President Donald Trump made his intentions to acquire Greenland even more clear on Friday, arguing that the territory is important to fighting back against Russian and Chinese aggression.
Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2009735362227175513">said</a> the United States would take control of Greenland the &#8220;easy way&#8221; — by making a deal — or the &#8220;hard way,&#8221; which he didn&#8217;t elaborate on. The president made the comments on Greenland while taking questions from reporters at the White House during a roundtable with oil executives that focused on rejuvenating Venezuela&#8217;s oil industry.
&#8220;Right now, we are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don&#8217;t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;And we&#8217;re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbor.&#8221;
&#8220;I would like to make a deal the easy way, but if we don&#8217;t do it the easy way, we&#8217;re going to do it the hard way,&#8221; he added.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier this week that the U.S. military &#8220;is always an option at the commander-in-chief&#8217;s disposal&#8221; when discussing the national security importance of Greenland. Trump has suggested at times throughout his second term that the United States should take over Greenland, but following his recent move on Venezuela, the president has made Greenland a major focus of his foreign policy plans.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/denmark-greenland-request-meeting-with-rubio-after-trump-revives-push-for-new-territory">said</a> earlier this week that the threat of Trump using military force on Greenland is important to his negotiating strategy. Rubio added that Trump prefers to purchase Greenland from Denmark, which oversees the autonomous territory and is a NATO ally.
After Trump revived his push for Greenland, the territory&#8217;s leaders, along with Denmark, pushed back and requested a meeting with Rubio.
“The strong request for a meeting is related to the U.S.’s claims about our country,” said Greenland Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeld, according to ABC News. “Unfortunately, our country’s request for a meeting for a long time has not been successful, although this has been repeatedly requested by our country.”
Denmark Foreign Minister Lars Rasmussen also requested to meet with Rubio, and the U.S. secretary of State plans to meet with Denmark officials next week, ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/denmark-greenland-seek-talks-rubio-after-white-house-128973261">reported</a>.
European nations and Canada have expressed concern after Trump revived talk about taking over Greenland. In a joint statement from France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and Denmark, European leaders said that &#8220;Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.&#8221; Canada and the Netherlands also endorsed the statement, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/only-greenland-denmark-can-decide-their-future-european-leaders-say-joint-2026-01-06/">reported</a>.
Trump told reporters on Sunday that the United States needs &#8220;Greenland from the standpoint of national security and the European Union needs us to have it and they know that.” Trump&#8217;s adviser, Stephen Miller, then said on Monday, &#8220;Nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland.&#8221;
Republican lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), have also pushed back on the idea of the U.S. military being used to acquire Greenland. Johnson said, &#8220;I don’t think it’s appropriate,&#8221; while Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5678420-john-kennedy-greenland-invasion-stupid/">said</a> that &#8220;even a modestly intelligent ninth grader knows that to invade Greenland would be weapons-grade stupid.&#8221;
“Now, President Trump is not weapons-grade stupid, nor is Marco Rubio. They do not plan to invade Greenland,” Kennedy added.

US-VENEZUELA-POLITICS-CONFLICT-OIL

Trump: U.S. Will ‘Do Something On Greenland Whether They Like It Or Not’

Denmark

Donald Trump

Foreign Policy

Global Politics

Greenland

U.S.

World

A team of American diplomats arrived in Venezuela on Friday, marking the first time American officials have set foot in Caracas following the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Acting U.S. Ambassador to Colombia John McNamara traveled to Caracas alongside security personnel from the Venezuela Affairs Unit, which is also based in Colombia, “to conduct an initial assessment for a potential phased resumption of operations,” CNN <a href="https://x.com/jmhansler/status/2009642474659254408">reported</a>. President Donald Trump said last weekend that the United States would assume control of Venezuela for the foreseeable future after the U.S. military and law enforcement raided Maduro&#8217;s compound and took the Venezuelan dictator and his wife back to the United States to stand trial.
The State Department is visiting Caracas on Friday as the Trump administration seeks to reopen its embassy in the capital. The United States evacuated its embassy in Caracas in 2019 during the first Trump administration amid political upheaval and after Maduro ordered the American diplomats to leave the country.
The State Department visit comes shortly after President Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-cancels-second-wave-of-attacks-as-venezuela-frees-political-prisoners?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Cancels+%E2%80%98Second+Wave+Of+Attacks%E2%80%99+As+Venezuela+Frees+Political+Prisoners">said</a> on Friday morning that the Venezuelan government cooperated with his request to release political prisoners. Trump said that he &#8220;cancelled&#8221; his plan to conduct a &#8220;second wave of attacks&#8221; on the country due to Venezuela&#8217;s cooperation.
After Maduro&#8217;s capture, Venezuela remains under the leadership of government officials who remain loyal to the socialist dictator. Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has stood by Maduro since assuming the role, claiming that he remains the rightful leader of Venezuela. The socialist government continues to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pro-maduro-militias-crack-down-on-dissent-search-for-supporters-of-u-s-raid">crack down</a> on dissent and deployed paramilitary members to the streets of Caracas to search for Venezuelans who supported the U.S. raid.
Trump has not said exactly how long the United States will oversee Venezuela, but suggested earlier this week that American oversight of the South American country could last for years, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/us/politics/trump-interview-venezuela.html">reported</a>.
“We will rebuild it in a very profitable way. We’re going to be using oil, and we’re going to be taking oil. We’re getting oil prices down, and we’re going to be giving money to Venezuela, which they desperately need,” Trump said.
The Trump administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-to-control-venezuelan-oil-sales-as-leverage-for-change-energy-secretary-says?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=U.S.+To+Control+Venezuelan+Oil+Sales+As+%E2%80%98Leverage%E2%80%99+For+%E2%80%98Change%2C%E2%80%99+Energy+Secretary+Says">plans</a> to control the sales of Venezuelan oil and use it as &#8220;leverage&#8221; for reforming the country, according to Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
“If we control the flow of oil, the sales of that oil, and the flow of the cash that comes from those sales, we have large leverage,” Wright said. “But without large leverage … you don’t get change.”
“This should be a wealthy, prosperous, peaceful energy powerhouse,” he added. “That’s the plan.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is taking a leading role in U.S. oversight of Venezuela, laid out parts of the Trump administration&#8217;s plan for the country. Rubio <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/07/us/politics/us-venezuela-plan-rubio.html">said</a> on Wednesday that the priority is “the stabilization of the country.” Next, Rubio said that the United States would focus on rejuvenating the Venezuelan economy by &#8220;ensuring that American, Western and other companies have access to the Venezuelan market in a way that’s fair.&#8221; Finally, the Secretary of State said that the Trump administration wants to see Venezuela rebuild its &#8220;civil society.&#8221;
Trump, Rubio, Wright, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are set to meet with executives from U.S. oil firms at the White House on Friday afternoon as American energy companies are expected to invest at least $100 billion to help rebuild Venezuela’s oil industry.

