The Trump administration&#8217;s top auto policy officials on Saturday touted federal efforts to lower car prices by eliminating vehicle emissions regulations, as affordability remains a key concern among Americans.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Environmental Protection Agency head Lee Zeldin and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer toured the annual Detroit Auto Show to wrap up a two-day Midwestern swing that included stops at a Ford truck factory and Stellantis Jeep plant in Ohio on Friday.
The administration has aggressively rolled back electric vehicle rules from former President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration.
Duffy said the rules &#8220;will bring car prices down and allow car companies to offer products that Americans want to buy.&#8221;
He added, &#8220;this is not a war on EVs at all &#8230; We shouldn&#8217;t use government policy to encourage EV purchases all the while penalizing combustion engines.&#8221;
President Donald Trump is grappling with economic headwinds a year after taking office and ahead of November&#8217;s midterm ⁠elections, having campaigned on quickly fixing higher prices for American consumers.
Average new car transaction prices hit a record $50,326 in December as Americans bought more pricey trucks and SUVs, research firm Cox Automotive said, while automakers are offering fewer entry-level vehicles.
Trump signed legislation last year eliminating a $7,500 EV tax credit, rescinding California&#8217;s EV rules and cancelling penalties for automakers not meeting fuel efficiency requirements.
Zeldin said the government &#8220;should not be forcing, requiring, mandating that the market go in a direction other than what the American consumer is demanding.&#8221;
Automakers also face steep tariffs imposed by Trump on imported vehicles and parts. Despite the EV policy changes and new tariffs, new U.S. vehicle sales rose 2.4% in 2025 to 16.2 million vehicles.
Democrats say auto tariffs and efforts to eliminate EV incentives will harm consumers. But Greer said car prices are trending down and &#8220;whatever effects those tariffs may have on various parts of the supply chain, they&#8217;re not really getting down to the consumer.&#8221;
Kathy Harris, director of clean vehicles at environmental activist group NRDC, criticized the administration&#8217;s auto policies. &#8220;The oil industry will rake in billions more from cash-strapped Americans who can&#8217;t afford to spend more to fuel up their car or truck.&#8221;
In December, the U.S. Department of Transportation proposed rolling back Biden-era fuel efficiency standards that had prodded auto companies to build more EVs to comply. The EPA is also expected to finalize a rule in the coming weeks eliminating vehicle tailpipe emissions requirements.
USDOT estimates its proposal would reduce average up-front vehicle costs by $930, but increase fuel consumption by as much as 100 billion gallons through 2050, and cost Americans up to another $185 billion for fuel.
(Reporting by David Shepardson in DetroitEditing by Rod Nickel)

Cars

Trump Admin Touts Push To Lower Car Prices, De-Emphasize EVs

Economy

Electric cars

Politics

Trump Administration

Without support from a single House Democrat, Republican Wisconsin Representative Bryan Steil’s “Stop Insider Trading Act” passed the House Administration Committee and will move on to the House floor for consideration.
If enacted, the bill would restrict members of Congress from buying individual securities and would require notice seven to 14 days before a sale. Lawmakers would be able to continue to buy index and mutual funds, as well as continue investing dividends in previously purchased securities.
Democrats continue to argue that the bill is not strong enough, with many stating that trading should be banned entirely and that lawmakers should be required to fully divest before taking office.
Throughout the two-hour markup, Democratic House reps proposed amendments. Ranking member Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY) proposed requiring “Congress and the President and the Vice President” to fully divest. Rep. Julie Johnson (D-TX) offered a similar amendment that would mandate full divestment without providing relief from capital gains taxes.
Steil pushed back, warning that mandatory divestment could discourage qualified candidates from seeking office.
“Under the amendment offered by our colleague from Texas, that [capital gains tax] would obviously continue to apply &#8230; [and] for some people that may be a very significant financial impact,” he said.
He added that the financial burden could lead “some individuals … to not come to Congress — and not because they did anything wrong, but because they had a successful private sector career.”
Chris Josephs, the co-founder of Autopilot, an app that allows average Americans to trade the same stocks Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) trades, previously voiced the same concerns to The Daily Wire about legislation requiring full divestment.
“I think it would demotivate a major class of successful people from running,” Josephs said. “Businesspeople are successful. They know how to run things. They know how to lead. They know how to hire. They know how to create strategies. They know how to execute on those strategies. We should not just say no to those potential candidates just because they own businesses and they&#8217;re not gonna sell.”
Josephs told The Daily Wire he suspected that the 2024 election would have looked drastically different with full divestments in place.
“The 2024 election, you got Trump and Vance. Vance is an ex-venture capitalist, ex-business guy. He owns a lot of individual stocks that are private. And then you’ve got Trump, who owns a lot of stuff. On the other side of the ticket, though, you’ve got Kamala, who&#8217;s a career-long politician. You’ve got Tim Walz, who proudly doesn&#8217;t even own a house. And if that bill were to be passed, just based on how that would work, Trump and Vance wouldn&#8217;t be allowed to run unless they sold their stuff, which I doubt they would have.”
After full-divestment amendments were rejected, Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA) introduced an amendment to prohibit the reinvestment of dividends. Republicans voted it down, keeping dividend reinvestment permissible under the bill.
Steil defended the decision, arguing that dividend payments do not pose the same insider trading risks.
“Those dividends are structured within the company with advanced notice, outside of the control of any given member. It doesn&#8217;t carry the risk of insider trading,” he said. “Because it doesn&#8217;t carry the risk of insider trading, what we allowed for was the reinvestment of dividends.”
He later emphasized the bill’s intent, saying, “The focus here is to prevent members from being able to profit off of insider information — not to make elected officials poor.&#8221;

