-of-peace-signing-ceremony/?

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Trump, 79, Croaks Through ‘Peace’ Grift Speech After 48 Hours of Ritual Humiliation

The president looked and sounded sluggish as he spoke to the small crowd.

President Donald Trump croaked his way through a bleak signing ceremony for the new peacekeeping body he has billed as the “most impressive and consequential board ever assembled.”

The scene was decidedly unimpressive.

The 79-year-old president riffed through an unusually short intro to the “Board of Peace” signing ceremony at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, attended by representatives from fewer than 20 countries, and none of America’s traditional Western European allies. The low turnout came as Trump has rankled traditional allies with his obsessive approach to seizing Greenland from Denmark, a NATO ally. The speech was surprisingly sober and low-energy. Trump, his right hand apparently slathered in a familiar dose of foundation to mask a recurring bruise, mostly stuck to the script, only deviating for ad-libbing on a couple of occasions. Photographs from the event also show a deep purple bruise on Trump’s left hand that came into focus at events towards the end of last year.

In one of those moments, he quipped, “I like, actually, this group. I like every single one of them. Can you believe it?” and added, “Usually I have two or three that I don’t like. I don’t find them up here.”

When others were speaking, Trump appeared visibly tired. On one occasion, as his son-in-law Jared Kusher spoke, Trump’s blinking looked intensely labored. Invited back to the stage for his closing remarks soon after, he had more freedom to go off-script.

This appeared to energize him slightly, as he reminded the crowd that he’s a “real estate person” and mused about the provenance of his “Board of Peace” and the conflict in Gaza.

“This is not going to be a waste of time,” he said of his new board, which critics fear is designed to rival the U.N. Security Council.

Trump’s visit to the economic summit started with a litany of issues. His dishevelled appearance and hoarse voice might be down to his packed schedule and a dodgy airplane. The aging president, who just days ago warned that he is now less inclined towards peace, attended a college football game Monday night, which saw him get home well past 2 a.m.

On Tuesday, he held a 104-minute White House press briefing before his lack of sleep was compounded by a technical issue on Air Force One.

On Tuesday night, it was forced to make an abrupt return to Washington, D.C., following an electrical issue on board. His second departure, just after midnight, is thought to have added a further three hours to his journey.

Trump still made it to Davos on time for a meandering speech where he pored over familiar points, attacked allies and generally rambled, on Wednesday afternoon.

When he arrived at Zurich airport on Wednesday morning, cameras at the airstrip captured the visibly tired 79-year-old disembarking before very slowly descending the stairs onto the tarmac.

His issues were compounded on Thursday morning, when he got a less-than-expected turnout for his Board of Peace signing ceremony. The nations represented were mostly Middle Eastern and South American nations.

He was snubbed by all major E.U. allies, including the U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, over concerns about the inclusion of Russian President Vladimir Putin. But even the Kremlin offered doubt. It acknowledged the invitation, but said it is “studying the details” to seek clarity of “all the nuances,” according to spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

This flies in the face of his opening comments and closing, where he claimed that “everybody” wants to be a part of his Board of Peace. The White House had claimed that up to 35 nations had committed to signing up to the Board. After the ceremony, Trump told reporters that the figure was closer to 50.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-79-croaks-through-board-of-peace-speech-after-nightmare-flight/?

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Why World Leaders Think Trump’s an Idiot: Political Guru

“Trump was embarrassing. Trump was offensive. Trump was a boor,” foreign policy analyst David Rothkopf said of the president’s speech at Davos.

Foreign policy analyst David Rothkopf says a “declining” Donald Trump is dragging American credibility abroad through the mud as he torches alliances that underpinned U.S. security for decades.

“For a hundred years, the U.S. has made building transatlantic relationships the foundation of peace and prosperity for us, and for many, many people in the world. And it’s over,” Rothkopf said on The Daily Beast Podcast. “Europe does not trust us anymore.”

At the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday, Trump pressed ahead with his campaign against NATO allies, demanding immediate talks to acquire Greenland from Denmark and accusing the country of being “ungrateful” for U.S. actions in World War II.