Caracas

U.S. Diplomats Arrive In Venezuela For ‘Initial Assessment’ Following Maduro’s Capture

State Department

Trump Administration

Venezuela

A Minneapolis learning center facing fraud officially shut its doors earlier this week — shortly after it finally fixed its misspelled sign.
State <a href="https://licensinglookup.dhs.state.mn.us/Details.aspx?l=1087038">records</a> show that the Quality Learning Center&#8217;s license was &#8220;closed as of January 6, 2026,&#8221; following weeks of scrutiny after journalist Nick Shirley featured the center in a video on alleged Somali daycare fraud in Minnesota. The daycare received around $1.9 million from Minnesota&#8217;s Child Care Assistance Program in 2025, bringing its total state funding up to around $10 million since 2019, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/01/us/minnesota-daycare-fraud-allegations-somali">CNN</a>.
The center, which misspelled &#8220;learning&#8221; on its sign, appeared to be empty when Shirley showed up to ask questions in a video he posted on December 26. A man who identified himself as the manager of the Quality Learning Center later <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/theres-no-fraud-manager-of-misspelled-quality-learing-center-responds-to-fraud-claims">told</a> reporters that Shirley arrived too early for any children to be present, as the center operates from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
&#8220;Kids come to us, clients come to us, their parents come to us – they’re here daily, they leave on time, they come on time. There is no fraud going on whatsoever,” said Ibrahim Ali, who added that he was born in the United States and is of Somali descent. Ali argued that Shirley&#8217;s video was meant to paint Minnesota&#8217;s large Somali community in a negative light.
After Shirley&#8217;s video went viral, around 20 children were seen going into the Quality Learning Center&#8217;s building, the New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/12/29/us-news/quality-learing-daycare-targeted-in-minneapolis-fraud-video-blames-designer-for-typo-as-worker-snaps-at-post-reporter-get-the-f-k-out-of-here/">reported</a>.
“We’ve never seen kids go in there until today. That parking lot is empty all the time, and I was under the impression that place is permanently closed,” one person told the Post on December 29.
A state official said last month that the Quality Learning Center had already closed down after Shirley&#8217;s video spread online and in the media, but a spokeswoman for the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families later clarified that the center decided to remain open. Two weeks later, however, it appears that the owners of the suspicious daycare changed their minds.
Along with allegations of fraud, the Quality Learning Center also faced an astonishing number of state violations. The daycare was hit with 121 violations from state inspectors in the past four years, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/not-learing-its-lesson-suspicious-minneapolis-daycare-was-hit-with-astonishing-number-of-violations">reported</a>. The 121 violations in four years are extraordinarily high for daycares in Minnesota, as the vast majority of daycares in the state received no violations during their annual licensing review, according to a 2020 government <a href="https://www.lrl.mn.gov/docs/2020/mandated/200311.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>.
A state inspection in December of 2022 found that the daycare did not properly keep children’s attendance records. In 2024, the center received multiple violations because it lacked children’s physical exam and immunization documentation.
The fraud allegations threw Minnesota back into the spotlight last month after federal prosecutors charged dozens of people for allegedly defrauding taxpayers and taking money from state welfare programs. Most of the people charged by the feds in the alleged scheme were of Somali descent.
The fraud investigations in Minnesota also led to the Trump administration deploying 2,000 federal agents to Minneapolis last week. The city&#8217;s leftist leaders and residents have protested President Donald Trump&#8217;s move to target Minneapolis in immigration enforcement, and chaos erupted on Wednesday when a woman was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent after she blocked federal agents with her vehicle and then began to drive toward an agent who was standing in front of her SUV.
Protests continued on Thursday morning following the shooting as demonstrators confronted federal agents outside of an ICE facility. Schools in Minneapolis also closed on Thursday as the city braced for anti-ICE protests.
<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+Minneapolis+Schools+Close+As+City+Braces+For+Anti-ICE+Protests+After+Shooting">Related: LIVE UPDATES: Minneapolis Schools Close As City Braces For Anti-ICE Protests After Shooting</a>