House Dems Save Healthcare Presser

GOP Advances Bill To Stop Congress From Trading Stocks Without Any Dem Support

Congress

Insider Trading

Money In Politics

Nancy Pelosi

Just months after California was rocked by violent anti-ICE riots, California Governor Gavin Newsom claims that his state “cooperates” with federal immigration authorities.
Newsom made the statement during an interview with The Daily Wire&#8217;s Ben Shapiro, who pressed him on California’s sanctuary state status and his history of anti-ICE rhetoric. Most recently, Newsom’s press office <a href="https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/2009067671124627833">suggested</a> that the shooting of a woman driving her car toward an ICE agent in Minneapolis was “state-sponsored terrorism.”
“We work very directly with ICE as it relates to [California prisons]. California has cooperated with more ICE transfers than probably any other state in the country. And I’ve vetoed multiple pieces of legislation that have come from my legislature to stop the ability for the state of California to do that,” Newsom said.
“ So when it comes to the issues of violent criminals, when it comes to felons, people that are being released from the largest state system in the United States of America, California cooperates with ICE,” he added.
While Newsom told Shapiro that California prisons had handed over 10,000 illegal alien felons to ICE, the data during his tenure as governor tell a different story.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GavinNewsom</a> REFUSES to tell <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@benshapiro</a> if he thinks boys can become girls:
Shapiro: &#8220;The fundamental question&#8230;is the question that you&#8217;re not wanting to answer, which is whether boys can become girls.&#8221;
Newsom: &#8220;Yeah…I think…I&#8217;m for the grace of God…Yeah.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Lse5fNw3SY">pic.twitter.com/Lse5fNw3SY</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/2011954165728047375?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://cis.org/Vaughan/Which-Sanctuary-Jurisdictions-Have-Released-Most-Criminals">According</a> to the Center for Immigration Studies, from October 1, 2022, to February 6, 2025, 52% of all ICE detainers — requests for local law enforcement to hold illegals arrested for crimes — were in California. The total number was over 13,000, well over the next highest total of 2,946 (Illinois).
Newsom also talked tough on handing over violent offenders, but during that same time, law enforcement in his state released at least 29 illegals facing homicide charges or convictions. Additionally, local law enforcement have pointed to state sanctuary city policies for hamstringing their ability to reach out to ICE when they arrest illegal aliens for crimes.
During his interview with Shapiro, Newsom admitted that it was a “fair” criticism to knock his press office for accusing ICE of committing terrorism and criticized calls from fellow Democrats to completely abolish the agency.
Newsom’s admission came after Shapiro told him his office accusing ICE of terrorism “makes our politics worse” and “our ICE officers are obviously not terrorists.”
After the Minneapolis shooting, Newsom claimed that ICE was acting as President Donald Trump’s “personal police force” and had “rampaged” America.
“His administration has driven extremism and cruelty while discarding basic safeguards and accountability,” Newsom <a href="https://x.com/CAgovernor/status/2009049140689313876">claimed</a>. “His reckless crackdown must end.”
In September, Newsom signed legislation aimed at barring ICE officers from wearing masks while they conduct operations. The bill came as ICE officers have faced a surge in harassment, assaults, and violent threats.
That law came after Los Angeles was rocked by violent riots as law enforcement officers were attacked and vehicles were burned after ICE started conducting operations in the area. The riots prompted President Trump to send in the National Guard to protect federal operations.
Newsom <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/2025/06/07/100856/">claimed</a> that the move was “purposefully inflammatory” and would “erode public trust.” Those riots ended up costing more than $30 million, including more than $1.4 million in property damage.

