President Donald Trump praised a &#8220;highly respected Minnesota judge&#8221; on Thursday after she declined to issue a restraining order against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the Democrat-run state.
On Wednesday, Kate Menendez, a Biden-appointed U.S. District Court judge, rejected Minnesota&#8217;s request to temporarily block ICE from continuing immigration enforcement operations in the state as Minnesota&#8217;s lawsuit against the Trump administration&#8217;s immigration enforcement moves forward.
&#8220;A highly respected judge declined to block I.C.E. operations in the very politically corrupt State of Minnesota. I.C.E. will therefore be allowed to continue its highly successful operation of removing some of the most violent and vicious criminals anywhere in the World, many of them murderers, from the State,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;The great patriots of Law Enforcement will continue to make our Country safe. RECORD LOW CRIME NUMBERS!!!&#8221;
Menendez said her decision did not indicate how she would ultimately rule on Minnesota&#8217;s lawsuit against the federal government, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/judge-restraining-order-tro-minnesota-ice-operations/">reported</a>.
&#8220;I think the issues are really important and I don&#8217;t want to suggest by not acting immediately one way or the other that I think they are unimportant,&#8221; Menendez said. &#8220;To the contrary, I understand this is important to everybody.&#8221;
Minnesota argued that a two-week restraining order was needed to give the state time to prepare for the case, arguing that the 3,000 federal agents in Minneapolis and the surrounding areas are violating citizens&#8217; rights.
The federal government must respond to Minnesota&#8217;s lawsuit by January 19, and Judge Menendez denied a federal prosecutor&#8217;s request to postpone the date due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Menendez said the case was too urgent to delay.
Leftist Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced on Monday that the state filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in an effort to stop its surge of federal agents into the state. Ellison described Trump&#8217;s immigration operation in Minnesota as an &#8220;invasion.&#8221; The lawsuit was filed just days after Minneapolis resident Renee Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent after she drove her vehicle toward him during a confrontation. The shooting death has sparked massive protests, which have continued for more than a week, and the Trump administration has deployed more federal agents to the city.
Another ICE shooting on Wednesday night sparked more outrage in Minneapolis. A federal agent was ambushed and attacked by three people while attempting to detain a suspected Venezuelan illegal immigrant in the city&#8217;s Northside, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-threatens-to-use-insurrection-act-in-minnesota-if-professional-agitators-are-not-stopped?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Threatens+To+Use+Insurrection+Act+In+Minnesota+If+%E2%80%98Professional+Agitators%E2%80%99+Are+Not+Stopped">threatened</a> to invoke the Insurrection Act on Thursday as demonstrations continued.
&#8220;If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State,&#8221; Trump wrote on Truth Social. &#8220;Thank you for you [sic] attention to this matter!&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-ice-agent-fatally-shoots-agitator-as-chaos-erupts-in-minneapolis">LIVE UPDATES: Minnesota Dems Angry After Second ICE Shooting, Protesters Throw Fireworks At Police</a>

Donald Trump

Trump Praises Minnesota Judge For Declining To Block ‘Highly Successful’ ICE Operations

federal judge

Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Minnesota

President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he could invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota to stop &#8220;professional agitators and insurrectionists&#8221; from attacking federal immigration agents.
Trump said the Insurrection Act, which would allow him to deploy the military and federalize the National Guard, would quickly &#8220;put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State.&#8221; The president has threatened to use the act in the past, but his comments on Thursday morning mark the first time he has said the move is a possibility following the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent, which sparked massive protests in Minneapolis.
&#8220;If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job, I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221; Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump&#8217;s threat comes just hours after the Department of Homeland Security <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/2011632198000976086">said</a> a federal agent shot an illegal immigrant on Wednesday night. According to DHS, a federal agent was ambushed and attacked by three people while attempting to detain a suspected Venezuelan illegal immigrant. The suspects attacked the federal agent with a snow shovel and a broomstick, according to Homeland Security.
During the scuffle, the agent fired a defensive shot, which struck a subject&#8217;s leg, according to Homeland Security, which added that both the agent and the subject were transported to the hospital, and the two other alleged attackers were arrested.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O&#8217;Hara confirmed that a scuffle between a federal agent and another person took place. He did not confirm the federal government&#8217;s account that the officer was ambushed and attacked by multiple people. Protesters descended on the area near the shooting shortly after the incident and shouted at law enforcement. Some of the agitators threw fireworks at police officers, according to O&#8217;Hara.
Following the second ICE shooting in Minneapolis in a week, Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz said he was &#8220;angry,&#8221; adding, &#8220;What Donald Trump wants is violence in the streets.&#8221; In a recorded address that was initially plagued by technical difficulties, Walz urged residents to &#8220;remain an island of decency, of justice, of community, and of peace&#8221; and told Minnesotans, &#8220;Don’t give [Trump] what he wants.&#8221;
Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey also addressed the ICE shooting on Wednesday night and said that ICE and Border Patrol agents are &#8220;creating chaos&#8221; in the Twin Cities area, and said that residents are asking the Minneapolis Police Department &#8220;to fight ICE agents on the street.&#8221;
&#8220;We cannot be at a place right now in America where we have two governmental entities that are literally fighting one another,&#8221; he added.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-ice-agent-fatally-shoots-agitator-as-chaos-erupts-in-minneapolis?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+Minnesota+Dems+Angry+After+Second+ICE+Shooting%2C+Protesters+Throw+Fireworks+At+Police">LIVE UPDATES: Minnesota Dems Angry After Second ICE Shooting, Protesters Throw Fireworks At Police</a>
Trump has suggested numerous times that the anti-ICE demonstrations in Minneapolis are organized and carried out by &#8220;professionals.&#8221; In at least one protest last week, organizers with the AFL-CIO told demonstrators that they were &#8220;moving out&#8221; after they hit their &#8220;goal time,&#8221; The Daily Wire <a href="https://x.com/breccastoll/status/2009307731690172804">reported</a>.
President George H.W. Bush was the last president to invoke the Insurrection Act during the Los Angeles riots in 1992, following the acquittal of police officers who were accused of beating Rodney King. The federal intervention helped restore order within days, but significant destruction had already occurred.