The 79-year-old president, who confused Greenland for Iceland and appeared to forget he is president, told the audience of European business and political leaders that, were it not for the U.S., “you’d all be speaking German and a little Japanese.”

Rothkopf observed, “It was a fiasco. It was a mess. Trump was embarrassing. Trump was offensive. Trump was a boor. Trump was an idiot.”

Trump had already alienated NATO allies in the days leading up to Davos by threatening tariffs over Greenland, leaking private messages from European leaders, and inviting Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to join his “Board of Peace.”

The aging commander-in-chief’s turn against European allies appears to be rooted in his belief that the U.S. holds the upper hand in the relationship. “Without us, most of the countries don’t even work,” he said during his speech in Switzerland.

But Rothkopf, the former editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy, noted that Europe’s economy is roughly the same size as the U.S.’s.

“Europe not only is big and important and leading in a lot of key technologies, but also, Europe has the ability to focus on China, to focus on others in the world in a way that really changes the equation for the United States,” he told host Joanna Coles.

Rothkopf, who said he attended the “cold and unpleasant” Davos summit for “many years,” warned that Trump’s turn against the U.S.’s post-World War II allies marks “a bright red line in history.”

“The world is not the world that it was when you woke up this morning. And it only promises to get worse and worse,” Rothkopf said.

Rothkopf argued that Trump, the oldest person ever inaugurated as president, is cognitively “declining.”

“I believe that everybody who is looking at this objectively thinks there’s something wrong with Trump,” he said. “Trump is certainly not the Trump he was a year ago, and he’s not the Trump he was 10 years ago. And, you know, he wasn’t so great to start out with, right?”

He argued that, unlike in Trump’s first term—when some advisers kept the president’s impulses in check—“he doesn’t have anybody like that around him” this time around: “They all snap to attention. Whenever he says something twice, they do it.”

Trump has faced increasing speculation surrounding his cognitive health, with multiple medical experts suggesting that his decline is readily apparent.

Psychologist Dr. John Gartner previously told The Daily Beast Podcast that he believes Trump is exhibiting a “massive increase” in “clinical signs of dementia,” citing his nonsensical speeches, tendency to change topics mid-sentence, and memory lapses.

When reached for comment, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told the Daily Beast in a statement, “President Trump is the sharpest, most accessible and energetic President in modern American history. Anyone who would waste their time appearing on the Daily Beast podcast is a low life, left-wing loser whose opinion is not worth a damn.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/why-world-leaders-think-trumps-an-idiot-political-guru/?

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Mumbling, Menacing Trump Turns Davos Into a Mafia Den

The American entourage at Davos came bearing a single message: “We will do what we want, and you’re not gonna do jack s--t about it.” Capisce?

You can listen to Trump’s speech at Davos if you want, but let me save you the trouble: it sucked. A tiresome laundry list of exaggerations, lies, and denigrations delivered in a droning monologue; it surely had the audience asking themselves, “I valet checked my private plane for this?”

The World Economic Forum at Davos has always been the world’s most exclusive circle jerk. A plummy gathering for the waddle-necked world elite to congratulate themselves on their genius. Deals negotiated over canapes and sips of champagne. (Not for nothing, but Americans better drink up on their bubbly before Trump’s threatened European tariffs kick in.) It’s easy to poke fun at the puffery, but such gatherings have a purpose beyond the glad-handing. They’re the WD-40 that used to keep the global economic pipeline all nice and lubed.

No more.

Trump’s second term is about unraveling what was—you know, what we used to call “democracy”—in favor of a risky, 19^th-century approach to global politics in which the strong colonize the weak (Venezuela, Ukraine, Greenland) and carve up the world according to their parochial interests.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney made that point abundantly clear in his address, baldly stating that, “We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.”

The rupture he described is the end of an 80-year Atlantic alliance forged in the aftermath of World War II, an alliance that relied on American hegemony to preserve the peace and keep the money flowing.