MixCollage-15-Jan-2026-03-32-PM-9857

Months After Violent Riots, Gavin Newsom Tells Ben Shapiro That ‘California Cooperates With ICE’

Ben Shapiro

Gavin Newsom

Illegal Immigration

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

The negative portrayal of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents by Democrats is leading to violence in the streets, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt warned on Thursday after The Daily Wire’s Mary Margaret Olohan asked her about rising unrest.
Leavitt showed a picture of a CNN chyron that read: “Protests Erupt After Federal Agent Shoots Man In Minneapolis.”
“That’s not the story,” Leavitt said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> goes OFF on the MSM and Democrats for demonizing ICE agents:
&#8220;I would encourage everyone in this room, and I would encourage Gov. Walz and other Democrats who are demeaning law enforcement to sit down and have a cup of coffee with an ICE agent&#8230;
The Democrat party… <a href="https://t.co/AB7SIjKgdB">pic.twitter.com/AB7SIjKgdB</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/2011893315365462099?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
To learn the real story, Leavitt urged Americans to turn to the Department of Homeland Security’s statement.
“This ICE agent was executing a targeted operation against a Venezuelan illegal alien who was unlawfully present in this country,” Leavitt said. “When this ICE agent tried to detain the individual, three more of his comrades came rushing out of the house and started ambushing and attacking the ICE agent. They used a shovel or a broom to smash his face in, and so yes, that agent had to use self-defense and take up his weapon to protect his own life.”
The press secretary reiterated that ICE agents and law enforcement are enforcing the country’s immigration laws while “elected officials are encouraging violence” against “our brave men and women in law enforcement.”
“Democratic governors and mayors” were not the only targets of Leavitt; the press secretary had a fiery exchange with a reporter who brought up Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s comment that ICE agents “are doing everything correctly.”
The reporter asked Leavitt, given that Renee Good was shot in the head, how ICE agents could be doing “everything correctly.” Leavitt first responded with a question, asking the reporter: “Why was Renee Good unfortunately and tragically killed?” The reporter answered, “Because an ICE agent acted recklessly and killed her unjustifiably?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PressSec</a> absolutely nukes a Fake News loser:
&#8220;You&#8217;re a left-wing hack. You&#8217;re not a reporter. You&#8217;re posing in this room as a journalist&#8230; You and the people in the media who have such biases but fake like you&#8217;re a journalist — you shouldn&#8217;t even be sitting in that seat.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/ebZzHj7hPs">pic.twitter.com/ebZzHj7hPs</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2011874658694676942?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Leavitt responded, “Oh, okay, so you’re a biased reporter with a left-wing opinion. … Do you have the numbers of how many American citizens were killed at the hands of illegal aliens who ICE is trying to remove from this country? I bet you don’t. Shame on you and the people of the media who have a crooked and biased view.”
She then encouraged Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and other Democrats “who are demeaning law enforcement to sit down and have a cup of coffee with an ICE agent or a border patrol agent.”
“These are great, patriotic men and women who have families who put on the uniform every day and are following our nation’s immigration laws at the direction of their bosses, and again at the direction of the law. They are simply trying to enforce the law and the Democrat Party has demeaned these individuals; they have even referred to them as Nazis and as the Gestapo.”
Leavitt said it is that very rhetoric that is “absolutely leading to the violence we are seeing in the streets.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Holds News Briefing