Donald Trump, Minneapolis

Trump Threatens To Use Insurrection Act In Minnesota If ‘Professional Agitators’ Are Not Stopped

insurrection

Minneapolis

The White House&#8217;s meeting with Denmark and Greenland on Wednesday did not change any minds on President Donald Trump&#8217;s push to acquire Greenland, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said.
Rasmussen spoke at a <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cn824zzp670t#player">press conference</a> alongside Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt after meeting with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Denmark oversees Greenland&#8217;s defense while the territory is largely self-governing. In recent weeks, Trump has ramped up his push to make Greenland a territory of the United States for national security purposes.
The meeting on Wednesday was &#8220;frank and constructive,&#8221; but ultimately the sides agreed to disagree, with Denmark sticking firm to its &#8220;red lines,&#8221; according to Rasmussen.
&#8220;We, the Kingdom of Denmark, continue to believe that also the long-term security of Greenland can be ensured inside the current framework, the 1951 agreement on the defense of Greenland as well as the NATO treaty,&#8221; he said. &#8220;For us, ideas that would not respect the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Denmark and the right of self-determination of the Greenlandic people are, of course, totally unacceptable.&#8221;
&#8220;We therefore still have a fundamental disagreement, but we also agree to disagree,&#8221; Rasmussen added.
Motzfeldt said that it remains important for Greenland to &#8220;strengthen our cooperation with the United States, but that doesn&#8217;t mean that we want to be owned by the United States.&#8221;
Denmark and Greenland agreed to continue the discussions to see &#8220;if we can find a common way forward,&#8221; the Danish foreign minister said. The discussions are expected to continue in the coming weeks. Rasmussen said he agreed with the Trump administration&#8217;s concerns about the security situation in the Arctic, but added that he does not see China and Russia representing an &#8220;instant threat.&#8221;
&#8220;There&#8217;s no Chinese presence in Greenland, but there&#8217;s a concern: would that be the case in 10 or 20 years from now?&#8221; Rasmussen asked. &#8220;It will not because our Greenlandic friends have introduced investments &#8230; and Denmark is, by all means, on the right side of history.&#8221;
Trump disagrees and has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-greenland-is-non-negotiable-for-u-s-security?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump%3A+Greenland+Is+Non-Negotiable+For+U.S.+Security">argued</a> that if the United States doesn&#8217;t take control of Greenland, &#8220;Russia or China will.&#8221;
“The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building. NATO should be leading the way for us to get it,&#8221; Trump said in a Truth Social post Wednesday morning. Trump argued that NATO would also be safer if the United States made a move on Greenland.
“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable,&#8221; Trump said.
As Denmark and Greenland met with the White House, multiple NATO countries <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/european-nato-allies-expand-military-presence-around-greenland?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=European+NATO+Allies+Expand+Military+Presence+Around+Greenland">said</a> that they would expand their military presence around Greenland.

US-DENMARK-GREENLAND-DIPLOMACY-DEFENCE

Denmark Maintains ‘Fundamental Disagreement’ With Trump On Greenland After White House Meeting

Denmark Maintains 'Fundamental Disagreement' With Trump On Greenland After Meeting With Vance, Rubio

Denmark

Greenland

JD Vance

Marco Rubio

Trump Administration

The FBI executed a search warrant at a Washington Post reporter&#8217;s Virginia home on Wednesday morning as the feds investigate a government contractor who&#8217;s accused of leaking classified government materials.
Reporter Hannah Natanson, who focuses on &#8220;covering the Trump administration&#8217;s reshaping of the government,&#8221; was at home when FBI agents showed up at her front door and proceeded to search her house and seize two laptops, a phone, and a Garmin watch, the Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/01/14/washington-post-reporter-search/">reported</a>. Investigators reportedly told Natanson that she is not the target of the investigation. According to the Post, the FBI is looking into Aurelio Perez-Lugones, a government contractor with top-secret security clearance.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Natanson was reporting on classified information that was &#8220;illegally leaked&#8221; by a &#8220;Pentagon contractor.&#8221; Bondi added that the accused leaker, whom she did not publicly identify, is in jail.
&#8220;This past week, at the request of the Department of War, the Department of Justice and FBI executed a search warrant at the home of a Washington Post journalist who was obtaining and reporting classified and illegally leaked information from a Pentagon contractor,&#8221; Bondi said. &#8220;The leaker is currently behind bars. I am proud to work alongside Secretary Hegseth on this effort. The Trump Administration will not tolerate illegal leaks of classified information that, when reported, pose a grave risk to our Nation’s national security and the brave men and women who are serving our country.&#8221;
Perez-Lugones is a system administrator in Maryland who allegedly took classified intelligence reports to his home. The reports were found in his lunchbox and basement, according to the FBI.
Natanson, who was part of a team that won a Pulitzer Prize and describes herself as &#8220;the federal government whisperer,&#8221; <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/12/24/trump-federal-government-workers/">wrote</a> in an article published last month that she connected with more than 1,000 sources within the Trump administration after posting her phone number to an online forum for federal government employees. She said federal workers who reached out to her often expressed frustration with the administration.
U.S. law protects journalists who publish classified information, provided they obtained it without coercion and did not ask anyone to break the law. Some of Natanson&#8217;s colleagues took to social media to defend her after news broke of the FBI search.
Last year, Bondi ended a policy implemented under former President Joe Biden that prohibited federal agencies from searching reporters&#8217; devices to identify a leaker. Bondi said that under her leadership, federal authorities would search reporters&#8217; devices and records only when necessary and after all other investigative avenues had been exhausted.