This alliance, represented militarily by NATO, has not been perfect, but it accomplished what it was meant to – preventing a third world war and establishing a rules-based global order. And now our homegrown Burger King wants to upend it all.

Why?

Because he can. This second Trump administration has snapped America’s military and economic might into sharp focus. A world that outsourced its security to the United States on the premise that we would always be the best global guarantor of democracy finds itself in need of an “In case of emergency, break glass” back-up plan.

The American entourage at Davos came bearing a single message: “We will do what we want, and you’re not gonna do jack s--t about it.” And here’s the thing–it rings true.

Unless and until they get their act together to deal with the U.S. as an aggressor, our allies and trading partners will continue to be abused by our delusional narcissist-in-chief and his scowling band of ghouls. The Stephen Miller theory of international order is simple and ruthless: the Western Hemisphere is now the property of the United States of America. All of it. When Trump declared himself the “Acting President of Venezuela,” it was both a troll and not-a-troll. It was a declaration of intent. Not to literally run the country, but to plant his flag on his territorial ambitions: everything from the Arctic Circle to the tip of South America is now—for all intents and purposes—ours. Well, his.

One can see why Canada might have a problem with that.

The Davos attendees were restrained in their response to Trump’s blustering speech. One CNBC reporter in the audience relayed that an audience member muttered, “This is scary,” during the portion that laid out his plans for Greenland. (Much was made of Denmark’s lack of “gratitude” for the United States for our support during the Second World War. Apparently, that gratitude should include gifting us with the world’s largest island.)

“We want a piece of ice for world protection, and they won’t give it,” Trump declared. “You can say ‘yes,’ and we will be very appreciative. Or you can say ‘no,’ and we will remember.”

Michael Corleone couldn’t have said it better.

Trump’s presence at Davos drove home the point that the United States of America is currently headed by a wannabe capo dei capi—boss of bosses. During his first administration, his constant flattering of strongman authoritarians spoke to his desire to be one himself. In his second administration, he’s trying to make those dreams a reality. “Sometimes you need a dictator,” he said in comments following his speech.

The world is receiving wake-up call after wake-up call, and yet they keep hitting the snooze button. America is now a threat. It is a threat to peace, democracy, and human liberty. That threat is both domestic and international. Trump’s desire for total control may only be tempered by his incompetence to achieve it, but the world shouldn’t rely on his ineptitude to save them.

As much as the well-heeled lapdogs at Davos prefer to think of themselves as insulated from the troubles of the hoi polloi, I would suggest that is not the case. The U.S. is coming for them. For their money. Their positions. Their global influence. The people they represent will suffer the most, of course, but they will not be protected from the worst of it should the worst come to pass. Enjoy the bubbles and blini, guys. It may be your last.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/mumbling-menacing-trump-turns-davos-into-a-mafia-den/?

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Trump sues JPMorgan for $5 billion, alleges the bank closed his accounts for political reasons

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump sued banking giant JPMorgan Chase and its CEO Jamie Dimon for $5 billion on Thursday over allegations that JPMorgan stopped providing banking services to him and his businesses for political reasons after he left office in January 2021.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-jpmorgan-debanking-jamie-dimon-a976813384a942e5152f17659fdebd16?

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How “Bitcoin Jesus” Avoided Prison, Thanks to One of the “Friends of Trump”

Days into President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House, a cryptocurrency billionaire posted a video on X to his hundreds of thousands of followers. “Please Donald Trump, I need your help,” he said, wearing a flag pin askew and seated awkwardly in an armchair. “I am an American. … Help me come home.” 

https://www.propublica.org/article/bitcoin-jesus-roger-ver-tax-evasion-friends-of-trump?

Trump Administration Orders USDA Employees to Investigate Foreign Researchers They Work With

The Trump administration is directing employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate foreign scientists who collaborate with the agency on research papers for evidence of “subversive or criminal activity.”

https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-usda-foreign-scientists?

