The following is an edited transcript excerpt from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1897-jd-vance-destroys-reporter-did-ice-arrest-a-5-year-old?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">The Michael Knowles Show.</a>
* * *
Since getting canned from CNN, Don Lemon has apparently decided to reinvent himself. Not as a journalist, but as some kind of YouTuber or “man on the street” troll. Whatever this is supposed to be, it’s Don Lemon wandering around with a microphone.
After conspiring with a Left-wing mob to violate the FACE Act and interrupt a church service in Minneapolis, Lemon is now suddenly popping up on sidewalks questioning random people about illegal immigration. And he’s armed with the most childish, recycled Left-wing talking points imaginable.
You’ve heard these lines before. Probably from your lesbian cousin or your purple-haired roommate, whichever liberal you love and tolerate in your own life. And Don Lemon delivers the greatest hit right on cue: crossing the border illegally is not a crime.
Watch:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Don Lemon: &#8220;Being here illegally is not a crime, it&#8217;s a misdemeanor.&#8221;
Ordinary Citizen: &#8220;Isn&#8217;t a misdemeanor a crime?&#8221;
😂😂😂<a href="https://t.co/LTfDiHrTqH">pic.twitter.com/LTfDiHrTqH</a>
— Verbal Riot (@verbalriotshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/verbalriotshow/status/2013758084791898115?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @verbalriotshow/X.com
I love it. This woman Lemon is talking to is clearly not originally from here, she has a slight accent, and she seems to be taking Don Lemon at his word. Lemon keeps insisting that a misdemeanor is not a crime, which is already an insane thing to say. Then a guy off camera finally jumps in and says the obvious: “Yes it is. Ask him. Is a misdemeanor a crime?”
Don Lemon scrambles. “It’s not a criminal act, no. If you get charged with a misdemeanor, it’s not a criminal act.”
The woman then pauses and asks the most basic question imaginable: “So why charge them at all then, if it’s not a criminal act?”
Now he’s backpedaling hard. “Because we have different levels of crime. Everything is not the same.” And that’s when she nails him. She calmly points out that if there are different levels of crime, then it is a crime—just a lesser one than a felony.
Which means he just admitted the whole thing.
Cue the nervous laughter.
And that’s it. She completely humiliates him. It’s painful to watch.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1897-jd-vance-destroys-reporter-did-ice-arrest-a-5-year-old?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel">WATCH: The Michael Knowles Show</a></h3>
This is the standard liberal script. They’ll say illegal immigration isn’t a felony, which also isn’t even always true, especially for repeat offenders. But let’s pretend it isn’t. They say it’s just a misdemeanor. The obvious response, which this woman delivered effortlessly, is that misdemeanors are crimes.
Then comes the next dodge: well, lots of things are misdemeanors. Speeding really fast can be a misdemeanor. Certain drug offenses can be misdemeanors. Property crimes, vehicle crimes, whatever.
Fine. Don’t even argue the comparison. Just ask the follow-up question.
What’s the punishment?
Different misdemeanors have different punishments, right? Okay. What’s the punishment for the misdemeanor of illegal immigration?
Deportation.
That’s it. That’s the punishment. And that’s exactly what’s happening.
“But they’re not getting due process!”
Yes, they are. The first step in due process is getting arrested. Then you get processed based on the offense. Then there’s adjudication — guilty, not guilty, released, or removed. That’s the system.
So credit where it’s due. I don’t know this woman’s name, but she did a great job. She didn’t yell. She didn’t posture. She just followed the logic to its conclusion and Don Lemon couldn’t survive his own talking points.

2025 Blackweek Conference

Don Lemon Claims Illegal Aliens Don’t Commit Crime

Don Lemon

Illegal Immigation

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

interview

Michael Knowles

Opinion

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten named President Donald Trump the &#8220;kingmaker in chief,&#8221; at least when it came to his record on Republican primary endorsements.
Enten spoke with CNN anchor John Berman about Trump&#8217;s decision to back Rep. Julia Letlow (R-LA) in a potential primary match-up with incumbent Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and said that Trump was nearly undefeated in primaries featuring a candidate he&#8217;d endorsed.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Trump going with Julia Letlow over Cassidy in the Louisiana GOP Sen primary is a huge deal!
Trump&#8217;s the kingmaker GOP primaries (endorsees win 95%+ of the time). His approval rating with the GOP? ~90%!
When Trump goes against you, you go in the grinder to quote Good Burger. <a href="https://t.co/xPBi0swOiV">pic.twitter.com/xPBi0swOiV</a>
— (((Harry Enten))) (@ForecasterEnten) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForecasterEnten/status/2013294448159957312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;President Trump is the kingmaker in Republican primaries, that&#8217;s why it&#8217;s such a big deal,&#8221; an animated Enten explained to Berman on Monday. &#8220;Take a look here: times Trump endorsees won GOP primaries, these are congressional and gubernatorial. In 2020, it was 98%; in 2022, it was 95%; in 2024, it was 96%.&#8221;
&#8220;President Trump has the magic touch when it comes to endorsing in Republican primaries,&#8221; Enten continued. &#8220;And when he doesn&#8217;t endorse you, you go — to quote the great movie &#8216;Good Burger&#8217; — into the grinder!&#8221;
Trump offered his full-throated endorsement to Letlow via a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115913724519885202">Truth Social post</a> on Saturday, saying in part, &#8220;I know Julia well, have seen her tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and she is a TOTAL WINNER! A Proud Mother of two children, Julia is a wonderful person, has ALWAYS delivered for Louisiana, and would continue doing so in the United States Senate.&#8221;
&#8220;As your next Senator, Julia will work tirelessly to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Support our Amazing Farmers and Fishermen, Champion Louisiana Oil &amp; Gas, Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Ensure LAW AND ORDER, Strengthen our Military/Veterans, and Protect our always under siege Second Amendment,&#8221; Trump added.
Letlow has not officially launched a Senate campaign, but is reportedly considering a run.

US-POLITICS-TRUMP-GOP

‘Kingmaker In Chief!’: CNN Pollster Says Trump Has 95% Win Rate In Primary Endorsements

'Kingmaker In Chief!': CNN Pollster Says Trump Has 95% Win Rate In Primary Endorsements