Screenshot: X

Minneapolis Quality ‘Learing’ Center Is Officially Closed, State Records Show

Fraud

Minneapolis

Minnesota

President Donald Trump released a statement blasting the &#8220;Radical Left&#8221; on Wednesday after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis who drove her vehicle toward him.
Trump said the video of the shooting &#8220;is a horrible thing to watch&#8221; and added that &#8220;the woman driving the car was very disorderly, obstructing and resisting, who then violently, willfully, and viciously ran over the ICE Officer, who seems to have shot her in self-defense.&#8221;
&#8220;Based on the attached clip, it is hard to believe he is alive, but is now recovering in the hospital,&#8221; the president <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115855701696773990">said</a> regarding the ICE agent who appeared to be clipped by the woman&#8217;s vehicle. &#8220;The situation is being studied, in its entirety, but the reason these incidents are happening is because the Radical Left is threatening, assaulting, and targeting our Law Enforcement Officers and ICE Agents on a daily basis. They are just trying to do the job of MAKING AMERICA SAFE. We need to stand by and protect our Law Enforcement Officers from this Radical Left Movement of Violence and Hate!&#8221;
<a href="https://x.com/maxnesterak/status/2008961959731859757?s=20">Video footage</a> shows ICE agents approach the woman&#8217;s car, with one agent attempting to open the driver&#8217;s side door. Another agent approached the front of the vehicle, and the woman began to drive toward him before three shots were fired. The agent near the front of the vehicle appeared to be clipped by the car.
Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz blamed ICE and the Trump administration for inflaming tensions in Minneapolis, leading to the deadly shooting on Wednesday.
&#8220;To Minnesotans, I say this, I feel your anger. I&#8217;m angry,&#8221; Walz said during a press conference. &#8220;They want a show. We can&#8217;t give it to them. We cannot. If you protest and express your First Amendment rights, please do so peacefully as you always do. We can&#8217;t give them what they want.&#8221;
Walz added that he has reached out to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and is awaiting her response.
Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey also blamed federal agents for the fatal shooting and told ICE to &#8220;get the f*ck out of Minneapolis.&#8221;
We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety and you are doing exactly the opposite. People are being hurt. Families are being ripped apart,&#8221; he added. “Now, somebody is dead. And that’s on you. And it’s also on you to leave. It’s on you to make sure that further damage, further loss of life and injury is not done.”

President Trump Presents The Mexican Border Defense Medal At The White House

Trump Blasts ‘Radical Left’ After ICE Agent Fatally Shoots Woman Who Drove Car Toward Him

Trump Blasts 'Radical Left' After ICE Agent Fatally Shoots Woman Who Drove Car Toward Him

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Tim Walz

Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey blamed federal agents for the fatal shooting of a woman who interfered with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation on Wednesday.
Frey held a press conference with other city leaders, including the Minneapolis police chief, shortly after the deadly shooting, which the Department of Homeland Security said was done in self-defense after a &#8220;violent&#8221; agitator attempted to &#8220;run over&#8221; an ICE agent. The mayor, however, blamed ICE for the woman&#8217;s death and called Homeland Security&#8217;s account of the incident &#8220;garbage&#8221; and &#8220;not true.&#8221;
&#8220;There is little I can say that will make this situation better, but I do have a message for our community, for our city, and I have a message for ICE,&#8221; Frey said. &#8220;To ICE, get the f*ck out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety and you are doing exactly the opposite. People are being hurt. Families are being ripped apart.&#8221;
&#8220;Now, somebody is dead,&#8221; he added. &#8220;And that&#8217;s on you. And it&#8217;s also on you to leave. It&#8217;s on you to make sure that further damage, further loss of life and injury is not done.&#8221;
Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz also <a href="https://x.com/GovTimWalz/status/2008980259199394021">suggested</a> that the Trump administration is lying about the shooting.
&#8220;I’ve seen the video. Don’t believe this propaganda machine,&#8221; Walz said. &#8220;The state will ensure there is a full, fair, and expeditious investigation to ensure accountability and justice.&#8221;
<a href="https://x.com/maxnesterak/status/2008961959731859757?s=20">Video footage</a> of the incident showed the female driver of a vehicle stop in the middle of the street before being approached by multiple federal agents. As the agents move toward the vehicle and attempt to open her car door, the driver hits the gas, and the vehicle appears to clip an agent who was approaching the front of the car. The agent at the front of the car fired at least two shots as the woman appeared to drive toward him. The woman was transported to a local hospital and declared dead shortly after.
The DHS <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/2008958123092979817">called</a> the incident &#8220;an act of domestic terrorism.&#8221;
&#8220;An ICE officer, fearing for his life, the lives of his fellow law enforcement and the safety of the public, fired defensive shots. He used his training and saved his own life and that of his fellow officers,&#8221; Homeland Security added. &#8220;The alleged perpetrator was hit and is deceased. The ICE officers who were hurt are expected to make full recoveries.&#8221;
The Democratic mayor said that the city would work &#8220;toward justice as quickly&#8221; as possible and urged Minneapolis residents to &#8220;rise to the occasion&#8221; and &#8220;respond with the best version of self.&#8221;
&#8220;We are better than a bunch of ICE agents being deployed to cities around the country and ripping apart families and communities. We&#8217;re better than that,&#8221; he said. &#8220;So, we are going to meet that hate with love.&#8221;
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O&#8217;Hara said that Minneapolis police officers responded to the scene of the shooting and found a woman &#8220;with a gunshot wound to the head.&#8221;
&#8220;The preliminary information that we have is that this woman was in her vehicle and blocking the roadway on Portland Avenue, midway between 33rd Street and 34th Street in the city,&#8221; O&#8217;Hara added. &#8220;At some point, a federal law enforcement officer approached her on foot and the vehicle began to drive off. At least two shots were fired. The vehicle then crashed on the side of the roadway.&#8221;
O&#8217;Hara said the FBI and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension had taken over the scene for an investigation into the deadly shooting.
President Donald Trump&#8217;s deployment of around 2,000 federal agents to Minneapolis sparked outcry from leftist leaders in Minnesota, including Walz and Frey. The Trump administration is targeting Minneapolis in its immigration enforcement operation as the state faces scrutiny over a massive fraud scandal that involves many people from the state&#8217;s large population of Somali immigrants.