Trump Admin “Deliberately” Tanking Morale to Get Parks Staff to Quit, Official Says in Leaked Tape

A recent National Park Service directive to limit high scores on employee evaluations has raised fears of more layoffs after a turbulent year of cuts and resignations.

https://theintercept.com/2026/01/21/nps-national-park-service-employees-cuts/?

DOGE Cuts “Unexpectedly and Significantly Impacted” Critical Pentagon Unit

Efforts to gut the federal workforce by Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency significantly derailed operations at a Pentagon tech team with a key U.S. military role, according to materials reviewed by The Intercept.

https://theintercept.com/2026/01/19/doge-cuts-pentagon-it-military/?

FBI’s Washington Post Investigation Shows How Your Printer Can Snitch on You

Federal prosecutors on January 9 charged Aurelio Luis Perez-Lugones, an IT specialist for an unnamed government contractor, with “the offense of unlawful retention of national defense information,” according to an FBI affidavit. The case attracted national attention after federal agents investigating Perez-Lugones searched the home of a Washington Post reporter. But overlooked so far in the media coverage is the fact that a surprising surveillance tool pointed investigators toward Perez-Lugones: an office printer with a photographic memory.

https://theintercept.com/2026/01/21/fbi-washington-post-perez-lugones-natansan-classified/?

While Threatening Greenland, Trump Also Threatens Iceland

In a speech about annexing Greenland, President Donald Trump on Wednesday also appeared to announce plans for the United States to annex Iceland.

https://theintercept.com/2026/01/21/trump-davos-iceland-greenland/?

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Jack Smith Goes Scorched Earth on ‘Criminal’ Trump

The former special counsel is testifying before the House Judiciary Committee.

Former Special Counsel Jack Smith went scorched-earth against Donald Trump and indicated he had no regrets in his first public testimony about his criminal investigation into the president.

“I want to be clear, I stand by my decisions as special counsel, including the decision to bring charges against President Trump. Our investigation developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in criminal activity,” Smith said in his opening statement.

He said that Trump “engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results and prevent the lawful transfer of power.”

Smith also said the president “illegally kept classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago social club and repeatedly tried to obstruct justice to conceal his continued retention of those documents.”

He specifically noted that “highly sensitive national security information” was held in a bathroom and ballroom.

The longtime prosecutor, who Trump has attacked as “deranged” for his investigations into efforts to overturn the 2020 election and Trump’s handling of classified documents, appeared publicly before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday for the first time. Smith said if asked whether to prosecute a former president based on the same facts today, he would do so regardless of the president’s party. “No one should be above the law in this country. The law requires that he be held to account,” Smith said.

The former special counsel began his remarks by saying he loved his country and believed deeply in the “core principles upon which it was founded.” He said he was not a politician and has no partisan loyalties.

“My career has been dedicated to serving our country by upholding the rule of law,” Smith said.

He said he made his decision to charge Trump regardless of his political associations and activities because “the evidence established that he willfully broke the law, the very laws he took an oath to uphold.”

Smith previously appeared before a deposition behind closed doors last month. House Republicans released the transcript of it on New Year’s Eve.

Thursday’s appearance was his first opportunity to testify publicly on his probes.

Smith was appointed special counsel in November 2022 to oversee the investigations into Trump. The then-former president was indicted in the classified documents case the following June. He was indicted in the 2020 election interference case in August 2023.

However, Smith dropped both cases after Trump won the 2024 election and was preparing to return to office for a second term.

On Thursday, Smith issued a stark warning that he has seen how the rule of law can “erode.

“My fear is that we have seen the rule of law function in our country for so long that many of us have come to take it for granted. The rule of law is not self-executing,” Smith said.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/jack-smith-goes-scorched-earth-on-criminal-trump/?

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Lonely Trump Humiliated as Major Allies Refuse to Be Bullied

The president’s return to Davos was an undeniable flop.

There he was, seated on stage with pen in hand, surrounded by other world leaders standing and applauding.

Normally this is the type of moment that President Donald Trump lives for.