‘Shame On You’: White House Fed Up With Disrespect Toward Law Enforcement

Democrats

Karoline Leavitt

Media

Former vice president and failed presidential hopeful Kamala Harris may have just proved she doesn’t believe her own rhetoric.
According to multiple reports, Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, recently purchased an $8.15 million home in Point Dume, an exclusive oceanside neighborhood in Malibu. The purchase is raising eyebrows after Harris spent years as a senator and vice president warning the public about climate change and coastline erosion.
The 4,000-square-foot property includes four bedrooms and six bathrooms situated on about three-quarters of an acre, per <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/13/real-estate/kamala-harris-buys-8m-mansion-in-malibus-celeb-packed-pt-dume/">the New York Post</a>. One real estate listing describes the home as “perched in a prime coastal location” with “breathtaking ocean views.” The house is located near Point Dume State Beach, a ritzy area that was identified as having a high risk for flooding and erosion.
A climate model previously endorsed by the Biden-Harris administration projected that Point Dume State Beach <a href="https://coast.noaa.gov/slr/#/layer/slr/1/-13224965.709481182/4029006.643276096/16.000/satellite/none/0.8/2050/interHigh/noAccretion/NOS_Minor">could suffer significant damage</a> from rising sea levels. That model was discontinued in June 2025 under the Trump administration, as noted by The Free Beacon. Also, a 2023 Interior Department study <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2022JF006936">concluded</a> that up to 75 percent of California’s beaches could be eroded by the year 2100.
The Point Dume area also suffered significant damage during the 2018 Woolsey Fire and some damage during the 2025 Palisades Fire.
Harris has been sounding the alarm on climate change for years. “Glaciers are melting. Sea levels are rising. Climate change is real and we must act before it&#8217;s too late. That’s why I support a Green New Deal,” she tweeted in 2019. The same year, Harris sponsored the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/1730">Living Shorelines Act</a>, which called for $50 million annually in federal funding to help address rising sea levels.
While serving as vice president, Harris was named the administration’s lead spokeswoman for the Climate-Ready Coasts initiative, a multibillion-dollar federal program. In April 2023, she announced $562 million in grants to benefit communities “on the front lines of the climate crisis.”
&#8220;The climate crisis represents a profound threat &#8212; as we all know &#8212; to our nation and to the world,” she said during a <a href="https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2023/04/21/vice-president-kamala-harris-climate-change-florida-sargassum/6561682032174/#">speech</a> at the University of Miami, claiming that &#8220;we still have time to make a difference.&#8221;
The home reportedly purchased by Harris and Emhoff includes features that the Biden-Harris administration found problematic, including a gas stove and fireplace, plus a tankless water heater. While serving as vice president, Harris advocated for <a href="https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO05/20230718/116246/HHRG-118-GO05-Transcript-20230718.pdf">energy efficiency regulations</a> that would have restricted certain gas stoves and tankless water heater models.
Point Dume is one of Malibu’s most exclusive neighborhoods, known for its privacy and gated access to Little Dume Beach. The area has attracted celebrities and tech moguls including Sean Penn, Gerard Butler, and Julia Roberts, as the New York Post noted.

Kamala Harris

Kamala ‘Climate Change Crisis’ Harris Just Bought Beachfront Property In Malibu

Kamala 'Climate Change Crisis' Harris Just Bought Beachfront Property In Malibu

California

Climate Change

General

Real estate

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

Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday evening, killing the War Powers Resolution that was designed to curtail President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration if any further military action was warranted in Venezuela.
Vance presided over the Senate as the vote was tallied to 50 yeas and 50 nays — with Republican Senators Rand Paul (KY), Lisa Murkowski (AK) and Susan Collins (ME) voting with Democrats. After announcing that the vote was tied, Vance briefly conferred with someone at the desk before announcing his vote.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 BREAKING: Vice President JD VANCE just DEFEATED the anti-Trump War Powers vote in the Senate on Venezuela, casting the tie-breaking vote, 51-50
The resolution has officially FAILED.
THANK YOU JD! You can always rely on VP Vance! 🇺🇸
Trump wins again 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/8f7Eprt1Jg">pic.twitter.com/8f7Eprt1Jg</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2011584816203121105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;On this vote, the yeas are 50, the nays are 50. The Senate being equally divided, the Vice President votes —&#8221; Vance quickly covered the microphone as he looked over the legislation on the desk in front of him
&#8220;Affirmative. And the point of order is sustained,&#8221; he said, chuckling, after the brief pause. &#8220;I had to make sure.&#8221;
Two other Republican Senators had initially indicated that they would vote with Democrats on the measure, but were convinced to change their votes prior to Wednesday evening.
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) told Fox News host Will Cain that he&#8217;d been assured by the White House that there would be no move to put troops on the ground in Venezuela without going through the proper congressional channels.
&#8220;For me, it&#8217;s always been about troops,&#8221; Hawley explained, adding, &#8220;I talked to the president &#8230; I thank for the admin for the outreach. We are not going to occupy Venezuela. That&#8217;s good enough for me.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
🚨 BREAKING: Sen. Josh Hawley has FLIPPED on the War Powers resolution against President Trump&#8217;s Venezuela operation
Hawley is now a NAY, after voting YEA to advance it, drawing a sharp response from Trump
&#8220;For me, it&#8217;s always been about troops&#8230;I talked to the president&#8230;I… <a href="https://t.co/yFuo2RKVOc">pic.twitter.com/yFuo2RKVOc</a>
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EricLDaugh/status/2011553809886306618?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Senator Todd Young (R-IN) also changed his vote prior to Wednesday, saying that he&#8217;d been convinced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio — who indicated a willingness to testify on the matter before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Rubio also said in a letter to Young that if the United States were to engage in &#8220;major military operations&#8221; in Venezuela, the administration would &#8220;seek congressional authorization in advance (circumstances permitting).&#8221;