Mayor Jacob Frey

Minneapolis Mayor Blames Feds For Fatal Shooting, Tells ICE To ‘Get The F*ck Out’

Illegal Immigation

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright expanded on President Donald Trump&#8217;s plan to control Venezuelan oil on Wednesday, saying the United States would soon begin selling Venezuelan crude &#8220;into the marketplace&#8221; and use the sales as &#8220;leverage&#8221; to push the Venezuelan government toward lasting &#8220;change.&#8221;
Wright addressed the situation in Venezuela at the annual Goldman Sachs energy conference in Miami, saying the Trump administration&#8217;s goal is to get Venezuelan crude &#8220;moving again and sell it.&#8221; The U.S.-controlled oil would be sold to buyers in the United States and around the world, with the revenue &#8220;deposited into accounts controlled by the U.S.,&#8221; according to Wright.
&#8220;If we control the flow of oil, the sales of that oil, and the flow of the cash that comes from those sales, we have large leverage,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But without large leverage &#8230; you don&#8217;t get change.&#8221;
&#8220;This should be a wealthy, prosperous, peaceful energy powerhouse,&#8221; Wright said of Venezuela. &#8220;That&#8217;s the plan.&#8221;
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-venezuela-will-turn-over-30-50-million-barrels-of-oil-to-u-s">said</a> on Tuesday that Venezuela would turn over 30 to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States following the U.S. strikes on the country and the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
“This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “I have asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute this plan, immediately.”
Wright, a former oil and gas CEO, said Wednesday that Venezuela&#8217;s oil infrastructure is in poor condition, adding that he&#8217;s been speaking to the leaders of energy companies about how it could be improved.
&#8220;The history is bad, but what are the necessary conditions it would take you to kind of help nudge things along?&#8221; Wright said he asked of the energy companies. &#8220;What are the necessary conditions it would take you to put billions of dollars in to develop fields and build infrastructure?&#8221;
The United States continues enforcing a naval blockade around Venezuela, blocking sanctioned tankers from transporting oil to other countries. Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. forces seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that had evaded the blockade after being linked to Venezuelan oil shipments, officials said.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-united-states-strikes-venezuela-captures-president-maduro?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+U.S.+Military+Seizes+Sanctioned+Oil+Tanker+Sailing+Under+Russian+Flag">LIVE UPDATES: U.S. Military Seizes Sanctioned Oil Tanker Sailing Under Russian Flag</a>
Venezuela&#8217;s oil production dropped significantly after the country was taken over by socialist dictators. At its peak in the 1970s, Venezuela produced about 3.5 million barrels per day, but as of last year, it had plunged to roughly 1.1 million barrels per day, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-wants-venezuelan-oil-flowing-again-with-revenues-us-accounts-wright-says-2026-01-07/">reported</a>.
&#8220;We could get several hundred thousand barrels a day of additional production in short to medium term if the conditions are there for just small capital deployments,&#8221; Wright said. He added that it will &#8220;take tens of billions of dollars and significant time&#8221; for the United States to return Venezuela to its &#8220;historical numbers&#8221; of crude output, but said it would be worth the effort.
&#8220;Don&#8217;t we want a better world? A better world for Americans, a better world for Western Hemisphere, a better world for Venezuelans?&#8221; he asked.

Chris Wright

U.S. To Control Venezuelan Oil Sales As ‘Leverage’ For ‘Change,’ Energy Secretary Says

U.S. To Control Venezuelan Oil Sales As 'Leverage' For 'Change,' Energy Secretary Says