But on this particular stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where Trump was hosting the signing ceremony for his newly launched “Board of Peace,” the 79-year-old president looked small, tired, and strangely alone.

Snubbed en masse by the U.S.’s long-standing allies and flanked by a group of strongmen and minor global players, it was a fitting end to arguably the most disastrous foreign trip of either of Trump’s two terms in office.

During his first trip to Davos since 2020, the president flopped by nearly every metric.

His official remarks were rambling and low-energy, his attempts to bully Europe into handing over Greenland failed spectacularly, and his humiliating “Board of Peace” launch showed that other leaders are no longer willing to suck up and placate him in hopes of avoiding the fallout from his worst impulses.

Things got off to an abysmal start during his official remarks Wednesday, when a visibly exhausted Trump repeatedly confused Greenland with Iceland, repeated his goal of taking over the island, ranted about wind farms, attacked Somalis in Minneapolis, and repeated false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.

“It’s time to take the keys away from Grandpa,” one Democratic lawmaker said in response to his performance.

But just hours later, the president made an about-face on the topic of Greenland following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

“Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,” Trump wrote on this Truth Social platform.

While official details of the new deal have not been revealed, sources told both The Telegraph and Axios that Greenland will remain an autonomous region of Denmark.

Trump had claimed repeatedly that the only way to protect Greenland–and the greater Arctic region—from Russia and China was if the U.S. had full ownership and control.

The president also dropped his threat to impose tariffs from Feb. 1 on products from eight European allies—Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland—that had opposed his bid to “acquire” Greenland.

For months, European leaders have endured lectures from members of the Trump administration and tiptoed around the president in the hopes that if they only tried to appease him, he wouldn’t declare crushing tariffs on their exports.

But Davos marked a distinct turning point in the relationship, as Europe and other American allies finally seemed ready to shake off the mantle of being Trump’s whipping boy.

They’ve stopped mincing words, with Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre saying it’s “unacceptable” for Trump to try to take land from a NATO country, and French President Emmanuel Macron calling for an end to bullying and other “crazy tactics.”

They’re openly declaring that the time has come to work together to oppose an American-led “might makes right” world order, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney receiving a standing ovation after he urged “middle powers” to work together instead of competing for favor “in a world of great power rivalry.”

And they’re making it clear what they think of Trump’s lackies.

When U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick spoke at a VIP dinner shortly after declaring that Trump was the “new sheriff in town,” he was heckled and jeered. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde reportedly made a beeline for the door as he began speaking.

All of this was the prelude to Thursday, when not a single representative from Western Europe or North America attended Trump’s “peace board” signing.

Representatives from the G7 were conspicuously absent, as were the original BRICS countries, and most of the G20.

Instead, the president was joined on stage by leaders from the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Pakistan, Paraguay, and Bulgaria. Hungary’s authoritarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was there, along with Trump fanboy Javier Milei of Argentina and a representative for Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Neyanhu wanted to be there but couldn’t because he’s wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, the Financial Times reported.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog was in Davos but skipped the ceremony, as did European leaders who are wary that the group—which according to its charter is chaired by Trump, who has the power to handpick the organization’s members, approve the group’s agenda, manage its finances, and designate his own successor—will undermine the United Nations.

In the end, fewer than 20 nations made an appearance. Ahead of the signing ceremony, the White House had predicted that 35 countries would attend, and had said that Belgium was on the list of signatories. Belgium’s deputy prime minister, however, refuted that claim.

The president sounded hoarse throughout his speech, and even his spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, who was emceeing the event, couldn’t seem to muster her usual enthusiasm.

Toward the end of the program, she called up the first two signatories, Bahrain’s Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, to join Trump on stage to ratify the board’s charter, which would enter into force once three countries signed on.

“Congratulations, President Trump. The charter is now in full force, and the Board of Peace is now an official international organization,” she said as the three men held up the signed charters.

Even then, for several long moments, Leavitt was the only one clapping.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/lonely-trump-humiliated-as-major-allies-refuse-to-be-bullied/?