FBI/Washington Post

FBI Searches Washington Post Reporter’s Home In Classified Docs Probe, Leaker ‘Behind Bars’

classified documents

journalist

Media

Pam Bondi

Politics

Washington Post

Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin said that she is under federal investigation following her role in a video made by Democratic lawmakers in November, urging military members to &#8220;refuse illegal orders.&#8221;
Slotkin <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/us/politics/slotkin-pirro-trump-justice-dept-video.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share">told</a> The New York Times on Monday that the office of Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, reached out to the Senate sergeant-at-arms to request an interview with the first-term senator or her private counsel. Pirro&#8217;s office told The Daily Wire that it neither confirms nor denies &#8220;the existence of an investigation.&#8221;
Slotkin, a former CIA officer, organized the <a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948">video message</a> to military members, which included five other Democratic lawmakers who are also veterans. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Reps. Chris Deluzio (D-PA), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Maggie Goodlander (D-NH), and Jason Crow (D-CO) all appeared in Slotkin&#8217;s video and told military members, &#8220;This administration is pitting our uniformed military and intelligence community professionals against American citizens.&#8221;
&#8220;Like us, you all swore an oath to protect and defend this Constitution,&#8221; the Democrats added. &#8220;Right now, the threats to our Constitution aren&#8217;t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home. Our laws are clear: you can refuse illegal orders &#8230; you must refuse illegal orders.&#8221;
The Trump administration has referred to the group of Democrats in the video as the &#8220;Seditious Six,&#8221; arguing that their message is an attempt to undermine the commander-in-chief&#8217;s authority over the military. After the video was released, President Donald Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115582703277798715">suggested</a> that it constituted &#8220;seditious behavior, punishable by death.&#8221; Trump later said that he was not threatening the Democrats with the death penalty, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-democrats-sedition-death-threat-military-rcna245156">adding</a>, “I think they’re in serious trouble. I would say they’re in serious trouble. I’m not threatening death, but I think they’re in serious trouble. In the old days, it was death. That was seditious behavior.”
Sen. Kelly, a retired astronaut and naval officer, is currently under investigation by the War Department for his role in the &#8220;seditious video,&#8221; and War Secretary Pete Hegseth <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hegseth-moves-to-strip-mark-kelly-of-rank-and-pay-over-seditious-military-video">moved</a> earlier this month to strip Kelly of his rank and retirement pay. Kelly filed a lawsuit against Hegseth on Monday, arguing that Hegseth&#8217;s action violates the First Amendment.
&#8220;Pete Hegseth is coming after what I earned through my twenty-five years of military service, in violation of my rights as an American, as a retired veteran, and as a United States Senator whose job is to hold him—and this or any administration—accountable,&#8221; Kelly <a href="https://x.com/SenMarkKelly/status/2010787235549876286?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2011151451381498107%7Ctwgr%5E51310249b3c4ab3a335554f0d8d33fc75ab47b7d%7Ctwcon%5Es3_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fpete-hegseth-hits-back-at-captain-mark-kelly-he-knows-exactly-what-he-did">said</a>. &#8220;His unconstitutional crusade against me sends a chilling message to every retired member of the military: if you speak out and say something that the President or Secretary of Defense doesn’t like, you will be censured, threatened with demotion, or even prosecuted.&#8221;
Hegseth <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pete-hegseth-hits-back-at-captain-mark-kelly-he-knows-exactly-what-he-did?author=Virginia+Kruta&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=6&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Pete+Hegseth+Hits+Back+At+%E2%80%98Captain%E2%80%99+Mark+Kelly%3A+He+%E2%80%98Knows+Exactly+What+He+Did%E2%80%99">fired back</a>, saying that Kelly is &#8220;worried and cranky.&#8221;
“&#8217;Captain&#8217; Kelly knows exactly what he did, and that he will be held to account,&#8221; he added.