Donald Trump

Harry Enten

Media

Politics

Polls

Republican Primary

President Donald Trump has made no secret of his desire to acquire Greenland for the United States, and while his administration has insisted the goal is a negotiated purchase of the strategically-located island from Denmark, critics in the media and the Democratic Party have nonetheless suggested he will use the military to take the island by force.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
The renewed furor over Greenland began with a Saturday <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115911344443637897">Truth Social post</a> from the president leveraging tariffs against a number of European nations until an agreement is reached for the United States to purchase it.
&#8220;The United States of America is immediately open to negotiation with Denmark and/or any of these Countries that have put so much at risk, despite all that we have done for them, including maximum protection, over so many decades,&#8221; Trump said.
Following a week of military buildup in Greenland — as European nations attempt to help Denmark shore up defenses against a U.S. invasion that the Trump administration has repeatedly stated is not coming — anchors and guests across the legacy networks discussed the fate of the island nation as if an invasion was imminent.
Anchor Jonathan Karl raised the question with Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; asking what he made of the president&#8217;s rhetoric regarding gaining control of Greenland.
&#8220;I want to put your foreign affairs hat on — what do you make of what&#8217;s going on with the president and Greenland? And how he&#8217;s slapped tariffs on eight of our allies in Europe? He&#8217;s not rolling out military force to get Greenland?&#8221; he asked, his tone almost one of disbelief.
McCaul quickly pointed out the fact that American presidents had considered Greenland to be a strategic purchase since the United States acquired Alaska, adding, &#8220;It is very strategic right now from a national security standpoint against China and Russia. But in 1951 we signed a treaty with Denmark that allows us full access to Greenland — to protect Greenland, and this was after World War II — President Truman initially was involved and then President Eisenhower.&#8221;
&#8220;The fact is, the president has full military access to Greenland to protect us from any threats,&#8221; McCaul added, noting that Trump could increase the American military presence in Greenland without the United States officially taking ownership of the territory. &#8220;If he wants to purchase Greenland, that&#8217;s one thing. But for him to militarily invade would turn Article 5 of NATO on its very head, in essence, put us at war with NATO itself.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
GOP Rep. Michael McCaul on President Trump’s proposed action in Greenland: “If we want to put more military in there, we can, we don&#8217;t have to invade it. If you want to buy it, that&#8217;s fine. But I don&#8217;t see a willing seller right now.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/XjdJpMxs7P">https://t.co/XjdJpMxs7P</a> <a href="https://t.co/VuenM5BGQA">pic.twitter.com/VuenM5BGQA</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2012910723244888229?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Karl also brought in Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) to discuss the situation, and he immediately accused the president of an attempted land grab with regard to Greenland.
&#8220;Donald Trump wants to get his hands on the minerals and other resources of Greenland, just like the real reason he went into Venezuela had nothing to do with stopping drugs from coming,&#8221; he claimed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Chris Van Hollen calls President Trump’s pursuit of Greenland a “land grab.”
“Donald Trump wants to get his hands on the minerals and other resources of Greenland, just like the real reason he went into Venezuela had nothing to do with stopping drugs from coming.” <a href="https://t.co/c1JOw3UudA">pic.twitter.com/c1JOw3UudA</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2012916694298079330?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) also joined Karl on Sunday morning, and she argued that it would be unfair to the people of New Jersey for Trump to spend federal funds — some of which come out of her state — on a strategic purchase like Greenland.
&#8220;There is not one person in New Jersey that wakes up in the morning and says, ‘Gee, I hope today&#8217;s the day that the president dumps billions of dollars into buying Greenland,&#8221; she added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“There is not one person in New Jersey that wakes up in the morning and says, ‘Gee, I hope today&#8217;s the day that the president dumps billions of dollars into buying Greenland.”
NJ Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill criticizes President Trump’s use of federal funds. <a href="https://t.co/jWAURz3lDw">pic.twitter.com/jWAURz3lDw</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2012931291994350023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) threatened a vote on a bill that would prevent Trump from using federal funds to exert control over Greenland — and claimed that there was no threat to Greenland from Russia or China. Ignoring the fact that the Trump administration&#8217;s assertion is that the three is not to Greenland but to the United States – and that Greenland, protected solely by Denmark, is the weak link in the security chain — Warner claimed that the only actual threat to Greenland was coming from Donald Trump.
&#8220;There is no current security threat from Russia or China to Greenland. The only security threat to Greenland right now is the United States,&#8221; he told &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; anchor Margaret Brennan on CBS News.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, says he would “of course” vote in support of a bill proposed by Sens. Shaheen and Murkowski that would prohibit the use of federal funds to assert control over the territory of a NATO state. But Warner tells… <a href="https://t.co/bzXWVgwf23">pic.twitter.com/bzXWVgwf23</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2012934974203199978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Brennan also ran with a new CBS News poll that showed Americans were largely opposed to possible U.S. military action in Greenland, and worried that such action would likely &#8220;create more instability in the world.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
There’s widespread bipartisan opposition to the prospect of U.S. military action in Greenland, with many Americans saying the implications would create more instability in the world, a new CBS News poll finds. <a href="https://t.co/a6pikO0swy">https://t.co/a6pikO0swy</a> <a href="https://t.co/EnQZgoFnpP">pic.twitter.com/EnQZgoFnpP</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2012942648055566729?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On CNN, anchor Jake Tapper brought in former Vice President Mike Pence to push back on Trump&#8217;s apparent plan. Pence argued that while it was perfectly reasonable to look at Greenland as a strategic objective, the issue was how President Trump might go about bringing Denmark to heel.
&#8220;Well, look, I think it&#8217;s a question right now, Jake, not of what the president&#8217;s trying to accomplish, but how? And I have concerns about using what I think is a questionable constitutional authority, imposing unilateral tariffs on NATO allies to achieve this objective,&#8221; he explained.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Former Vice President Mike Pence questions President Trump threatening new tariffs on allies over Greenland:
&#8220;Well, look, I think it&#8217;s a question right now, Jake, not of what the president&#8217;s trying to accomplish, but how? And I have concerns about using what I think is a… <a href="https://t.co/2MYQrcpZTb">pic.twitter.com/2MYQrcpZTb</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2012896195752968501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) rounded out the conversation with Tapper by complaining about the use of federal funds to gain a strategic foothold in the Arctic.
&#8220;The idea that we&#8217;re going to waste money for everything we want is the dumbest decision we can make. The only person who can make a decision this dumb is someone who could let a casino go under, and guess who is President right now?&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego on Trump&#8217;s push to acquire Greenland:
&#8220;The idea that we&#8217;re going to waste money for everything we want is the dumbest decision we can make. The only person who can make a decision this dumb is someone who could let a casino go under, and guess… <a href="https://t.co/uubEY1KMMC">pic.twitter.com/uubEY1KMMC</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2012901242503127129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)