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Trump Unveils World’s Tackiest Logo for His $1B Grift

The sign was debuted as Trump croaked his way through a bleak ceremony for his new peacekeeping body.

The logo of President Trump’s controversial new peacekeeping grift has been exposed as a cheap knock-off of the United Nations emblem smeared in gold.

The U.N. logo, designed after World War II, is meant to symbolize world unity and the quest for peace, featuring a map of the world on a polar projection surrounded by two olive branches.

Trump’s version, however, shows a map of the U.S. dominating the globe, with Europe not visible at all. Mexico and parts of the northern part of South America are just barely visible. Greenland, notably, is not.

Like the U.N. logo, Trump’s is also framed by olive branches, but it’s shaped like a standard sports team crest. In its most direct nod to Trump’s tastes, the “Board of Peace” logo eschews the U.N.’s blue and white palette for a golden color scheme.

The White House under Trump has similarly undergone a golden makeover, with the Oval Office decked out in gold trim, to the chagrin of many, including design experts. After the president added a tacky gold sign to the outside of the office, type designer Thomas Phinney told The Washington Post: “Trump typography is very consistent with many other things about the president. Whether you think those things are good or not is another question, but I think it’s part of a consistent package.”

Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta was less forgiving. The Pennsylvania Democrat wrote on X: “This sign looks like s--t.”

The president has billed his new peacekeeping body, which comes with a $1 billion price tag for any nations wanting permanent membership, as the “most impressive and consequential board ever assembled.”

However, the signing ceremony was decidedly unimpressive. It was attended by representatives from fewer than 20 countries, and none of America’s traditional Western European allies.

Trump delivered a low-energy speech for the event and had make-up slathered on his right hand, where deep bruising was visible. As he addressed the assembled world leaders, his logo was displayed for the audience.

The design sparked a wave of mockery and befuddlement among political observers who questioned the lackluster effort that had gone into it.

“Big Microsoft Paint energy,” political commentator Adam Schwarz quipped on X, noting that the wreath appeared to be clip art and the whole image was just the U.N. logo “except dipped in gold.”

Entrepreneur Arnaud Bertrand called it “beyond parody,” echoing others to note it “is basically the UN logo repainted in tacky fake gold and with ‘the world’ reduced to only North America.”

Critics also fear that the body is designed to rival the U.N. Security Council. The New York Times noted that it is evidence of Trump “dismantling the post-World War II international system and building a new one, with himself at the center.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-unveils-worlds-tackiest-logo-for-his-1b-grift/?

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Trump Hit With Multiple Midterm Warnings in Brutal Poll

There was little good news for the president or the GOP in The New York Times survey.

A damning poll has revealed President Donald Trump is recording dire approval ratings across the board, with voters believing the president is actively making the country worse.

A New York Times/Siena survey shows that a significant majority (56 percent) of voters disapprove of Trump’s job performance, with the 79-year-old underwater on a range of hot-button issues, including the economy, immigration, and the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein files.

In a hypothetical question about the 2026 midterm elections, voters are also more likely to back a Democratic candidate (48 percent) over a Republican (43 percent).

In another warning sign for the GOP ahead of November’s crucial nationwide races, the key voting bloc of independents is more likely to vote for a Democrat by a 15-point margin (50 percent to 35 percent).

The Times’ poll paints a brutal picture of how badly Trump is performing one year into his second term in the minds of Americans. Nearly half (49 percent) of the 1,625 registered voters said they believe the country has gotten worse over the past 12 months, compared with just 32 percent who believe it has improved.

Overall, just 42 percent of voters rated Trump’s first year back in the White House a success. Even more damning, 42 percent also believe the 79-year-old will be remembered as one of the worst presidents in American history.

The poll also shows that a majority of voters are unhappy with how Trump is handling several key issues. This includes the economy—the most important issue for voters in virtually every election—with only 40 percent approving of Trump’s handling, compared to 58 percent who disapprove.

A majority (51 percent) also blamed Trump’s economic policies, such as his sweeping global tariffs, for making life less affordable.