Department of Energy

Nicolas Maduro

Plain-clothes gunmen deployed by Venezuela&#8217;s leaders are walking the streets and stopping vehicles as they crack down on dissent and pro-American sentiment in the wake of the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces.
The paramilitary members, known as Colectivos, were out in full force on Tuesday as the pro-Maduro regime seeks to maintain control of the country following the surprise U.S. strikes over the weekend, The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/07/caracas-venezuela-paramilitary-groups">reported</a>. Men armed with rifles set up checkpoints in the capital city of Caracas, where they stopped drivers to search their vehicles, phones, and personal belongings, looking for any evidence of support for the United States capturing Maduro, according to <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/01/06/venezuela-police-door-to-door-maduro-arrest/">The Telegraph</a>.
Police, meanwhile, were <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/06/world-news/pro-maduro-motorcycle-gang-colectivos-hunting-for-trump-supporters-in-caracas/">instructed</a> to &#8220;immediately begin the national search and capture of everyone involved in the promotion or support for the armed attack by the United States.&#8221;
One Caracas resident, Mirelvis Escalona, told The Guardian that anyone who is suspected of supporting the United States could be arrested. The Colectivos are reportedly targeting neighborhoods known to be home to those who support the opposition to Venezuela&#8217;s current government.
“There’s fear. There are armed civilians here,&#8221; said Escalona. &#8220;You never know what might happen, they might attack people.”
On Monday, 14 journalists, mostly foreign correspondents, were detained by Venezuelan authorities in Caracas before all of them except one were later released. Two people in western Venezuela were arrested after they celebrated the capture of Maduro, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/world/venezuela/live-blog/live-updates-trump-venezuela-maduro-rodriguez-attack-greenland-ukraine-rcna252515/rcrd95678?canonicalCard=true">reported</a>.
&#8220;The suspects were shouting slogans against the government, celebrating the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, offending PSUV militants in the neighborhood, and inciting violence, in addition to firing shots,&#8221; according to police. Pro-Maduro Venezuelans, meanwhile, marched on the streets of Caracas on Tuesday in support of their captured leader and his wife.
The large-scale crackdown on anti-Maduro sentiment comes as President Donald Trump urges the Venezuelan government to cooperate with the United States.
&#8220;If they don’t behave, we will do a second strike,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/05/trump-more-us-troops-venezuela-00712023">said</a> on Sunday.
After Maduro&#8217;s capture, Trump said that the United States would assume control of Venezuela until a transition could safely take place. Venezuela is now led by interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who was Maduro&#8217;s vice president and also worked under Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chávez. Trump said that Rodríguez would “pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro&#8221; if she refuses to cooperate with America&#8217;s demands. Since taking over, Rodríguez has condemned the U.S. operation to capture Maduro and has claimed that Maduro remains the rightful leader of Venezuela.
While the Trump administration says it&#8217;s prepared to apply pressure on Rodríguez, the pro-Maduro regime appears unlikely to give up power anytime soon.
María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and most recent Nobel Peace Prize winner, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/nobel-peace-prize-recipient-machado-pledges-return-venezuela-sees-alarming-internal-crackdown">told</a> Fox News that Rodríguez represents the same threat to Venezuelans as Maduro.
&#8220;Delcy Rodriguez, as you know, is one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, narco trafficking,&#8221; Machado said. &#8220;She’s the main ally and liaison with Russia, China, Iran, certainly not an individual that could be trusted by international investors. And she’s really rejected, repudiated by the Venezuelan people.&#8221;

Colectivos

Pro-Maduro Militias Crack Down On Dissent, Search For Supporters Of U.S. Raid

President Donald Trump urged Republicans on Monday to get behind a Navy SEAL who he hopes will oust Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie in the 2026 midterm elections.
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115844769291604784">wrote</a> on Truth Social that Captain Ed Gallrein has his &#8220;Complete and Total Endorsement&#8221; in a bid to replace Massie in Kentucky&#8217;s 4th Congressional District. Massie has been a thorn in Trump&#8217;s side for most of his second term, criticizing the president&#8217;s handling of the Epstein files and voting against his &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221;
&#8220;The incredible people of Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District, who want desperately to get rid of Thomas Massie, the Worst &#8216;Republican&#8217; Congressman we have had in many years, gave us a mandate to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;The person that will help us do the job, and do it right, is Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, Fifth Generation Kentucky Farmer, and American Hero, Captain Ed Gallrein, a true Patriot.&#8221;
&#8220;Captain Ed Gallrein has my Complete and Total Endorsement against &#8216;Congressman&#8217; Thomas Massie — He only votes AGAINST the Republican Party, making life very easy for the Radical Left,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;Unlike &#8216;lightweight&#8217; Congressman Massie, a true hater of Israel, and a totally ineffective LOSER who has failed us so badly, CAPTAIN ED GALLREIN IS A WINNER WHO WILL NOT LET KENTUCKY DOWN!&#8221;
Trump urged Republicans considering a run against Massie to stand down and &#8220;rally behind&#8221; Gallrein, arguing that Gallrein is in the best position to defeat the GOP congressman. Trump praised Gallrein for his service to the United States and said that the Navy SEAL &#8220;is a big fan of our recent attack on Nicolas Maduro, the Dictator of Venezuela.&#8221;
Massie <a href="https://x.com/RepThomasMassie/status/2008533475893104878">responded</a> to Trump&#8217;s lengthy statement on Gallrein, writing on X, &#8220;i ain’t reading all that. im happy for u tho. or sorry that happened.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to Massie&#8217;s office and campaign for comment.
Trump&#8217;s relationship with Massie has been a roller-coaster ride. In March 2020, Trump <a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-donald-trump-kentucky-thomas-massie-1a75ba7b28a5f889210e703a72b85630">called</a> Massie a “third rate Grandstander” and urged the GOP to throw him out of the party after the Kentucky congressman tried to stall a $2.2 trillion COVID aid package. Two years later, Trump endorsed Massie in his Republican primary, referring to him as a “Conservative Warrior” and a “first-rate Defender of the Constitution.”
Massie, who espouses libertarian views, regularly criticizes Trump&#8217;s foreign and domestic policies, including his major spending plan in the &#8220;Big, Beautiful Bill.&#8221; Massie was one of just two Republicans in the House who voted against Trump&#8217;s signature piece of legislation.
Earlier this week, Massie condemned the Trump administration&#8217;s strikes in Venezuela and capture of Nicolás Maduro, <a href="https://x.com/RepThomasMassie/status/2007855570447913358">arguing</a> that the operation was only &#8220;about oil and regime change.&#8221;
&#8220;This is not what we voted for,&#8221; he said.
In a Christmas Day post calling out some of his enemies, Trump slammed Massie as &#8220;one lowlife &#8216;Republican'&#8221; who continues to focus on the Epstein saga, which Trump has called a &#8220;hoax.&#8221; Massie sent out a fundraising <a href="https://x.com/MassieforKY/status/2004577779640365204">message</a> in response to Trump&#8217;s Christmas Day criticism, writing on X, &#8220;Imagine celebrating a blessed Christmas with your family… suddenly phones alert everyone to the most powerful man in the world attacking you… for fulfilling his campaign promise to help victims!&#8221;