Spin Cycle: As Trump Escalates On Greenland, Media Speculates

ABC News

CBS News

Greenland

NBC News

Minnesota State Senator Bobby Joe Champion attempted to defend the men who jumped in to assault an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent on Wednesday, claiming that it was a clear example of Minnesotans pitching in to &#8220;help our neighbors.&#8221;
Champion joined CNN&#8217;s Laura Coates to discuss the scene that unfolded on Wednesday when an ICE agent chased down a suspect who was believed to be Venezuelan, and two others — one of whom was wielding a shovel — joined the suspect in assaulting the agent.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 State Sen. Bobby Joe Champion (D) says last night&#8217;s vicious assault of an ICE agent &#8220;is just an example of Minnesota being a place where we help our neighbors.&#8221;
CNN: If they used weapons to attack the officer, would that change your opinion?
Champion: &#8220;Actually, no.&#8221;
SICK! <a href="https://t.co/eWO8fPJzpl">pic.twitter.com/eWO8fPJzpl</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2011811895011917905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;If there were neighbors and others who came out to help this person, that is just an example of Minnesota being a place where we help our neighbors,&#8221; Champion said. &#8220;And we are clear that the ICE agents have been coming here — and there&#8217;s over two thousand of them — and they&#8217;ve been attacking and terrorizing our state.&#8221;
&#8220;So yes, neighbors will come out and be helpful, I&#8217;m not certain if they had brooms or a shovel, that is to be further investigated,&#8221; he added.
Coates pushed back, asking, &#8220;If they did, in fact, have some sort of weapons to use to attack the ICE officer, would that change your opinion of whatever unfolded next?&#8221;
&#8220;Actually, no, right?&#8221; Champion replied. &#8220;Because from our vantage point, we want to make sure, and always want to make sure that Minnesotans are being dealt with properly. And when we think in terms of any pursuit or any apprehension of anyone, there&#8217;s a way for you to do your work where it&#8217;s respectful and it&#8217;s fair.&#8221;
He went on to claim that ICE was not being &#8220;respectful&#8221; or &#8220;fair,&#8221; and asserted that agents were choosing to be &#8220;illegal, and to attack, and to be very aggressive with Minnesotans.&#8221;
Champion concluded by claiming that the federal government was making things worse as more and more agents were surged to the area and allowed to &#8220;misbehave.&#8221;
&#8220;That&#8217;s a tragedy. And a travesty,&#8221; he claimed.

Minnesota Legislature, January 3, 2023, by Glen Stubbe, Star Tribune

‘We Help Our Neighbors’: Minnesota State Lawmaker Tries To Defend Group Attack On ICE Agent

Assault

Minnesota

CNN anchor Erin Burnett gave Renee Good&#8217;s former father-in-law an opportunity to question or even condemn the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who shot his daughter after she struck him with her vehicle.
Timmy Macklin, father of Good&#8217;s late ex-husband and grandfather to her six-year-old son, joined the host of &#8220;Erin Burnett Out Front&#8221; to discuss the situation — and despite prompts from Burnett, he made it clear that he did not hold any ill will toward the agent who fired the shot.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Last night on CNN, Rebecca Good&#8217;s father appeared for his first interview to discuss Renee&#8217;s death.
The host repeatedly probed for answers that would condemn President Trump, but his answer even took the host back.
&#8220;I don&#8217;t blame ICE, I don&#8217;t blame Rebecca, I don&#8217;t blame Renee.… <a href="https://t.co/yuq30CY3Wo">pic.twitter.com/yuq30CY3Wo</a>
— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewKolvet/status/2011483465342972081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Burnett began by noting that the Justice Department was not planning to investigate the actions taken by the ICE agent at the scene, but that some comments had been made about investigating the actions taken by Renee — and by her partner, Rebecca Good — that led up to the fatal confrontation.
&#8220;How do you feel about all that?&#8221; Burnett asked.
&#8220;Well, you know, I’m not blaming anybody. I mean, it&#8217;s a hard situation all the way around,&#8221; Macklin said. &#8220;It&#8217;s hard for everybody involved. I mean, the ICE agent — you know, at first I didn‘t see the footage where &#8230; he was actually being rammed. I mean, I‘ve seen the bump of the car hitting his legs. And so in a flash like that, it‘s hard to say how you would react.&#8221;
&#8220;From my understanding, he had been through that before, maybe dragged or something,&#8221; Macklin continued, referring to a previous incident in which the ICE agent had been dragged down the road. Like I said, it&#8217;s just a hard situation for everybody.&#8221;
Macklin said that he didn&#8217;t have &#8220;any enemies&#8221; and had no issue with Renee or Rebecca, but also said that he had none with the ICE agents involved either. &#8220;That&#8217;s what the bible tells us, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.&#8221;
He went on to say that some &#8220;bad choices&#8221; had been made, adding, &#8220;The Word says &#8216;the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience.'&#8221;
&#8220;I don&#8217;t blame ICE, I don&#8217;t blame Rebecca, I don&#8217;t blame Renee. I just, you know, I just wish that, you know, if — if we&#8217;re walking the spirit of God, I don&#8217;t think she would have been there. That&#8217;s the way I look at it,&#8221; he said.

Federal Agents Descend On Minneapolis For Immigration Enforcement Operations

CNN Anchor Gives Renee Good’s Former Father-In-Law A Chance To Blame ICE. He Refuses To Take It.

CNN Anchor Gives Renee Good's Father A Chance To Blame ICE. He Refuses To Take It.