Other areas where Trump is recording dire numbers include the cost of living (34 percent approval), his attempts to “control” Venezuela (40 percent approval), the Russia-Ukraine war (34 percent approval), and the debacle surrounding the slow release of files linked to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein (22 percent approval).

In response to the poll results, White House spokesman Davis Ingle told the Daily Beast: “President Trump was overwhelmingly elected by nearly 80 million Americans to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda. The President has already made historic progress not only in America but around the world. It is not surprising that President Trump remains the most dominant figure in American politics.”

The White House also provided a list of apparent achievements Trump had overseen during his second term. Number 234 on the list boasts that he had “stripped notorious crackhead and grifter Hunter Biden of his taxpayer-funded Secret Service detail.”

Historically, the party in power in the White House almost always suffers losses in midterm elections.

With the GOP holding a razor-thin majority in the House, Republicans already face an uphill battle to retain control of the lower chamber. Backlash to Trump’s erratic second term also means the Senate could be in play for Democrats.

Trump has frequently acknowledged that the GOP could perform badly in November—and has even floated an authoritarian move to cancel the midterms altogether—while warning of the consequences if Republicans lose.

“You gotta win the midterms,” Trump told a room full of House Republicans at the now MAGA-fied Kennedy Center earlier this month. “Because if we don’t win the midterms, it’s just going to be—I mean, they’ll find a reason to impeach me. I’ll get impeached.”

https://www.thedailybeast.com/donald-trump-hit-with-multiple-midterm-warnings-in-brutal-poll/?

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Trump's European threats could cause lasting damage to US standing in the world

Joe Biden promised Europe that "America is back" early in his presidency, aiming to mend ties after Donald Trump's tenure. However, nearly five years later, President Trump's influence over Europe has grown. Though Trump has for now backed away from his most potent threats to obtain Greenland, the episode has left America’s standing in the world uncertain. Read more.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

French leader says European pressure forced Trump to back down as the EU reconsiders ties Trump rolls out his Board of Peace at the Davos forum, but many top US allies aren't participating  Denmark and Greenland say sovereignty is not negotiable after Trump's about-turn on tariffs Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says his repeated warnings to Europe feel like ‘Groundhog Day’ Trump administration to block foreign aid from those promoting abortion, DEI and gender identity US government warns it will take action if Haitian politicians destabilize country

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A Muddled Message (Chip Somodevilla / Getty)