Thomas Massie/Donald Trump

Trump Backs Navy SEAL In Bid To Knock Off GOP Rep. Thomas Massie

2026 Midterms

Elections

Kentucky

Politics

Republicans

Thomas Massie

Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino officially stepped down from his government post on Saturday, and he&#8217;s fed up — not with President Donald Trump or the administration, but with the &#8220;black-piller, chicken-little grifters&#8221; who are harming the conservative movement.
In a post that quickly went viral on Monday, Bongino said he was &#8220;sure as hell&#8221; not going to allow the conservative movement to be &#8220;hijacked by a group of black-pillers, life-losers, grifters and bums.&#8221;
On Tuesday, he was back at it, ripping grifters on the Right and the &#8220;tactics&#8221; they use to &#8220;bullsh*t&#8221; conservatives.
&#8220;The support for the Trump administration in the working world is strong. And people are tired of the endless bullsh*t from the black-piller, chicken-little grifters. Watch their tactics, and once you see them, you’ll never unsee them. They use a couple of different tactics to bullsh*t you,&#8221; Bongino <a href="https://x.com/dbongino/status/2008568396074328076?s=46&amp;t=o-U3qwC25WnWaylJ0oeG7Q">wrote</a> on X.
He then called out grifters on the Right who pretend to conduct explosive investigative work but are really just &#8220;charlatans and morons.&#8221;
&#8220;First, they overload you with information but they underwhelm you with evidence. Here’s an example of what I mean &#8211; they’ll try to convince you that John Smith robbed a bank, so they’ll data download on you and lose you in the chaos,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They’ll tell you things that might be true, but aren’t evidence of anything. They’ll tell you John was in the bank that day. That John knew someone who worked there. That John was arrested ten years ago for a misdemeanor. But they won’t tell you that the fingerprints, video and DNA of the thief matches someone else. Solid investigators sift through chaotic information and mine the evidence gems. Charlatans and morons do the opposite.&#8221;
Bongino also called out &#8220;black-pillers,&#8221; a term that refers to people who hold nihilistic and fatalistic views, who try to attack Trump&#8217;s agenda without attacking him directly. Often, these &#8220;black-pillers&#8221; attempt to convince their audience that a Trump policy will have devastating consequences without specifically calling out Trump, Bongino said.
&#8220;You’re seeing it now with regard to Venezuela,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Will it work out? Maybe. We will all see. But maybe give it a minute before you attack from inside the tent while pretending you’re an ally.&#8221;
&#8220;I want to be clear on this point, intra-party/movement policy disagreements are healthy and natural,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;But endless pessimism meant to strategically attack a movement from the inside, is not about policy, it’s political cannibalism. And many of these grifters are hiding their real agendas from you.&#8221;
In his post on Monday, Bongino urged conservatives to avoid getting sucked into ideas that undercut the movement&#8217;s principles. “We are a movement guided by truth. The essence of conservative ideology is the preservation of eternal truths,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We are not the ‘latest thing’ group. We are not political cannibals.&#8221;
Bongino did not call anyone out by name, but this issue has been brewing for months within the conservative movement and came to the forefront during Turning Point USA&#8217;s AmericaFest last month. In his opening night speech at AmericaFest, Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-shapiro-at-tpusa-the-right-needs-truth-not-grifters-and-frauds">called out</a> “grifters” on the Right — specifically, Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens — for spouting views that are antithetical to conservative ideals.
It&#8217;s unclear who exactly Bongino believes is a &#8220;grifter&#8221; and a &#8220;black-piller&#8221; in the conservative movement, but with the return of his show, which he promised to announce soon, his listeners will likely find out.
&#8220;Black-pillers and grifters asked for this fight, not us. But I’m absolutely down to fight it. ABSOLUTELY down,&#8221; he said.
Bongino also got into a back-and-forth with former Rep. Matt Gaetz on Tuesday. Gaetz stepped down from Congress in 2024 after he was tapped to become the attorney general in the new Trump administration. However, he eventually withdrew his name from consideration amid an Ethics Committee investigation into his alleged sexual relationship with a 17 year old and his alleged illegal drug use.
After Gaetz responded to one of Bongino&#8217;s recent posts and asked Grok how Bongino performed in his past runs for Senate and House, Bongino fired back, &#8220;Maybe if I spent more time at shady parties with monied insiders I would’ve won. I heard you’d know a bit about that,&#8221; Bongino said. &#8220;You’ve always been a dick by the way. Grifting off your daddy like a suckling little doggie. When I first met you in the panhandle I knew you were a piece of sh*t. It’s written all over that phony face of yours.&#8221;
Gaetz replied, &#8220;I’m glad you remember meeting me so many years ago. I recall you gave a moving speech about your time in law enforcement. I told you I liked it. I’m deeply proud of my father. We make a great team. Are you saying having a successful father is a bad thing? Did you share that viewpoint with President Trump? Or Don Jr? I share your distain for monied insiders. It’s why I was the ONLY Republican in congress who refused lobbyist and PAC donations.&#8221;
&#8220;You made a post about being a candidate for office during the tea party movement, and twice thereafter,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I didn’t know that full history so I simply asked @grok if you had won any of those elections. Apparently, you underperformed as a political candidate. But you’re a world class streamer. Cool. Take a chill pill, Dan.&#8221;
&#8220;That’s right doggie, backpedal away. Good move,&#8221; Bongino fired back. &#8220;Now go blame the Jews for your dumbass tweet.&#8221;
This article has been updated to clarify that Matt Gaetz resigned from Congress after being tapped to serve as attorney general.