Minneapolis

Shooting

A shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent and an anti-ICE activist Renee Good left the former injured and the latter dead. Despite evidence to the contrary provided in multiple videos — from several different angles — media outlets were quick to assist Democrats in their claims that the ICE agents were nothing more than aggressors, carrying out the whims of President Donald Trump.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Even after videos emerged showing Good intentionally blocking federal agents with her car and taunting them — and then accelerating and striking the agent before he began firing his weapon — Democrats and the legacy media persisted in pushing several distinct narratives. While their coverage varied, the common thread was a simple one: the ICE agents had done something wrong.
ABC News anchor Martha Raddatz brought in Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) to discuss the situation, and Smith complained that the Department of Homeland Security had referred to Good&#8217;s behavior as &#8220;domestic terrorism&#8221; before details had been released. Of course, by the time Smith joined the broadcast, it had become apparent that Good was part of an anti-ICE activist group and had been trained to obstruct federal agents as they worked to enforce immigration law.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith criticizes the Trump administration’s response to the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer: “They were calling her a domestic terrorist before they even knew what her name was.” <a href="https://t.co/kfto0xsFHL">https://t.co/kfto0xsFHL</a> <a href="https://t.co/EFdfteguUD">pic.twitter.com/EFdfteguUD</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2010362541239574960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @ThisWeekABC/X.com
Smith claimed the ICE agents suddenly snapped after a friendly exchange with protesters, arguing that better training would have prevented the incident.
&#8220;No professional law enforcement would exchange words or banter with somebody who is engaged in their legal right to protest and then lose control, which looks to me like what happened here,&#8221; she said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Smith reacts to the new video of the moments leading to the shooting of Renee Good: “No professional law enforcement would exchange words or banter with somebody who is engaged in their legal right to protest and then lose control, which looks to me like what happened here.” <a href="https://t.co/Q9UTCVAASj">pic.twitter.com/Q9UTCVAASj</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2010362945818005597?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @ThisWeekABC/X.com
Raddatz also spoke with former acting ICE Director John Sandweg about the shooting, asking how the landscape had changed in recent years. Marching straight through the door Raddatz had opened for him, Sandweg said that ICE had adopted new &#8220;tactics&#8221; — and that those tactics were the real reason agents were facing dramatic increases in assaults against them as well as confrontations that ended in violence.
&#8220;This is a new environment for ICE and it’s not one that’s part of their core mission,&#8221; he said, suggesting with no pushback from Raddatz that the ICE agents stepping outside of their &#8220;core mission&#8221; was the root cause of the problem.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Former acting ICE Director John Sandweg on how the shooting of Renee Good compares to what he has seen historically: “This is a new environment for ICE and it’s not one that’s part of their core mission.” <a href="https://t.co/zeciQhyQ95">https://t.co/zeciQhyQ95</a> <a href="https://t.co/5SKI8qfw7Q">pic.twitter.com/5SKI8qfw7Q</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2010375127393780180?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Credit: @ThisWeekABC/X.com
On CBS News, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; anchor Margaret Brennan spoke with Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) about the shooting — and she too made the claim that the ICE agent in question had not been properly trained.
&#8220;Renee Nicole Good, as you hear her say, she&#8217;s not mad, she&#8217;s sitting in her car, peacefully waving cars to get by,&#8221; Omar said, leaving out the fact that Good had positioned her vehicle so that it created a choke point that would only let one car, moving slowly, to get around her. She then immediately identified the ICE officer as the aggressor, describing his actions as wholly unnecessary and suggesting that Good was attempting to flee the scene because he&#8217;d scared her.
&#8220;And then you see the other officer, who can clearly see the car is moving, move toward the front of the car, which if they are saying that he has ten years on service and is trained, he should know that you shouldn&#8217;t be trying to get in front of a moving car,&#8221; Omar claimed, despite multiple video angles that show the officer standing in front of the vehicle prior to Good&#8217;s acceleration.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) tells <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FaceTheNation</a> it is “not acceptable” for DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, President Trump and Vice President Vance to make judgements about the moments surrounding the shooting of Renee Macklin Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis “without there being a… <a href="https://t.co/neMjx6SoET">pic.twitter.com/neMjx6SoET</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2010391818811134214?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @FaceTheNation/X.com
Although Brennan offered no challenge to Omar&#8217;s narrative — despite the video evidence that contradicted it — she did push back slightly when she asked whether it was reasonable to have citizens effectively stalking federal agents while they were attempting to do their jobs.
Omar insisted that it was &#8220;very important&#8221; for Americans to record ICE agents while they work &#8220;to create the level of accountability and transparency,&#8221; adding, &#8220;I think it is fair for citizens to document what law enforcement is doing in their communities.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), speaking to <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FaceTheNation</a>, says “it is really important for Americans to record” ICE agents “to create the level of accountability and transparency.”
Asked to clarify further, as the Trump administration claims its ICE officers are being stalked and… <a href="https://t.co/ahi8gEa0Jy">pic.twitter.com/ahi8gEa0Jy</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2010392392277332260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @FaceTheNation/X.com
On CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; anchor Jake Tapper spoke with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D), who claimed that the ICE presence in his city was not doing anything to help people.
&#8220;ICE and Kristi Noem and everything they&#8217;re doing is making [Minneapolis] far less safe,&#8221; he said, despite the growing list of violent offenders who have been apprehended in his city since the surge began.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;That was some wild and crazy stuff.&#8221; Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey responds to Jake Tapper’s interview with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, saying that, &#8220;ICE and Kristi Noem and everything they&#8217;re doing is making [Minneapolis] far less safe.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/4d8vLWxpZY">pic.twitter.com/4d8vLWxpZY</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2010388954483454260?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @CNNSOTU/X.com
Frey took things a bit further, also attempting to spin Renee Good&#8217;s clearly intentional blockage of traffic as her simply not being very good at turning around. &#8220;(Renee Good) was doing a three or a four or five-point turn&#8230; if doing a three point turn or a four point turn is a domestic terrorist and my wife is a criminal every single day,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
MAYOR JACOB FREY: &#8220;(Renee Good) was doing a three or a four or five-point turn&#8230; if doing a three point turn or a four point turn is a domestic terrorist and my wife is a criminal every single day,&#8221;
Mayor Frey doesn&#8217;t know what a three-point turn is. 
🤡🌎 <a href="https://t.co/OfIm19O0PU">pic.twitter.com/OfIm19O0PU</a>
— Andrew @ Don’t Walk, RUN! (@DontWalkRUN) <a href="https://twitter.com/DontWalkRUN/status/2010377694937018486?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Credit: @Don&#8217;tWalkRUN/X.com

Shooting At Annunciation School Church In Minneapolis Leaves Multiple Children Dead And Many Injured

Spin Cycle: In Wake Of ICE Shooting, The Gaslights Are On — But Is Anyone Home?