Vice President JD Vance Hosts The Charlie Kirk Show In Tribute To Kirk

Vance Sinks War Powers Resolution With Tie-Breaking Vote

JD Vance

Josh Hawley

Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela

War Powers Resolution

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

Senator Ed Markey appears to be blocking a bill that would extend the statute of limitations for prosecuting fraud in COVID-era government programs, seemingly siding with fraudsters and against the United States government.
The House of Representatives <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4495" target="_blank" rel="noopener">passed</a> the &#8220;SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act&#8221; in July by voice vote, signaling overwhelming bipartisan support. The <a href="https://docs.house.gov/meetings/SM/SM00/20250722/118539/BILLS-119HR4495ih.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two-page bill</a> simply gives more time for prosecutors to charge people who swindled two COVID bailouts, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant.
The programs were so fraud-ridden, and the dollar amounts so great, that investigators and prosecutors have a large backlog. Congress already added another five years to the prosecution window for the biggest COVID programs, the Paycheck Protection Program and unemployment bailouts.
But Markey, the top Democrat on the Senate panel overseeing the Small Business Administration, which took the lead on the pandemic recovery, appears to be using his position to block passage in the upper chamber. The Senate Small Business Committee, which is chaired by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), <a href="https://www.sbc.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/2025/7/ranking-member-markey-votes-out-legislation-emphasizes-need-for-tariff-relief-for-small-businesses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved the bill</a> in July. But it has <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1199?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%22s1199%22%7D&amp;s=1&amp;r=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not been</a> brought to the floor for passage.
&#8220;Senate Democrats are blocking my commonsense bill to extend the statute of limitations for COVID crimes, meaning criminals like those recently exposed in Minnesota will get away with it simply because the clock will run out,” Ernst told The Daily Wire. &#8220;It should be a no-brainer to side with taxpayers instead of fraudsters.&#8221;
The apparent blockage raises the question of whether Democrats have become the party of fraud, siding with the likes of the notorious Somali fraudsters who cost the government billions but vote for Democrats as a bloc.
The Biden administration doled out COVID billions using a &#8220;pay and chase&#8221; philosophy, meaning they erred on the side of getting money out the door, with the justification that they would claw back wrongly paid payments later. But the schemes were so numerous that they are still being uncovered, so not extending the statute of limitations amounts to simply paying scammers and not chasing at all.
John Hart, a former Senate aide who now leads the spending watchdog group Open The Books, said under Senate procedure that if a bill passes a committee and has the support of the top Republican and Democrat on that committee, it is fast-tracked for passage by the full chamber. &#8220;If the committee’s ranking member, Sen. Markey, would give the go-ahead, it could be passed by unanimous consent. That process helps uncontroversial bills succeed without extensive Senate procedures,&#8221; he told The Daily Wire.
The restaurant program cost $29 billion, and the inspector general found that recipients representing 12% of that did not even file the required paperwork. The shuttered venue program, which bailed out concert halls, cost $15 billion, more than half a billion dollars of which was identified by SBA as <a href="https://www.sba.gov/document/report-25-21-sbas-oversight-shuttered-venue-operators-grant-recipients" target="_blank" rel="noopener">potentially improper</a>. Both programs ran out of money, meaning fraudsters likely stole slots from more deserving businesses.
A spokesman for Markey — who has represented Massachusetts in Congress since 1976 — did not return a request for comment on what, if any, objection he has to the bill.