Dan Bongino

Dan Bongino Has Been Out Of The Government For 3 Days, And He’s Louder Than Ever

Dan Bongino Has Been Out Of The Government For 3 Days, And He's Louder Than Ever

Conservatives

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday morning that his administration launched a fraud investigation into California in the wake of the federal government&#8217;s Minnesota fraud probe.
Trump accused California under Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of being worse than Minnesota when it comes to corruption. Minnesota, another Democrat-run state, that has come under the microscope in the past month over a welfare fraud scheme and allegations that Somali-run daycares have been inflating their enrollment numbers to receive more taxpayer funding.
&#8220;California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s possible???&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115848359372759872">wrote</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;The Fraud Investigation of California has begun. Thank you for your attention to this matter!&#8221;
The president did not specify what the fraud investigation would look into or which federal agency would lead it. A White House official told The Daily Wire that there was &#8220;nothing to add to the President&#8217;s post.&#8221; In a statement shared with The Daily Wire, Newsom&#8217;s office called Trump &#8220;a deranged, habitual liar.&#8221;
&#8220;This is not complicated. He spends his days posting whatever garbage his shriveled little brain can cough up — and Fox News dutifully treats it like the Lord&#8217;s scripture,&#8221; Newsom&#8217;s office added. &#8220;Meanwhile — in the actual world where adults govern — Gavin Newsom has been cleaning house. Since taking office, he’s blocked over $125 BILLION in fraud, arrested criminal parasites leaching off of taxpayers, and protected taxpayers from the exact kind of scam artists Trump celebrates, excuses, and pardons. Gavin Newsom runs a state. Donald Trump runs his mouth and little fingers.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s comment on a fraud investigation into California comes a day after two Republicans in the state sounded the alarm on a potential scandal that they claim is wasting up to $250 billion a year. Steve Hilton, who is running for California governor, and Herb Morgan, who is running for state controller, said on Monday that the state&#8217;s welfare program under Newsom has become a bank for &#8220;corrupt cronies and political front groups,&#8221; The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/05/us-news/california-at-risk-of-250-billion-fraud-gop-candidates/">reported</a>.
&#8220;This is what you get from 16 years of one-party rule. Corruption, fraud and abuse on an epic scale. Gavin Newsom and the corrupt Democrat machine have stolen our money and handed it out to corrupt cronies and political front groups,&#8221; Hilton said.
Trump has clashed regularly with Newsom during his second term in the White House, going after the Democratic governor over his response to the Southern California wildfires and the violent demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement in Los Angeles County.
Immediately after being sworn in for a second term in January, Trump ripped Newsom&#8217;s handling of wildfire prevention and called him an &#8220;INCOMPETENT GOVERNOR&#8221; following the deadly fires that ripped through L.A. County last January.
Then, when anti-ICE demonstrations broke out in L.A. in June, Trump blasted Newsom for doing a &#8220;horrible job&#8221; to quell the riots and deployed the National Guard and the Marines. Trump also <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/09/donald-trump-on-arresting-gavin-newsom-id-do-it-00394530" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> he would support his border czar, Tom Homan, in arresting the California governor over accusations that he was impeding federal immigration enforcement.
Newsom, who is viewed as one of the frontrunners to become the Democratic presidential nominee in 2028, continues to condemn Trump&#8217;s immigration operation and his deployment of the National Guard in California. During an interview on Monday, Newsom accused the president of committing fraud and <a href="https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/2008389201231048783">said</a> that Trump&#8217;s National Guard deployment last year pulled troops away from important work, such as protecting the Southern Border and wildfire prevention efforts.
&#8220;He impacted all of those public safety efforts,&#8221; Newsom said. &#8220;For what? For a show. [Troops] sat there playing video games in many cases, total boredom. &#8230; They [were] sitting there in the armory doing nothing, costing you taxpayers. You want to talk about waste, fraud, and abuse, Mr. President? One-hundred-plus million dollars wasted because of the fraud you perpetuated and the abuse of your authority.&#8221;
After a federal appeals court ruled against Trump&#8217;s National Guard deployment in California, Trump said late last month that troops would be withdrawn from multiple cities across the United States, including Los Angeles. The appeals court ruling came after the Supreme Court declined an emergency appeal from the Trump administration when a lower court blocked Trump&#8217;s attempt to deploy troops to Chicago. Trump argued that the National Guard deployment to multiple U.S. cities &#8220;greatly reduced&#8221; crime and warned, &#8220;We will come back, perhaps in a much different and stronger form, when crime begins to soar again &#8211; Only a question of time!&#8221;

Gavin Newsom/Donald Trump

Trump Says Fraud Investigation ‘Has Begun’ In Newsom’s California: ‘More Corrupt Than Minnesota’