On Saturday, elite American military operators descended upon an indicted narco-terrorist and extracted him from Venezuela, delivering him to New York to face the charges. That indicted narco-terrorist just happened to be Nicolás Maduro, the dictator who calls himself &#8220;president.&#8221;
With Maduro gone, Democrats who once called for his ouster are suddenly up in arms, simply because President Donald Trump is the one who made it happen.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Across the major legacy networks, Democrats complained about the fact that the Trump administration had sent military operators in to extract Maduro — and media personalities quickly joined them in questioning whether or not the Trump administration had the authority to take that action without first getting congressional approval.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer — who <a href="https://x.com/mazemoore/status/2007868827355484611">criticized Trump</a> in 2020 for not ending Maduro&#8217;s regime — led the charge on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; speaking with Democratic strategist-turned-ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos, Schumer conceded that Maduro was a bad actor but claimed that the Trump administration had still been coloring outside the lines in going to get him.
&#8220;Look, Maduro is a horrible, horrible person,&#8221; Schumer said. &#8220;But you don&#8217;t treat lawlessness with other lawlessness. And that&#8217;s what&#8217;s happened here. The American people, this morning, are scratching their heads in wonderment and in fear of what the president has proposed: &#8216;The United States will run Venezuela.&#8217; We have learned through the years [that] when America tries to do regime change and nation-building in this way, the American people pay the price in both blood and dollars.&#8221;
Stephanopoulos pointed out the fact that Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration had the authority to move on Maduro, and Schumer protested: &#8220;It&#8217;s a violation of the law to do what they did without getting the authorization of Congress.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticizes the U.S strike in Venezuela and capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro: “It&#8217;s a violation of the law to do what they did without getting the authorization of Congress.” <a href="https://t.co/jbZuHwZD9A">https://t.co/jbZuHwZD9A</a> <a href="https://t.co/nNEQWg1d7V">pic.twitter.com/nNEQWg1d7V</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2007838874295287924?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan brought in Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), who became a household name when he traveled to El Salvador to retrieve MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Van Hollen also complained that the Trump administration had overstepped its authority in taking action in Venezuela without asking Congress first.
He predicted that in reaction, Congress &#8220;will have a vote on a war powers resolution probably as early as this week, if not next.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Chris Van Hollen says President Trump does not have the legal authority to attack Venezuela and says he’s sure that Congress “will have a vote on a war powers resolution probably as early as this week, if not next.”
“For the most part, Republicans are happy to give Donald… <a href="https://t.co/J4kq7RraNC">pic.twitter.com/J4kq7RraNC</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2007863051152679414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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On &#8220;The Sunday Briefing,&#8221; Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) said much the same to Fox News host Jacqui Heinrich, after first claiming that more traditional avenues like sanctions hadn&#8217;t worked on Maduro because American allies hated Trump too much to join the United States in enforcing them. Then he, too, argued that Trump should have come to Congress for approval before sending military operators into Venezuela.
Kaine, as recently as 2024, had called Maduro an <a href="https://x.com/SenTimKaine/status/1836398711837974976">illegitimate leader</a> and demanded a &#8220;peaceful transfer of power.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 WOW. Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine just got UTTERLY EMBARRASSED on national television!
&#8220;If Dems cared SO MUCH about process, why didn&#8217;t THEY do anything to bring Maduro to justice when THEY were in charge? The guy&#8217;s been under indictment since 2020!&#8221; 🔥💯<a href="https://t.co/aoPkS0qMlC">pic.twitter.com/aoPkS0qMlC</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2007878745403912679?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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More of the same came from Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), who <a href="https://x.com/TimMurtaugh/status/2007864277823107222">said in 2019</a> that Trump would move to topple Maduro because &#8220;getting rid of Maduro is good for the United States.&#8221;
On CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; however, he said Trump&#8217;s actions had been &#8220;wildly illegal&#8221; and claimed that he was only moving on Venezuela to gain control of natural resources for his own personal financial gain.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sen. Chris Murphy tells Dana Bash that Trump’s attack on Venezuela “seems to be mostly about oil and natural resources” and is “all about making money for his friends.” <a href="https://t.co/EvylbRzl5B">pic.twitter.com/EvylbRzl5B</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2007847037501329477?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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But Rubio explained in several interviews on Sunday why the Trump administration had not asked Congress for permission to act — or even notified Congress prior to doing so — and why they hadn&#8217;t been bound to do so.
&#8220;This was not an action that required congressional approval. In fact, it couldn’t require congressional approval because this was not an invasion. This is not an extended military operation,&#8221; he told NBC News anchor Kristen Welker on &#8220;Meet the Press.&#8221;
&#8220;We will seek congressional approval for actions that require congressional approval. Otherwise, they’ll get congressional notification.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;This was not an action that required congressional approval&#8230; This was not an invasion,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a>.
&#8220;We will seek congressional approval for actions that require congressional approval. Otherwise, they&#8217;ll get congressional notification.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/up6ZEJtmXd">pic.twitter.com/up6ZEJtmXd</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2007831235091910730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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On ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; he added, &#8220;You can&#8217;t congressionally notify something like this for two reasons. Number one, it will leak. It&#8217;s as simple as that. And number two, it&#8217;s an exigent circumstance,&#8221; Rubio explained.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sec. Rubio responds to criticism of the lack of congressional authorization in the U.S. operation in Venezuela: “You can&#8217;t congressionally notify something like this for two reasons. Number one, it will leak. It&#8217;s as simple as that. And number two, it&#8217;s an exigent circumstance.” <a href="https://t.co/qIBPiRuDYk">pic.twitter.com/qIBPiRuDYk</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2007837470977581424?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley addressed that point as well, responding specifically to the comments made by Tim Kaine, and argued that not only was the Trump administration&#8217;s action legal, it was no different than actions taken by previous Democratic presidents.
&#8220;Sen. Tim Kaine (D., Va) told Fox that &#8220;the Constitution does not give the President the right to initiate military action.&#8221; That is entirely incorrect. The Constitution does not give a president the right to declare war. However, presidents are allowed to use military forces without such a declaration&#8230;&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/JonathanTurley/status/2007884771209187539">Turley stated</a>, adding, &#8220;Democratic presidents routinely launched attacks in other countries without any objection from Sen. Kaine. Obama not only killed an American citizen not charge with any crime but attacked Libya&#8217;s capital and attacked its military to cause a regime change without consulting with Congress.&#8221;

Nicolás Maduro

Spin Cycle: Flip Test, The Maduro Edition

Congress

Constitution

Global Politics

Joe Biden

Military

After American troops captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in the early hours of Saturday morning, Washington quickly turned its attention to his number two: Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.
Rodriguez has remained loyal since Maduro&#8217;s capture.
&#8220;There is only one president in Venezuela, and his name is Nicolás Maduro,&#8221; she said in an address to Venezuela after his capture. Rodriguez, daughter of the Liga Socialista party founder, Jorge Antonio Rodriguez,  rose through the ranks alongside her brother, Jorge, who currently serves as the President of Venezuela&#8217;s National Assembly. Upon naming her vice president in 2018, Maduro said she was a &#8220;young woman, brave, seasoned, daughter of a martyr, revolutionary and tested in a thousand battles.&#8221;
But not everyone is sold on Rodriguez.
“I don’t think we can count on Delcy Rodriguez to be friendly to the United States until she proves it,” Senator Tom Cotton <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/04/politics/video/venezuela-strikes">told</a> CNN anchor Dana Bash on Sunday.
The Arkansas Republican acknowledged that, while it&#8217;s possible Rodriguez could attempt to work with the United States, it&#8217;s unlikely.
&#8220;There are recent examples of anti-American leaders around the world turning over a new leaf,” Cotton said, citing Libya&#8217;s Muammar al-Qaddafi and his reconciliation with the West in 2003. “But they made concrete concessions that benefited the United States. Delcy Rodriguez and other sanctioned and indicted ministers in Venezuela were in league with Maduro until yesterday so I don’t think we can count on them to be pro-American at all.”
On Saturday, Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsdkClL2_bg">noted</a> Maduro’s selection of Rodriguez had raised concerns, but said she was, for now, cooperating with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“Well, I understand she was just sworn in, but she was, as you know, picked by Maduro. So Marco&#8217;s working on that directly,” Trump said. “He [Rubio] just had a conversation with her, and she&#8217;s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.&#8221;
Cotton later said that her promised cooperation with the United States aligns with Trump’s remarks about Washington effectively “running Venezuela.”
“When the President said the United States is going to be running Venezuela, he means the new leaders of Venezuela need to meet our demands,” clarified Cotton.
Rodriguez also served as Venezuela’s oil minister, presiding over an industry Trump has repeatedly singled out as requiring United States oversight.
“As everyone knows, the oil business in Venezuela has been a bust, a total bust, for a long period of time,” he exclaimed at Saturday’s press conference. “They were pumping almost nothing by comparison to what they could have been pumping and what could&#8217;ve taken place. We&#8217;re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country.”
Beyond the energy sector, Trump argued that Venezuela needs a government capable of acting in the interests of its people: “We can’t take a chance that somebody else takes over Venezuela that doesn’t have the good of the Venezuelan people in mind.”
Cotton clarified that the Venezuelan government&#8217;s recognition of a new leader does not equate to recognition by the United States.
“We don’t recognize Delcy Rodriguez as the legitimate ruler of Venezuela. We didn’t recognize Nicolás Maduro as a legitimate ruler … It is a fact that she and other indicted and sanctioned officials are in Venezuela and have control of the military and security services. That does not make them a legitimate leader.”
Trump demonstrated that lack of recognition by issuing a warning to Venezuela&#8217;s remaining political and military figures, saying, “All political and military figures in Venezuela should understand what happened to Maduro can happen to them. It will happen to them if they aren&#8217;t just, fair, even to their people.”
For now, the president says he does not think the United States will need to initiate a second attack, but that if it becomes necessary the United States is prepared: “The first wave, if you&#8217;d like to call it that, the first attack was so successful we probably don&#8217;t have to do a second, but we&#8217;re prepared to do a second wave.”