<div id="attachment_1027513" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1027513" class="size-full wp-image-1027513" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2214429130.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2214429130.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2214429130-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2214429130-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2214429130-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Ed Markey, at right (Photo by Mel Musto/Getty Images)</div>
Hart said it&#8217;s hard to see a legitimate gripe.
&#8220;This issue ought to be unanimous. It could be on President Trump’s desk today. What, exactly, is controversial about prosecuting cases of fraud? Every dollar spent this way is unavailable for Americans who truly need it,&#8221; he said.
Reducing fraud in all government programs used to be an area of bipartisan agreement, with members of the minority party joining the majority in wonky policy discussions. After all, stopping fraud means liberals would have more money for other programs, or Republicans could use the savings to lower taxes.
If the Democrats have moved from the party of big government to the pro-fraud party, one contributing factor could be identity politics. The Biden administration drew the ire of the SBA inspector general by deciding <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sba-wont-even-try-to-collect-on-ppp-loans-that-are-supposed-to-be-paid-back-citing-equity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not to even attempt to collect</a> PPP loan repayment from businesses that were not eligible to have their loans forgiven, citing &#8220;equity&#8221; as justification.
In the state of Georgia alone, two state legislators, both of them black Democrats, have been accused of <a href="https://georgiarecorder.com/briefs/a-second-georgia-house-democrat-is-accused-of-unemployment-fraud/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stealing</a> from COVID bailout funds. In Virginia, a former state legislator, an Arab Democrat, was <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/11/11/covid-relief-fraud-ibraheem-samirah/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">convicted</a> of taking fake PPP loans.
The case of an African-born <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/usaid-contracting-officer-charged-with-pandemic-bailout-fraud" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USAID employee</a> who stole PPP loans raises the question of whether the Biden administration even attempted to stop fraud. He got money on the basis that his purported company did not make as much money in 2020 as it did in 2019 due to the pandemic. But state records and federal tax returns would have shown that the company didn&#8217;t even exist.
Markey, as the top Democrat on the committee overseeing perhaps the most-defrauded government spending spree in history, is the poster child for the notion that Democrats may now simply be apathetic, or even in denial, about fraud — even as fraud in places like Minnesota reaches such heights that it could make Great Society-style programs impossible.
Last month, Hart, along with this reporter, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daily-wires-luke-rosiak-will-testify-before-the-senate-on-massive-federal-dei-scheme" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified</a> before the Senate Small Business Committee about reducing fraud. Most Democrats on the committee didn&#8217;t bother to attend, and those who did — led by Markey — made no attempt to find ways to reduce fraud, instead suggesting that the programs at issue were not enough billions to care about, or using their time on anti-Trump tirades about topics outside of the committee&#8217;s jurisdiction.
Ernst was surprised, saying, &#8220;Individuals who used Barbie dolls as their photo identification were approved for SBA loans. This is totally unacceptable. &#8230; [Markey] said the largest amount of waste, fraud, and abuse is not in the Small Business Administration programs. &#8230; This is, however, the Small Business Committee. &#8230; Are my Democrat colleagues saying we should be ignoring billions of dollars of waste, fraud, and abuse?&#8221;

.S. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA)