View in browser At a rally in Detroit earlier this month, Donald Trump told the crowd that his upcoming speech at the World Economic Forum would tackle one of his core issues: affordability. But the address he delivered in Davos yesterday was not quite what he’d telegraphed.   In what my colleague David A. Graham described as a “stump speech,” the president strayed from that focus, roaming from Arctic defense to the Minnesota fraud scandal to the policies of “Sleepy” Joe Biden. When he returned to the topic of affordability, he claimed that grocery prices are “going down” (they’re not) and that drug prices have declined by “2,000 percent” (they haven’t). Although Trump campaigned on the economy, weak polling has recently spurred new plans to make life in America more affordable.   At one point, Trump plugged a plan to curb predatory lending practices by capping credit-card interest rates at 10 percent—but the deadline (proposed on Truth Social) for the policy to go into effect had passed the day before. Trump also used his speech to promote his plan to lower housing costs, which he recently unveiled in an executive order. The policy is aimed at preventing corporations from buying up single-family homes, and has bipartisan support. These proposals were a blip in his 80-minute speech before he quickly pivoted.   Trump has lately been laser-focused on foreign policy. Nearly three weeks ago, U.S. troops captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and brought him to New York for trial. Since then, Trump has flirted with military action in Iran and attempted to bully Denmark into giving up Greenland, threatening a sweeping new tariff strategy that—had Trump not reneged yesterday—could have raised costs for Americans.   When Trump and his officials have talked about the economy, their comments have been confusing. The White House’s insistence that consumer goods are, in fact, affordable has so far not connected with many Americans, for whom high prices are still top of mind. In an attempt to underscore how cheap supermarkets have supposedly become, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said last week that “it can cost around $3 a meal for a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, you know, a corn tortilla, and one other thing.” After being criticized online for appearing out of touch, she clarified that $15.64 was the more accurate figure, based on “almost 1,000 simulations,” for “three full square meals and a snack.” (I have some follow-up questions: What’s that “other thing”? And what constitutes a “square” meal?)   Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also faced blowback from observers and Democratic politicians this week after suggesting in an interview that “mom and pop” homebuyers are snapping up “five, 10, 12 homes” for retirement. And at a rally in Ohio earlier today, Vice President Vance compared the American economy to a doomed enterprise: “You don’t turn the Titanic around overnight,” he said. Trump has blamed “bad public-relations people” for failing to sell his affordability message—but the problem could also have to do with these sorts of gaffes.   The president’s inconsistent messaging may play a role too. Before the holidays, he held a rally in Pennsylvania as part of his “affordability tour”—an effort to shift Americans’ perspectives on the economy. His address included a digression about why the Democrats’ emphasis on affordability was a “hoax,” how Representative Ilhan Omar “does nothing but bitch,” and why Americans don’t need so many pencils. His speech at the Detroit Economic Club included a few diversions but was overall more targeted. “The Trump economic boom has officially begun,” he said.   Trump is right that the economy is showing signs of health. Unemployment is low, and the stock market is on a tear. But these metrics don’t reveal the whole picture. The economy is adding fewer jobs even as inflation remains under control. The Atlantic contributing writer John Dickerson recently pointed out that “aggregate gains mask uneven distribution, and many workers really are seeing their purchasing power erode.” If Trump’s attempts to interfere with the Federal Reserve’s independence prove successful, they could unleash even more economic uncertainty. “Trump is hardly the first president to cherry-pick numbers and accentuate the positive,” Dickerson wrote. “But his argument is weak because he has to overcome people’s lived experience.”   Despite his constant jabs at his predecessor, Trump is in some sense following in Biden’s footsteps. “Bidenomics” fell flat as a slogan in part because Biden’s rosy view of the economy didn’t connect with voters facing ever-higher inflation. When Trump and his team aren’t shutting down criticism of the economy, they’re simply distracted. Neither communicates to Americans that their struggles are understood.   Related: Trump’s affordability weave Trump gives a stump speech at Davos.

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Trump 'Debanking' Suit

President Donald Trump sued JPMorgan Chase and its CEO, Jamie Dimon, yesterday for at least $5B in damages. He accused the bank of illegally terminating his accounts for political reasons.  In February 2021, Trump said he was notified that several of his personal and professional accounts would be closed two months later. Trump also accused Dimon of placing his name and businesses on a financial blacklist, resulting in reputational harm. Trump accused the bank of taking these steps for political purposes (the decision would have come weeks after the Jan. 6 storming of the US Capitol). JPMorgan Chase maintains it does not close accounts for political reasons. Trump issued an executive order in August aimed at directing regulators to target debanking. In December, a government report found nine banks restricted services for exposure to reputational harm, including companies in the oil and gas and adult entertainment industries. See Trump’s legal fights with media outlets here.

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? Uproar over 5-year-old's detention

A 5-year-old is detained Tuesday by ICE officers after arriving home from preschool in a Minneapolis suburb, Columbia Heights. Photo: Ali Daniels via AP

ICE agents' detention of a 5-year-old boy in Minneapolis this week has inflamed an already tense debate over immigration authorities' tactics, Axios' Brittany Gibson writes. Why it matters: The episode put a spotlight on the unknown number of children being scooped up when their parents are arrested. Images of the boy wearing a small backpack and a light blue stocking cap fueled angry speculation in the Twin Cities that ICE was detaining children as "bait" to catch parents wanted for alleged immigration violations. Federal officials rejected those claims, and alleged that the boy was detained by ICE agents after he was left behind when his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, fled officers who were trying to arrest him. Go deeper.