VENEZUELA-US-DIPLOMACY

Thrust Into The Spotlight, Maduro’s Number 2 Draws Washington’s Skepticism

Dana Bash

Nicolas Maduro

Tom Cotton

A CNN panel discussion quickly veered off the rails when one guest claimed that Israel had invaded Gaza in much the same way that Russia invaded Ukraine.
The conversation took place on &#8220;CNN NewsNight,&#8221; hosted by Abby Phillip, and spiraled out of control when &#8220;The Majority Report&#8221; host Emma Vigeland argued that the United States lacked credibility in addressing the conflict between Russia and Ukraine after supporting Israel.
&#8220;I do think that the kind of elephant in the room here is the United States completely losing, and the Biden administration is immensely complicit in this as well, moral standing throughout the world due to our complicity in the genocide in Gaza. Which has made it very difficult for us to speak to Ukrainian sovereignty and having a bully like the Russian government invading their sovereign territory&#8221; she said.
Conservative commentator Scott Jennings was clearly taken aback, but when he attempted to debate the point, Phillip called him off and said there wasn&#8217;t time. Jennings pressed onward regardless, undeterred.
&#8220;We have to debate this, Abby. Oh, we don&#8217;t have time for the anti-Israel propaganda?&#8221; he began, and everyone at the table began talking at once. &#8220;Unbelievable. October the 7th was fine? Yeah, unbelievable.&#8221;
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&#8220;Oh well, we let it unspool for two minutes. But sure. I mean, honestly, I don&#8217;t understand. Israel is our ally. Not a single word in your speech for the atrocities that were committed on October the 7th. Not a single word,&#8221; Jennings continued.
&#8220;There shouldn&#8217;t be,&#8221; Vigeland doubled down. &#8220;We should cut off arms tomorrow.&#8221;
&#8220;Not a single word for the idea that Israel has every right to defend itself,&#8221; Jennings said, and Vigeland could be seen laughing as he added, &#8220;Not a single word for the fact that Hamas right now is killing people inside of Gaza — their own people. You seem to lay it all at the feet of Israel. Israel, a democratic ally, and your own country, and you have no negative word for the terrorists who raped and murdered and kidnapped, zero.&#8221;
Vigeland protested, saying that B&#8217;Tselem, an Israeli &#8220;human rights group&#8221; that has a clearly anti-Israel agenda, had referred to the situation in Gaza as a &#8220;genocide.&#8221;
&#8220;None, none,&#8221; Jennings said. &#8220;And you still don&#8217;t. You still don&#8217;t!&#8221;

ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT-GAZA-HOSTAGES

CNN Panel Explodes When Liberal Guest Claims Israel Invaded Gaza Like Russia Invaded Ukraine