California

Gavin Newsom

Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino teased big announcements on Monday as he prepares to return to the airwaves following his short stint inside the Trump administration.
Bongino <a href="https://x.com/dbongino/status/2008286877355212879">said</a> he wants to push the conservative movement back to foundational principles and call out voices on the Right that he believes are threatening conservatism heading into the important 2026 midterm elections. Despite leaving the FBI last month, Bongino has remained a loyal supporter of President Donald Trump and his agenda.
&#8220;I started in this movement as a candidate during the Tea Party movement, and I began my political commentary career shortly thereafter. I helped build this movement and I sure as hell am not going to let it get hijacked by a group of black-pillers, life-losers, grifters and bums,&#8221; Bongino said.
&#8220;We are a movement guided by truth. The essence of conservative ideology is the preservation of eternal truths. We are not the &#8216;latest thing&#8217; group. We are not political cannibals,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I’ve watched quietly from the inside while doing the job I was hired to do, but I’m back now, and it’s time to restore balance to the force.&#8221;
Bongino&#8217;s return to podcasting and his vow to take on &#8220;grifters and bums&#8221; comes at a defining moment for the conservative movement. Last month, during Turning Point USA&#8217;s AmericaFest, one of the largest events of the year for conservatives, Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-shapiro-at-tpusa-the-right-needs-truth-not-grifters-and-frauds">called out</a> &#8220;grifters&#8221; on the Right — specifically, Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens — for spouting views that are antithetical to conservative ideals.
In an earlier post on Monday, Bongino <a href="https://x.com/dbongino/status/2008250081753927703">promised</a> to reveal the exact date he would return to his show &#8220;soon&#8221; after he spends some time with his family. Bongino <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-dan-bongino-wants-to-go-back-to-his-show?author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Dan+Bongino+Leaving+FBI%3A+%E2%80%98God+Bless+America%2C+And+All+Those+Who+Defend+Her%E2%80%99">announced</a> on December 17 that he would be leaving the bureau and thanked President Trump, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Attorney General Pam Bondi for the opportunity to serve as deputy director. Bongino&#8217;s final day was on Saturday, and he appeared to leave on good terms with Trump and Patel.
&#8220;This FBI is saving lives, protecting innocent kids, and taking deadly drugs off our streets at levels not seen in decades. None of it would’ve been possible without Dan’s leadership and support. And he paved the way for even better things to come,&#8221; Patel said on Sunday.
Bongino addressed some of the &#8220;infighting&#8221; on the Right in his post on Monday. Some of the divisions in the conservative movement under the second Trump administration stemmed from the administration&#8217;s handling of the Epstein case, with the FBI playing a major role in the investigation. Bongino, along with Patel and Bondi, were criticized over their work investigating the Epstein files after they concluded that there was no Epstein client list.
Bongino did not mention the Epstein saga in his post on Monday, but said that conservatives need to focus on the upcoming midterm elections and blasted those on the Right who spend their time &#8220;b*tching and whining.&#8221;
&#8220;We’ve got midterms coming up, and there’s no time for bullsh*t. This administration is cooking and REAL change simmers. If you’re spending your entire day b*tching and whining with 3/4ths of the term still to go, then please find the exits,&#8221; he said. &#8220;There’s no time for it. It’s not &#8216;infighting&#8217; when you excise a cancer killing the host. It’s &#8216;outfighting&#8217; because you’re not part of any movement I’m familiar with.&#8221;

Bongino Prepares To Take On ‘Grifters And Bums’ In Return To Conservative Commentary

Epstein Files

Turning Point USA

Over a dozen sanctioned oil tankers left port over the weekend in what appears to be an attempt to evade the U.S. blockade around Venezuela following the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, according to multiple reports.
At least 16 tankers disguised or hid their locations after leaving Venezuelan ports in the wake of U.S. forces capturing Maduro, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/05/world/americas/oil-tankers-venezuela-blockade.html">reported</a>. Four of the fleeing tankers appeared to leave Venezuela on Saturday, shortly after Maduro was detained by U.S. forces, and traveled north of Margarita Island, according to Reuters, which cited satellite images used by TankerTrackers.com.
Some of the tankers have used a tactic called &#8220;spoofing,&#8221; which means they use fake ship names and misrepresent their positions. Reuters reported that most of the supertankers that left port typically transport crude oil to China.
Four tankers that left port on Saturday were not authorized to do so, according to internal communications from Venezuela&#8217;s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, according to the Times. Reuters, however, cited a source with knowledge of the paperwork who said that Venezuelan authorities cleared at least four tankers to leave the country and hide their whereabouts.
A U.S. official did not confirm or deny reports of sanctioned oil tankers attempting to evade the blockade, telling The Daily Wire that the blockade remains in effect and is &#8220;focusing on sanctioned shadow vessels transporting sanctioned PDVSA oil.&#8221;
Twelve other sanctioned oil tankers that fled in recent days have yet to be spotted. The departures could challenge President Donald Trump&#8217;s massive blockade of sanctioned oil tankers, which went into effect on December 16.
Following the capture of Maduro on Saturday, Trump said that the blockade would remain in full force. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added on Sunday that the &#8220;quarantine&#8221; on Venezuelan oil would &#8220;remain in place.&#8221;
&#8220;That means their economy will not be able to move forward until the conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the interests of the Venezuelan people are met. And that’s what we intend to do. So that leverage remains, that leverage is ongoing, and we expect that it’s going to lead to results here. We’re &#8230; hopeful that it does – positive results for the people of Venezuela, but ultimately, most importantly, for us in the national interest of the United States,&#8221; Rubio said.
The United States <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-drops-video-showing-u-s-forces-swarming-oil-tanker-off-venezuelan-coast">seized</a> one sanctioned oil tanker used by Venezuela in December, and U.S. forces boarded another tanker around 10 days later. The oil tanker seized by the United States on December 10 was involved &#8220;in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations,&#8221; according to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. Trump said that the United States would keep the oil the tanker was transporting.
The U.S. blockade was part of a military buildup in the Caribbean that ultimately led to the capture of Maduro over the weekend. After Maduro was in U.S. custody, President Trump said that the United States would take control of Venezuela until a peaceful transition of power could take place.

VENEZUELA-US-DIPLOMACY-CONFLICT-OIL

Sanctioned Oil Tankers Flee Venezuela In Dark Mode After Maduro’s Capture

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Zach Jewell