Elissa Slotkin

Dem Senator Says Feds Are Investigating Her After Urging Military To ‘Refuse Illegal Orders’

Democrats

Jeanine Pirro

U.S. Military

Christians in Syria saw the largest increase in persecution among any country in the world last year as regime change and terrorism threw the Islamic nation into chaos, according to the Christian organization Open Doors, which published its annual persecution watch list Wednesday morning.
The Open Doors <a href="https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/persecution/countries/">2026 World Watch List</a> revealed that Syria jumped up to No. 6 in overall Christian persecution, after coming in at No. 18 in last year’s list. Syria is now only behind North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, and Eritrea.
Open Doors CEO Ryan Brown told The Daily Wire that the recent political turmoil in Syria is the main contributing factor to the increase in persecution.
“With the fall of the Assad regime and as HTS [Hay&#8217;at Tahrir al-Sham] came into power, it created a lot of vacuums of control and authority,” Brown said. “The rule of law is weak in a number of areas, and in that, there’s just been a number of extremists that have just stepped into those voids.”
Brown pointed to multiple recent Islamic terror attacks targeting Syrian Christians, such as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jihadist-suicide-bomber-kills-20-wounds-dozens-more-at-orthodox-church" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suicide bombing</a> in June, when a terrorist opened fire on worshipers and then detonated a suicide vest, killing more than 20 Christians and wounding over 50 more. Christians in Syria are more likely to come under attack from Islamic terrorists who are fighting for control of certain areas in the unstable country, not from the government, which is now led by former HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa.
“The church is coming under attack especially in these areas where the government is not having a strong rule of law as part of this transition,” Brown added. “Traditionally, in some of these areas in Syria where the rule of law has not been strong, the tribalism becomes the ruling force and provides safety. Christian converts from Islam are typically rejected from these tribal infrastructures.”
It remains to be seen if al-Sharaa, a former terrorist leader, will tolerate Christians in Syria if he establishes a firm grip on the country. So far, the new Syrian leader has been actively seeking to take out Islamic terrorists that remain in Syria.
President Donald Trump met with al-Sharaa at the White House as he seeks to broker peace in the Middle East. The meeting marked the first time a Syrian leader and former jihadist met with the President of the United States.
Brown said the 12-spot change in Syria&#8217;s ranking between 2025 and 2026 was the largest year-over-year move for any country on the persecution watch list in more than a decade.
Syria, Nigeria, Pakistan, Libya, and Iran round out the top 10 of countries where Christians experience the most persecution, meaning that eight out of the top 10 countries on the 2026 World Watch List are majority Muslim nations.
<h3>Nigeria Was The ‘Epicenter’ Of Violence Against Christians In 2025</h3>
More Christians in Nigeria, which came in at No. 7 on the list, were killed for their faith than in any other country. Open Doors reported that 3,490 Nigerian Christians were killed last year, which was an increase from the estimated 3,100 killed in 2024. For comparison, 1,359 Christians are estimated to have been killed for their faith in all other countries combined in 2025.
Brown told The Daily Wire that Nigeria didn’t rank No. 1 on the persecution list because Open Doors considers multiple factors, not just violence, when ranking countries.
“The World Watch List looks at danger, but looks at a number of other factors as well. Nigeria would be the deadliest place to be a Christian, not necessarily the most difficult because there are places in the country where Christians are able to freely worship,” Brown said. “But Nigeria continues to be an epicenter of violence in parts of the country, in parts of the middle belt as well as in the northern parts of the country.”
Recent violence against Christians in Nigeria <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-next-peace-push-focuses-on-nigeria-and-sudan-where-christians-are-killed-by-the-thousands?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump%E2%80%99s+Next+Peace+Push+Focuses+On+Nigeria+And+Sudan%2C+Where+Christians+Are+Killed+By+The+Thousands" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gained the attention</a> of President Trump, who has pressured the Nigerian government to do more to protect Christians and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-threatens-to-completely-wipe-out-the-islamic-terrorists-killing-nigerian-christians?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Threatens+To+%E2%80%98Completely+Wipe+Out+The+Islamic+Terrorists%E2%80%99+Killing+Nigerian+Christians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">threatened</a> to take out terrorists in the country if they continue to target them.
<h3>Iran Increased Pressure On Christians During Internal Turmoil And Conflict With Israel And U.S.</h3>
Iran, which ranks No. 10 on the World Watch List, has ramped up its crackdown on Christians in the country as they are viewed as “enemies of the state” and “agents of the West,” Brown explained.
The Iranian regime has arrested numerous Christians in recent months as it seeks to keep control amid growing tensions. The regime believes that Christians are influenced by the West and, therefore, plotting the overthrow of the government, and recent events have likely made the regime’s crackdown on Christians even harsher. Iran was humiliated in 2025 in its war with Israel and then by the United States, when President Trump ordered the U.S. military to strike Iranian nuclear sites.
Iran is in the midst of massive demonstrations as protesters have taken to the streets, mainly over the regime’s failure to address an economic collapse. Trump has warned that he could take more action against Iran if it massacres protesters. One report indicates that the Iranian government has killed at least 12,000 demonstrators.
<h3>China Continues To Target Christianity</h3>
China dropped from No. 15 on the list in 2025 to No. 17 this year, but the communist country remains brutal toward Christians. In September, the Chinese government began to monitor the online activity of Christians, especially clergymen, more closely.
“This was in continuation to the churches they closed down the previous year — there’s been an increase in that — but now looking to clamp down on some of the online activity of Christians in the area, making it difficult for them to communicate or to worship,” Brown said.
The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/china-escalates-persecution-of-christians-with-more-shocking-arrests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> earlier this month that China arrested more prominent church leaders, detaining at least seven Christians affiliated with the Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, a city in southwestern China.
Brown said that people in China also face persecution from their local communities when they convert to Christianity, adding that many converts lose out on job or school opportunities, while some get their water or electricity cut off.
See the full list, and read a detailed report on each country in this year&#8217;s list <a href="https://www.opendoorsus.org/en-US/persecution/countries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Suicide Bombing Targets Church In Damascus, Leaving 20 Dead And Dozens Injured