Gaza

Israel

October 7

Scott Jennings

Ukraine-Russia War

Even before he raised his right hand to take the Oath of Office for the second time, Donald Trump was warring with legacy media outlets over who would control the narrative. That battle played out all year long in headlines, press rooms, and on the Sunday morning political talk shows.
The Spin Cycle was there all year long, capturing the moments Democrats and the legacy media worked overtime to spin the narrative against President Trump and his administration. 
So, as 2025 comes to a close, let&#8217;s look back at five times that happened.
<h4>Inauguration Day:</h4>
The Sunday shows aired just hours before Trump was officially sworn in, and already a question hung in the air: was a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spin-cycle-today-the-world-either-ends-or-it-begins-again">second Trump presidency</a> a new beginning or the beginning of the end?
ABC News host Jonathan Karl opened &#8220;This Week&#8221; with this statement: &#8220;We come on the air this morning on the precipice of a historic moment, one that feels more like the beginning of a new era than a new presidency.&#8221;
He balanced that almost optimistic sentiment, however, by pausing to note that Trump would swear the oath in &#8220;the very building that was attacked by rioters shortly before the last inauguration.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“We come on the air this morning on the precipice of a historic moment, one that feels more like the beginning of a new era than a new presidency.” <a href="https://twitter.com/jonkarl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonKarl</a> has the latest on Donald Trump’s return to Washington: <a href="https://t.co/DK1VYkzLWF">https://t.co/DK1VYkzLWF</a> <a href="https://t.co/CyrF40EIEz">pic.twitter.com/CyrF40EIEz</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1880981125557891496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Of course, several Democrats voiced concerns over policy changes Trump promised to make, from tariffs to mass deportations, saying that they expected more bad than good to come out of the president&#8217;s second term. But on &#8220;Face the Nation,&#8221; a CBS News poll suggested that the public took a different view than the Democrats.
&#8220;There is majority optimism in the country about the next four years with Donald Trump as president,&#8221; Anthony Salvanto explained, showing a graphic of the poll results that said 60% were optimistic about Trump&#8217;s second term.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A majority of Americans say they are optimistic about Donald Trump&#8217;s second term, a CBS News poll finds one day before the president-elect&#8217;s inauguration, with high expectations for the economy after he returns to office.<a href="https://twitter.com/SalvantoCBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SalvantoCBS</a> breaks down what we&#8217;re seeing: <a href="https://t.co/wXABLCOVNc">pic.twitter.com/wXABLCOVNc</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/1881039442477232421?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<h4>DOGE Musk Be Stopped!</h4>
By February, nearly all of the new Trump administration hit the ground running — save for a few nominations <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/adam-schiff-complains-bondi-isnt-doing-the-job-his-party-is-blocking-her-from-getting">held up</a> in the Senate. That group included billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, with Trump&#8217;s full support, spearheading efforts to streamline the federal government via the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
ABC News anchor Martha Raddatz <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spin-cycle-this-sudden-move-toward-government-accountability-doge-musk-be-stopped">dove in headfirst</a>, playing up the &#8220;chaos and confusion&#8221; caused by DOGE&#8217;s efforts, emphasizing details such as how much &#8220;access&#8221; to sensitive information DOGE employees must have in order to complete their tasks.
Raddatz had help from Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), who claimed, &#8220;I think this is the most serious constitutional crisis the country has faced, certainly, since Watergate. The president is attempting to seize control of power and for corrupt purposes.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“I think this is the most serious constitutional crisis the country has faced, certainly, since Watergate,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy tells <a href="https://twitter.com/MarthaRaddatz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MarthaRaddatz</a>.
“The president is attempting to seize control of power and for corrupt purposes.” <a href="https://t.co/XbLNUK9FRE">https://t.co/XbLNUK9FRE</a> <a href="https://t.co/mzJMn0uscV">pic.twitter.com/mzJMn0uscV</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1888596549212443075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Murphy did not, however, endeavor to explain what was corrupt about suggesting that the American people should not be forced to fork over tax dollars to fund Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Central and South America or build electric cars for Vietnam — just a few of the wasteful items uncovered by DOGE employees.
The Connecticut Democrat even suggested that &#8220;full-scale&#8221; opposition to Musk and DOGE was not only reasonable but necessary: &#8220;You cannot just rely on the court system when the challenge to the Constitution and the billionaire takeover is so acute and so urgent.&#8221;
The New Yorker’s Susan Glasser also weighed in, asking, “How is it possible that one unelected billionaire, the richest man in the world, can unilaterally do that without any process?”
To date, according to the DOGE website, the department has uncovered some $214 billion in savings, which amounts to more than $1,200 per taxpayer.
<h4 class="css-12aqo6z e1a9f8qs0">Beat The Press</h4>
In May, President Trump sat down for an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/spin-cycle-trump-takes-on-nbc-anchor-in-combative-meet-the-press-interview">interview</a> with NBC’s Kristen Welker, moderator of &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; and he routinely pushed back on the framing of her questions.
Welker asked about the economy, pressing Trump to say whether or not Americans were still living in the Biden economy or in his — and he threaded the needle carefully, noting that some policies would give noticeable effects more quickly than others.
&#8220;I think certain aspects of it are. Costs are. I was able to get down the costs, but even that, it takes a while to get them down but we got them down good. … We lost $5-6 billion a day [on trade] with Biden — $5-6 billion. And I’ve got that down to a great number right now in a record time.&#8221;
True to form, NBC published a piece on the interview stating that Trump had claimed ownership of the &#8220;good parts&#8221; of the economy while blaming Biden for the bad.
Welker pressed Trump on whether or not he believed everyone in the United States — whether citizen or not — was entitled to due process and the right to plead their case before a judge, and Trump’s reply was simple: “I don’t know, I’m not a lawyer.”
&#8220;We have thousands of people … some of the worst, most dangerous on earth — and I was elected to get them the hell out of here and the courts are holding me from doing it,” Trump added.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;We have thousands of people &#8230; some of the worst, most dangerous on earth — and I was elected to get them the hell out of here and the courts are holding me from doing it.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/uNJESyWas1">pic.twitter.com/uNJESyWas1</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1919022289397452899?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<h4>They Really Can’t Help It, Can They?</h4>
In September, the murder of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus prompted President Trump to issue one of the first public statements mourning his friend. He later took the stage at Kirk’s memorial, expressing sorrow and anger before a crowd of thousands.
Charlie’s widow, Erika, also spoke at the memorial service, where she said she had forgiven the man responsible for murdering her husband and leaving her two children without their father: “That young man, that young man. On the cross, our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ That man, that young man, I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and is what Charlie would do.&#8221;
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Erika Kirk forgives the man who murdered her husband:
&#8220;My husband Charlie&#8230;he wanted to save young men just like the one who took his life&#8230;that young man&#8230;
I forgive him.
I forgive him because it was what Christ did and is what Charlie would do.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Pd1yGRMRVw">pic.twitter.com/Pd1yGRMRVw</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1969893178393206823?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On MSNBC (Now MS NOW), Ayman Mohideen praised Erika Kirk — but he used her speech to attack President Trump for taking a different route.
&#8220;There is that disconnect between the grief that a mother who is just going to bury her husband, the father of her children, and a president who’s talking about the politics of this moment,” Mohideen complained. &#8220;And I think that’s what my takeaway was from that speech, you know, the opportunity for the president to try to heal and bring the country, as many had hoped he would, and not doing it in the way that many people would expect a president to do.&#8221;
On CNN, former Democratic National Committee comms director Xochitl Hinojosa gave essentially the same assessment: &#8220;I think in times like this, especially when there is political violence, you need the president, regardless of who it is, to bring the country together. And that has not happened. This was an opportunity for Trump to do that. He did not take that opportunity. The person who really did that was Erika Kirk.&#8221;
<h4>Jay Who? Sunday Shows Ignore Virginia AG Scandal</h4>
When a text scandal plagued Attorney General-elect Jay Jones (D-VA) in October, legacy media outlets all but ignored it — a move that likely aided him in coasting past incumbent and Trump-ally Attorney General Jason Miyares (R-VA) in November.
After the scandal broke, the topic was only discussed on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press&#8221; — and even then, it was not the show&#8217;s host who made it a topic of discussion. Marc Short, who served as Former Vice President Mike Pence’s chief of staff, brought it up.
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BONKERS. Neera Tanden excuses Virginia Democrat AG candidate Jay Jones calling for the assassination of a Republican leader and his kids as just merely just a “private conversation.”
Utterly disgraceful. 🤡🤡🤡🤡 
<a href="https://t.co/N5KEyFZHPU">pic.twitter.com/N5KEyFZHPU</a>
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) <a href="https://twitter.com/SteveGuest/status/1974871008147616176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
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“Can we stop with the pearl-clutching about the mean tweets and the sombrero tweets?” he asked. “This week it came to light that a Democrat candidate for attorney general in the state of Virginia called for the assassination of a political opponent, called for the assassination of that political opponent’s family, and there’s not one national Democrat calling for him to step aside — not one! It’s disgraceful.”
Kristen Welker prompted Neera Tanden, who worked in the Biden White House, to then weigh in, and she almost immediately pivoted to suggest that Trump was worse.
“I mean, I absolutely think people should criticize that, 100%,” Tanden said. &#8220;I think it was a private conversation he had, but still awful and disgusting … it should be condemned, but then we should condemn that, but then you should condemn when the president calls the Democratic Party the ‘party of satan.’”
Short mentioned the Jones scandal in light of so many Democrats engaged in a public meltdown over a few memes featuring House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) with a fake mustache and a sombrero.
Vice President JD Vance also pushed back on efforts to scuttle the story, saying, &#8220;The Democrat candidate for AG in Virginia has been fantasizing about murdering his political opponents in private messages. I&#8217;m sure the people hyperventilating about sombrero memes will join me in calling for this very deranged person to drop out of the race.&#8221;