This Democrat Is Singlehandedly Blocking The Prosecution Of COVID Fraudsters

COVID

Ed Markey

Fraud

Joni Ernst

Small Business Administration

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

FBI/Washington Post

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

classified documents

journalist

Pam Bondi

Washington Post

President Donald Trump could be seen on video flipping the bird and saying the phrase &#8220;f*ck you&#8221; in the direction of a heckler during his Tuesday visit to the Ford F-150 plant in Dearborn, Michigan.
The president, in town for a speech at the Detroit Economic Club, toured the F-150 plant as well — and responded in the moment as someone in the crowd shouted at him, apparently accusing the president of &#8220;protecting&#8221; the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Entertainment site TMZ first reported the news, sharing video of the brief exchange that quickly made its way across social media.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EXCLUSIVE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EXCLUSIVE</a> 😳 President Trump was filmed flipping off a Ford worker who yelled &#8220;pedophile protector&#8221; at him. <a href="https://t.co/m5nLYtWxxT">https://t.co/m5nLYtWxxT</a> <a href="https://t.co/512zEYV6WC">pic.twitter.com/512zEYV6WC</a>
— TMZ (@TMZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/TMZ/status/2011193178263605453?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;It’s hard to make out the full sentence shouted at Trump, but it seems to have included the words ‘pedophile protector,'&#8221; the outlet reported. Trump could be seen turning to look at the person who had shouted at him before apparently saying, &#8220;f*ck you,&#8221; and flipping him a middle finger for good measure.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung addressed the video as it circulated, explaining, &#8220;A lunatic was wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and unambiguous response.&#8221;
Throughout most of the president&#8217;s tour, the plant workers crowded around him as they shook his hand and posed for photos.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/OFqEPVD9LY">pic.twitter.com/OFqEPVD9LY</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2011174073091670360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
While he was at the Detroit automotive plant, Trump also sat for an interview with new &#8220;CBS Evening News&#8221; anchor Tony Dokoupil.
In that interview, among a number of other topics, Trump talked about what was going on in the auto industry – particularly since he&#8217;d put a stop to imminent electric vehicle mandates set in motion by former President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;I want electric, and I want gasoline, and I want hybrids — I want everything. But you were going to be forced, under the mandate, to buy an electric car in a very short period of time. I didn&#8217;t want that, and I ended that.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/jTU4v6bMev">pic.twitter.com/jTU4v6bMev</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2011224265983738344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I want electric, and I want gasoline, and I want hybrids — I want everything. But you were going to be forced, under the mandate, to buy an electric car in a very short period of time. I didn&#8217;t want that, and I ended that,&#8221; Trump explained.

US-VENEZUELA-POLITICS-CONFLICT-OIL

Trump Flips Off Auto Worker During Ford Plant Visit

Donald Trump

Executive

Ford Motor Co.

Jeffrey Epstein

Michigan

A record-high 45% of Americans identified as political independents last year, with both Democrats and Republicans tied at 27% in party identification, according to a Gallup poll released Monday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A record-high 45% of U.S. adults identified as political independents in 2025, surpassing the 43% measured in 2014, 2023 and 2024. <a href="https://t.co/1vKF7J2RnE">pic.twitter.com/1vKF7J2RnE</a>
— Gallup (@Gallup) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gallup/status/2010775854117171569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The <a href="https://news.gallup.com/poll/700499/new-high-identify-political-independents.aspx">survey</a>, which interviewed 13,000 respondents over the course of 2025, found that 45% of Americans are political independents. Of that 45%, 20% lean Democratic, 15% lean Republican, and the remaining 10% expressed no partisan preference — a three-point decline in Republican leaners and a three-point increase in Democratic leaners compared with 2024.
The five-point Democratic advantage among independent leaners erodes what had been a key GOP edge during the 2024 election cycle, returning party identification to the levels seen in Trump&#8217;s first term.
Despite this unfavorable shift in party preference, more Americans in 2025 described their political views as &#8220;very conservative&#8221; or &#8220;conservative&#8221; (35%) than as &#8220;very liberal&#8221; or &#8220;liberal&#8221; (28%), with 33% identifying as &#8220;moderate.&#8221;
The Gallup poll showed a stark contrast in party identification across generations. Majorities of Gen Z adults (56%) and millennials (53%) identified as political independents in 2025, compared with just 33% of baby boomers and 30% of Silent Generation adults.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In 2025, majorities of Gen Z adults and millennials identified as political independents, as did more than four in 10 Gen X adults.
One-third or less of baby boomers and Silent Generation adults were politically independent. <a href="https://t.co/5JxXbwqyuU">pic.twitter.com/5JxXbwqyuU</a>
— Gallup (@Gallup) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gallup/status/2011087055733080219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The 56% of Gen Z adults identifying as independents today substantially exceeds the 47% of millennials who did so in 2012 and the 40% of Gen X adults in 1992.
Gallup notes that the shift does not indicate Americans are warming to the Democratic Party, as &#8220;favorable ratings of the Democratic Party are no better than those of the Republican Party.&#8221; Instead, the polling organization suggests these changes appear to be &#8220;a consequence of one party&#8217;s association with an unpopular incumbent president,&#8221; a pattern that has led to frequent changes in party power in recent federal election cycles.

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