2026 Watch List Reveals Biggest Increases In Christian Persecution Across The Globe

China

Christian Persecution

Christianity

Iran

Islam

Nigeria

Syria

President Donald Trump argued on Wednesday morning that Greenland is &#8220;vital&#8221; for his plans to build a &#8220;Golden Dome&#8221; of defense to protect the United States as he ramps up his push for the United States to acquire the territory.
Trump also said that NATO would benefit from the United States controlling Greenland, arguing it would keep Russia and China at bay. The president made his early morning comments on Greenland as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio prepare to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/denmark-greenland-face-vance-high-stakes-meeting-2026-01-14/">meet</a> with Denmark&#8217;s and Greenland&#8217;s foreign ministers at the White House on Wednesday to discuss the Trump administration&#8217;s efforts to acquire the large territory. Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, with control over most domestic affairs, while Denmark has authority over foreign policy and defense.
&#8220;The United States needs Greenland for the purpose of National Security. It is vital for the Golden Dome that we are building. NATO should be leading the way for us to get it. IF WE DON’T, RUSSIA OR CHINA WILL, AND THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115893255826342514">wrote</a>.
&#8220;Militarily, without the vast power of the United States, much of which I built during my first term, and am now bringing to a new and even higher level, NATO would not be an effective force or deterrent — Not even close! They know that, and so do I,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES. Anything less than that is unacceptable. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-reveals-new-details-about-golden-dome-missile-defense-system-to-protect-u-s">Golden Dome for America</a>&#8221; would set up a missile defense system encircling the United States, a much larger version of  Israel&#8217;s &#8220;Iron Dome.&#8221; The president hopes to complete the $175 billion defense project by the end of his term. Trump said the &#8220;Golden Dome&#8221; would complete the &#8220;Star Wars&#8221; defense plan conceived by former President Ronald Reagan. The first $25 billion for the plan was appropriated under Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221;
“Once fully constructed, the golden dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world, and even if they are launched from space, and we will have the best system ever built,” Trump said in May.
In the past month, Trump has focused much of his attention on acquiring Greenland, an idea he floated a few times last year. On December 21, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-taps-republican-governor-as-special-envoy-to-greenland-make-greenland-a-part-of-the-u-s">appointed</a> Louisiana Republican Governor Jeff Landry to serve as special envoy to Greenland, saying that Landry “understands how essential Greenland is to our National Security, and will strongly advance our Country’s Interests for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Allies, and indeed, the World.”
Trump told reporters at the White House last week that the United States would &#8220;do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not.&#8221; He said the United States would take control of Greenland the “easy way” — by making a deal — or the “hard way,” which he didn’t elaborate on. The White House has not ruled out using military force to achieve its goals with Greenland.
On Sunday, the president again <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-u-s-must-acquire-greenland-to-stop-russia-or-china-from-taking-control">stressed</a> the importance of the United States taking control of Greenland, adding that he was &#8220;not going to let&#8221; Russia or China invade the territory. Trump said he &#8220;would love&#8221; to make a deal with Denmark, which oversees Greenland, to acquire the territory. Leaders in Denmark and Greenland, however, have opposed Trump&#8217;s push to take control of Greenland.

Trump: Greenland Is Non-Negotiable For U.S. Security

U.S.

The federal prosecutor at the center of Minnesota&#8217;s massive welfare fraud investigation resigned on Tuesday as the Trump administration ramps up its broader push to uncover additional fraud in the state.
Joseph Thompson announced his resignation in an email without providing a reason for his abrupt departure, the Minnesota Star Tribune <a href="https://www.startribune.com/joe-thompson-us-attorney-who-uncovered-massive-fraud-in-minnesota-resigns-from-office/601563206">reported</a>. Thompson was the second-in-command at the U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office in Minnesota and made a name for himself as the lead prosecutor in the Feeding Our Future fraud case, which resulted in more than 50 guilty pleas and seven convictions. He was appointed by President Donald Trump last May to serve as acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota until Daniel Rosen assumed the top position in October.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to represent the United States and this office,” Thompson wrote in his email.
Two other prosecutors from the Minnesota U.S. Attorney&#8217;s Office also announced their resignations on Tuesday. Assistant U.S. Attorney Harry Jacobs, who also prosecuted the Feeding Our Future case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melinda Williams will also be leaving their posts.
Thompson&#8217;s resignation comes as he is being floated as a candidate for the Justice Department&#8217;s new assistant attorney general <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vance-announces-new-assistant-attorney-general-to-crack-down-on-nationwide-fraud" target="_blank" rel="noopener">position</a>, which will focus on combating fraud. The new role was announced by Vice President JD Vance last week, and Vance said that the position&#8217;s &#8220;efforts will start and focus primarily in Minnesota.&#8221;
It&#8217;s unclear if Thompson&#8217;s resignation is related to his potential candidacy for the new DOJ position. The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/us/3-prosecutors-quit-after-push-to-investigate-ice-shooting-victims-widow.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share">reported</a> that &#8220;people with knowledge&#8221; of the situation said Thompson&#8217;s resignation is over disagreements with the Justice Department&#8217;s push to investigate the wife of Renee Good, the Minneapolis woman fatally shot by a federal agent last week. Thompson opposed the Justice Department&#8217;s strategy as well as its decision to shut out state authorities from the shooting investigation, according to the Times.
The Justice Department did not say whether Thompson&#8217;s resignation was related to the shooting investigation. A DOJ official told The Daily, “As with any officer-involved shooting, each law enforcement agency has an internal investigation protocol, including DHS. As such, ICE [Office of Professional Responsibility] has its own investigation underway. This runs parallel to any FBI investigation.&#8221;
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O&#8217;Hara argued that the timing of Thompson&#8217;s resignation raises questions about the Trump administration&#8217;s justification for surging federal law enforcement and immigration agents in Minnesota.
“When you lose the leader responsible for making the fraud cases, it tells you this [immigration enforcement] isn’t really about prosecuting fraud,” O’Hara said.
Thompson&#8217;s work uncovering the massive Feeding Our Future fraud scheme threw Minnesota into the spotlight before more allegations of fraud involving Minneapolis&#8217;s large Somali population got the attention of the White House. Most of those implicated in the Feeding Our Future fraud case were of Somali descent, and now, the Trump administration is looking into claims of fraud being committed at Somali-run businesses and daycares, while swaths of immigration enforcement agents have been deployed to the Twin Cities.