President Trump Delivers Remarks In North Carolina

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Marina Zenovich, the director of the upcoming documentary “I’m Chevy Chase, and You’re Not,” said she felt relieved when the actor made a snarky remark early in filming.
Zenovich <a href="https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/im-chevy-chase-youre-not-cnn-doc-snl-community-1236618483/">told</a> Variety that she wanted to explore Chase’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/is-chevy-chase-really-that-terrible-either-way-he-doesnt-care">notoriously bad reputation</a> in Hollywood, noting that multiple colleagues have gone on record describing him as mean and hard to work with. She said an early exchange with Chase gave her the opening she was looking for.
At the very beginning of the documentary, Zenovich can be heard off-camera telling Chase, “I’m just trying to figure you out.”
“No sh**. It’s not going to be easy for you,” he replied.
“Why is it not going to be easy?” Zenovich asked.
“You’re not bright enough. How’s that?” Chase said, then smiled. 
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“I’d never done an interview where someone was so rude to me,” Zenovich told Variety, saying she was relieved he behaved that way. “But I was so worried going into that first interview with him about how I was going to say to him, like, ‘Everyone thinks you’re an a**hole.’ I thought if I did, he would throw me out of his house. So the minute he said that to me, I had a way in.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Comedy Icon Unfiltered | “I’m Chevy Chase And You’re Not” Official Trailer | CNN" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vIHEjXEI-l0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“I wanted to figure out who was the real person behind the conflicted, guarded and somewhat fragile man we see on camera,” the director continued. “What was behind the surface of his slightly intimidating superstar bravado? Was there any self-awareness there? Having interviewed Chevy at length, I have to say that yes, it’s all there – and a whole lot of pain and heartache too.”
While many of Chase’s co-stars refused to be interviewed for the documentary, including almost everyone involved in the NBC sitcom “Community,” several shared insights. Zenovich spoke with the actor’s friends and family, as well as celebrities including Mike Ovitz, Dan Aykroyd, Beverly D’Angelo, Goldie Hawn, Lorne Michaels, Ryan Reynolds, and Martin Short.
The documentary airs on CNN on January 1. It explores Chase&#8217;s career, beginning with his breakout role on “Saturday Night Live” and on through three failed marriages and drug addiction.

Chevy Chase

‘You’re Not Bright Enough’: Chevy Chase’s Snark Sets Tone For New Documentary

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Legacy media hosts spent a good part of Sunday morning discussing the hundreds of thousands of pages of photos and documents — all related to the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein — that were released to the public on Friday.
For those who don&#8217;t spend their Sunday mornings glued to the television — and their Sunday afternoons attempting to dig through a week&#8217;s worth of network and cable news media spin — The Daily Wire has compiled a short summary of what you may have missed.
Nearly all of them were concerned that too much information had been redacted, and some were also complaining that the document dump — despite its volume — did not account for the remainder of the information that had been covered under the Epstein Transparency Act.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) — who can be counted among the majority of Democrats who exhibited zero interest in releasing the Epstein files when his party had control of the House, the Senate, and the White House — joined ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl on &#8220;This Week&#8221; to complain about the fact that not everything was released on Friday.
&#8220;I think there needs to be a full and complete explanation and then a full and complete investigation as to why the document production has fallen short of what the law clearly required,&#8221; he said.
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries reacts to the partial release of the Epstein files: “I think there needs to be a full and complete explanation and then a full and complete investigation as to why the document production has fallen short of what the law clearly required.” <a href="https://t.co/edYpn3KR1k">pic.twitter.com/edYpn3KR1k</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2002753628575015170?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) suggested that it was a mistake to release any of the files if they were not going to release everything at once: &#8220;Any kind of indication that there&#8217;s not a full reveal on this will just plague them for months and months more. So my suggestion would be, give up all the information, release it.&#8221;
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Sen. Paul calls the partial release of the Epstein files “a big mistake” for the administration: “Any kind of indication that there&#8217;s not a full reveal on this will just plague them for months and months more. So my suggestion would be, give up all the information, release it.” <a href="https://t.co/ezw1nuZJ40">pic.twitter.com/ezw1nuZJ40</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2002766554379800837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On CBS News, &#8220;Face the Nation&#8221; guest Reps. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) claimed that the Justice Department was &#8220;flouting the letter and the spirit of the law&#8221; with the Friday document dump because it was incomplete and because it was so heavily redacted.
&#8220;I won’t be satisfied until the survivors are satisfied,&#8221; Massie said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Department of Justice is “flouting the spirit and the letter of the law” with its initial release of thousands of new records related to Jeffrey Epstein that include heavily-redacted pages, says Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). He tells @margbrennnan the Trump administration’s… <a href="https://t.co/05MgVtIqrf">pic.twitter.com/05MgVtIqrf</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2002811224153633040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;They sent a six-page memo to Congress and they cited pre-existing laws as reasons that they weren&#8217;t going to follow our law,&#8221; Massie added, claiming that he knew of a number of men accused of sex crimes related to Epstein whose names were not included in the released documents, and was unsure as to whether they&#8217;d ever be released.
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Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) says he has been told of at least 20 men accused of sex crimes known to the FBI related to Jeffrey Epstein, but tells <a href="https://twitter.com/margbrennan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@margbrennan</a> he didn’t see the names in the files the Justice Department has released so far and isn’t optimistic they’ll ever be… <a href="https://t.co/xInQWaxKOD">pic.twitter.com/xInQWaxKOD</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2002812237052801150?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Khanna suggested that Congress could hold Attorney General Pam Bondi in contempt over the release, adding, &#8220;I believe we’re going to get bipartisan support in holding her accountable and a committee of Congress should determine whether these redactions are justified or not.&#8221;
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Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) say they’ll take action against the Trump administration for its partial release of the Epstein files, including using Congress’ inherent contempt powers against Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“I believe we’re going to get bipartisan… <a href="https://t.co/0kBoVdCA9V">pic.twitter.com/0kBoVdCA9V</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2002812622324785652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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One of the storylines a number of them fixated on came from early reports that suggested a number of the redactions were made to protect not just victims but people who were considered to be politically connected. This narrative picked up steam quickly as it was revealed that a handful of the photos that were released in Friday were quickly pulled down — a move that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche said was made out of concern that some of the women in the photos might need to have their identities redacted.
Of course, the fact that one of the photos appeared to include President Donald Trump quickly became media fodder as well, and host Margaret Brennan asked Khanna about that directly.
&#8220;I am less concerned about that photo,&#8221; Khanna said of the Trump photo. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know the facts. My concern is the major documents that we know are out there that haven&#8217;t been released.&#8221;
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When asked about 15 images being pulled down from the Justice Department&#8217;s Epstein files website, including a photo of a drawer with a picture of President Trump, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) says, “I am less concerned about that photo.”
“I don&#8217;t know the facts. My concern is the major… <a href="https://t.co/P3ivwYLeRu">pic.twitter.com/P3ivwYLeRu</a>
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/FaceTheNation/status/2002813144784134144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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On &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; NBC anchor Kristen Welker asked Deputy AG Todd Blanch directly about the Trump photo — and asked whether any of the redactions had been done because of potential embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity.&#8221;
Blanche&#8217;s reply was simple: &#8220;Absolutely, positively not.&#8221;
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NBC: Has anything in the Epstein Files been redacted on that basis of &#8217;embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity&#8217;?
Todd Blanche: &#8220;Absolutely, positively not.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/bwGtieJJgC">pic.twitter.com/bwGtieJJgC</a>
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) <a href="https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/2002749527623876652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) — who also showed no interest in releasing the Epstein files until President Trump won reelection — said that he was ready to pull out all the stops in his effort to ensure the Trump administration was held accountable for failing to issue a full and complete release.
&#8220;Everything is on the table,&#8221; he said.
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Rep. Jamie Raskin: &#8220;Everything is on the table&#8221; to force DOJ to release all Epstein files <a href="https://t.co/cIYBzVrZjm">pic.twitter.com/cIYBzVrZjm</a>
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) <a href="https://twitter.com/CNNSOTU/status/2002775268793241749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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