Joe Thompson

U.S. Attorney Who Led Prosecution Of Sprawling Minnesota Fraud Ring Abruptly Resigns

Fraud

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently said that Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz refused to provide him security during a scheduled interview at the state capitol amid ongoing protests and a high-profile fraud investigation.
Bessent told conservative activist Chris Rufo that Walz is &#8220;a coward&#8221; who is &#8220;afraid of what&#8217;s coming&#8221; amid Treasury Department investigations into allegations of widespread fraud in Minnesota. The interview, which was released on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVlKt9NoSvw&amp;t=33s">The Blaze</a>, was initially scheduled to be held inside the Minnesota State Capitol, but it had to be moved to another location because Walz &#8220;would not guarantee that the Treasury Secretary of the United States of America would have police protection,&#8221; according to Bessent.
&#8220;Tim Walz is a coward. He is a coward,&#8221; Bessent <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2010885601038393657">said</a>, adding, &#8220;He is afraid of what&#8217;s coming. He&#8217;s not going to be able to hide behind this curtain because we will get there, and I don&#8217;t have to go into the Capitol building to investigate him. I would love for him to come to Treasury and answer some questions. I can guarantee you that he will be safe and sound then. Depending on what we discover, I don&#8217;t know about his future.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to Walz&#8217;s office for comment.
The state capitol was the site of at least one large demonstration last Friday, which remained peaceful as thousands of demonstrators gathered to hold a vigil for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent. Walz attended the vigil at the state capitol and was surrounded by state troopers, Fox 9 <a href="https://www.fox9.com/news/minneapolis-ice-shooting-community-demands-justice-renee-good-capitol-vigil">reported</a>.
Bessent is in the Twin Cities as the Treasury Department seeks to &#8220;combat rampant government benefits fraud.&#8221; The fraud probe stems from a federal indictment against dozens of Minnesotans — most of them of Somali descent — alleging that they received state funds for welfare programs, but the funds were &#8220;diverted to benefit Somali fraud rings.”
The Treasury secretary&#8217;s visit to Minneapolis coincides with anti-ICE protests and clashes with federal law enforcement officers. The demonstrations have continued for more than five days after the shooting death of Good. Along with pushing back against the Trump administration&#8217;s fraud investigation, Minnesota also filed a lawsuit on Monday to stop the surge of federal agents to the state, arguing that Minnesota is being unfairly targeted over &#8220;differences of opinion.&#8221;
“The obvious targeting of Minnesota for our diversity, for our democracy, and our differences of opinion with the federal government is a violation of the Constitution and of federal law,” said Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison.
Shortly after Minnesota filed the lawsuit against the federal government, the Trump administration deployed 1,000 more Border Patrol agents to the state to continue the immigration crackdown.
On the fraud front, Bessent <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2010891373097173211">suggested</a> that the federal investigation into Minnesota uncovered some troubling issues with Ellison.
&#8220;There are evidently some disturbing tapes of AG Ellison in meetings with people who donated to him — them calling for political favors to stop the investigations,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So, we&#8217;ll see. Again, I don&#8217;t want to get out ahead of the investigation. We&#8217;re going to be very methodical, and Chris, I can guarantee you, when the bear trap snaps, we&#8217;re going to get these folks.&#8221;
Bessent&#8217;s comment about Ellison likely refers to the attorney general&#8217;s highly scrutinized December 2021 meeting, during which Ellison spoke with individuals linked to the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. A nearly 55-minute <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/keith-ellison-held-chummy-meeting-with-feeding-our-future-fraudsters-weeks-before-fbi-raid-audio-shows-contradicting-minnesota-ags-public-statements/">recording</a> from the meeting revealed that Ellison condemned the Minnesota Education Department&#8217;s probe into Feeding Our Future, claiming it was done in &#8220;a very racist, xenophobic, Islamophobic manner.&#8221;
When reached for comment, Ellison&#8217;s office directed The Daily Wire to an <a href="https://www.startribune.com/attorney-general-keith-ellison-my-meeting-before-feeding-our-future-raid-was-routine/601335939">op-ed</a> the attorney general wrote last April in response to criticism of the meeting.
&#8220;I took a meeting in good faith with people I didn’t know and some turned out to have done bad things,&#8221; Ellison wrote in the op-ed. &#8220;I did nothing for them and took nothing from them. Some months later, some of them were held accountable for their illegal conduct in the Feeding Our Future case, as well they should have been. I’m glad they were.&#8221;
Somali immigrants in Minnesota are also accused of funneling stolen government funds to Somalia and into the hands of the terrorist organization, Al-Shabaab.
&#8220;There&#8217;s tons of luxury properties and cars that have been bought over there,&#8221; Bessent said, referring to East Africa. &#8220;How the hell does this happen? How did it happen? President Trump is outraged. I&#8217;m outraged. The American people should be outraged.&#8221;

Tim Walz/Scott Bessent

Bessent Blasts ‘Coward’ Tim Walz For Withholding Security Amid Fraud Probe, Anti-ICE Protests

Keith Ellison

Scott Bessent

Tim Walz

Former President Bill Clinton refused to testify before the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday after he and former first lady Hillary Clinton were subpoenaed to appear for a closed-door hearing on their relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
House Oversight Republicans, led by Kentucky Rep. James Comer, said they will seek to hold the former president in contempt of Congress next week.
&#8220;As a result of Bill Clinton not showing up for his lawful subpoena, which again was voted unanimously by the committee in a bipartisan manner, we will move next week in the House Oversight Committee markup to hold former President Clinton in contempt of Congress,&#8221; Comer said.
&#8220;I think everyone knows by now Bill Clinton did not show up,&#8221; Comer added. &#8220;No one&#8217;s accusing Bill Clinton of any wrongdoing. We just have questions. And that&#8217;s why the Democrats voted, along with Republicans, to subpoena Bill Clinton.&#8221;
Hillary Clinton is scheduled to testify on Wednesday, but it also appears that she will not comply with the subpoena, according to a letter the Clintons sent to Comer.
“Every person has to decide when they have seen or had enough and are ready to fight for this country, its principles and its people, no matter the consequences,” the Clintons wrote in the letter, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/01/13/us/politics/clinton-legal-letter-comer.html">according</a> to The New York Times. “For us, now is that time.”
The lengthy letter, which was sent by the Clintons&#8217; attorneys, argued that the former president and first lady had &#8220;already provided the limited information they possess about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to the Committee.&#8221; They also claimed that the committee&#8217;s subpoenas &#8220;are invalid and legally unenforceable, untethered to a valid legislative purpose, unwarranted because they do not seek pertinent information, and an unprecedented infringement on the separation of powers.&#8221;
The Clintons were initially scheduled to appear before Congress in mid-December, but Comer moved their testimonies to January 13 and 14 to accommodate their funeral obligation. After receiving a subpoena to appear before the committee, the Clintons&#8217; lawyer asked if they could submit “a written proffer of what little information” they have on Epstein. Comer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/congress-just-ordered-the-clintons-to-face-epstein-depositions-heres-when-theyll-be-grilled">denied</a> that request in November and ordered the Clintons to appear for their depositions.
Epstein, whose past relationship with President Donald Trump has been scrutinized over the past year, was also friends with the Clintons. Bill Clinton traveled on Epstein&#8217;s infamous private jet with the disgraced financier and his associate Maxwell multiple times. Clinton was also photographed receiving a back massage from then-22-year-old Epstein accuser Chauntae Davies.
There is no evidence that Hillary traveled with Epstein, and neither Bill nor Hillary has been accused of any wrongdoing related to Epstein’s sex crimes. Bill Clinton&#8217;s relationship with Epstein, however, is back in the spotlight as the Department of Justice has begun releasing more files and photos from the Epstein estate. Some of the images <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-clinton-responds-to-shocking-photos-in-epstein-file-dump">show</a> Clinton swimming in a pool alongside Maxwell, and in another, he is in a hot tub with a woman whose face is redacted.
President Trump, who also used to be a friend of Epstein&#8217;s, has accused Clinton of visiting Epstein&#8217;s island, a claim that Clinton denies. But Trump <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-on-release-epstein-files-photos-clinton-others/">said</a> last month that he didn&#8217;t like the pictures of Clinton being released to the public.
&#8220;I think Bill Clinton&#8217;s a big boy, he can handle it,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;But you probably have pictures being exposed of other people that innocently met Jeffrey Epstein years ago &#8230; and they&#8217;re highly respected bankers and lawyers and others.&#8221;
In a statement <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-clinton-responds-to-shocking-photos-in-epstein-file-dump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responding</a> to the photos, Clinton&#8217;s chief of staff, Angel Ureña, said that the former president &#8220;knew nothing and cut Epstein off before his crimes came to light.&#8221;
“The White House hasn’t been hiding these files for months only to dump them late on a Friday to protect Bill Clinton,” Ureña added. “This is about shielding themselves from what comes next, or from what they’ll try and hide forever. So they can release as many grainy, 20-plus-year-old photos as they want, but this isn’t about Bill Clinton. Never has, never will be.”

Bill and Hillary Clinton

Republicans Seek To Hold Bill Clinton In Contempt After He Refuses To Testify On Epstein

Bill Clinton

Epstein Files

Hillary Clinton

House Oversight Committee

James Comer

Jeffrey Epstein

President Donald Trump made his argument for keeping his far-reaching &#8220;reciprocal tariffs&#8221; on Monday and said that the United States would be &#8220;screwed&#8221; if the Supreme Court rules against his unprecedented trade policy.
The Supreme Court could release its highly anticipated decision on the tariff case as soon as Wednesday, but it remains unknown when exactly the court will rule on the Trump administration&#8217;s emergency appeal. Trump said that a ruling against his administration would force the United States to pay back &#8220;hundreds of billions of dollars.&#8221;
&#8220;The actual numbers that we would have to pay back if, for any reason, the Supreme Court were to rule against the United States of America on Tariffs, would be many Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and that doesn’t include the amount of &#8216;payback&#8217; that Countries and Companies would require for the Investments they are making on building Plants, Factories, and Equipment, for the purpose of being able to avoid the payment of Tariffs,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115883475463948362">wrote</a> on Truth Social.
The United States collected around $200 billion in tariff revenue last year, largely thanks to Trump&#8217;s tariffs, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Trump has used his so-called reciprocal tariffs to pressure companies to manufacture products in the United States to avoid his hefty import taxes. He argued that, taking foreign investments into account, the repercussions of a ruling against his tariffs could result in trillions of dollars no longer going into the U.S. economy.
&#8220;It would be a complete mess, and almost impossible for our Country to pay. Anybody who says that it can be quickly and easily done would be making a false, inaccurate, or totally misunderstood answer to this very large and complex question,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;It may not be possible but, if it were, it would be Dollars that would be so large that it would take many years to figure out what number we are talking about and even, who, when, and where, to pay. Remember, when America shines brightly, the World shines brightly. In other words, if the Supreme Court rules against the United States of America on this National Security bonanza, WE’RE SCREWED!&#8221;
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, however, said that the United States wouldn&#8217;t have a problem paying tariff refunds, but he added that it would be &#8220;a corporate boondoggle.&#8221;
“Costco, who’s suing the U.S. government, are they going to give the money back to their clients?” Bessent asked.
During <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-liberation-day-tariffs-face-skepticism-among-some-supreme-court-justices">oral arguments</a> in November, some of the conservative justices who Trump will need to side with him appeared skeptical of the president&#8217;s authority to impose his global tariffs. The case centers on questions around the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and whether Trump’s tariffs should be considered a tax.
Trump’s Solicitor General, John Sauer, argued before the court that national emergencies related to the fentanyl crisis and America’s declining industrial base justify Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs. The court&#8217;s liberal justices appeared to side with the plaintiffs in the case, which are a group of American businesses. The businesses argue that tariffs act as taxes on the American people, and only Congress has the authority to levy taxes.
Conservative Justices John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett also expressed skepticism about some of the Trump administration&#8217;s arguments.

Trump: ‘We’re Screwed’ If SCOTUS Rules Against Wide-Ranging Tariffs

Trump: 'We're Screwed' If SCOTUS Rules Against Wide-Ranging Tariffs

Economy

Supreme Court

Tariffs

trade

President Donald Trump is set to meet with exiled Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado at the White House on Thursday, a White House official confirmed to The Daily Wire.
The meeting comes as Trump plans the next phase for Venezuela&#8217;s government and oil industry as the United States continues to apply pressure on the socialist regime following the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro. Trump appears to have a strong relationship with Machado, who was named the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize over Trump, but the president said earlier this month that he doesn&#8217;t believe Machado has enough &#8220;support&#8221; or &#8220;respect&#8221; in Venezuela to become its next leader.
“I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader,” Trump said. “She doesn’t have the support within, or the respect within, the country. She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect.”
Machado has been one of Maduro&#8217;s top enemies after gaining momentum as an opposition leader in 2024. Despite winning her party&#8217;s primary to challenge Maduro, she was disqualified by the government as a presidential candidate. She then backed Maduro&#8217;s challenger, Edmundo González, but was forced to flee the country after Maduro was declared the winner of the 2024 presidential election over González despite evidence showing that Maduro lost.
After the United States captured Maduro in a late-night raid on January 3, Trump has declined to throw his support behind a regime change, which could put someone like Machado or González in power. Instead, Trump continues to negotiate with the interim government, which remains loyal to Maduro.
“We don’t want to be involved with having somebody else get in, and we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years,” Trump said at a press conference following Maduro&#8217;s capture.
Venezuela&#8217;s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, condemned the United States following the raid on Maduro&#8217;s compound and claims that Maduro remains the rightful leader of the country.
Machado&#8217;s meeting with Trump could give the opposition leader an opportunity to convince the president to push for major government reform in Venezuela, and she suggested that she would offer Trump her Nobel Peace Prize for the work he&#8217;s done in capturing Maduro. Trump responded to the offer, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5681120-trump-machado-nobel-peace-prize/">saying</a> it would be a &#8220;great honor&#8221; to accept the prize from Machado. The Norwegian Nobel Institute said on Friday, however, that the prize cannot be transferred to another person after it has been awarded.
“Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others,” the institute wrote, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/10/world/americas/trump-nobel-peace-prize-maria-machado.html">according</a> to The New York Times. “The decision is final and stands for all time.”
After she was named the Nobel Peace Prize winner in October, Machado <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nobel-peace-prize-winner-dedicates-award-to-trump-for-his-decisive-support">dedicated</a> the award to Trump “for his decisive support of our cause.” Trump has long sought a Nobel and said earlier this month that it was “a major embarrassment to Norway” that he was not the 2025 winner.

TOPSHOT-NORWAY-VENEZUELA-NOBEL-PEACE-PRIZE

Trump Sets Date To Meet With Machado After Saying She Likely Won’t Lead Venezuela

Trump Sets Date For Sit-Down With Machado After Saying She Likely Won't Lead Venezuela

Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela

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Zach Jewell