Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

LetMyPeopleVote

LetMyPeopleVote's Journal
LetMyPeopleVote's Journal
January 22, 2026

MaddowBlog-Mike Johnson backs impeachment of judges who ruled against the White House

The crusade had been largely driven by the Republican fringe — until the House speaker endorsed the radical campaign.

House Speaker Mike Johnson backs impeachment of judges who ruled against the White House

www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Mike Walker (@newnarrative.bsky.social) 2026-01-22T16:11:51.932Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/mike-johnson-backs-impeachment-of-judges-who-ruled-against-the-white-house

At last count, House Republicans have filed impeachment resolutions against eight federal judges, though these radical efforts have been largely relegated to the party’s fringe. This week, that changed suddenly and unexpectedly. Politico reported:

Speaker Mike Johnson now supports the push inside his party to bring impeachment articles against judges perceived as antagonistic of President Donald Trump’s agenda — a notable shift for the Louisiana Republican who over the summer sought to squelch such effort.

I’m for it,’ Johnson told reporters at his weekly news conference Wednesday, responding to the question of whether he would endorse impeaching judges who have ruled against the administration
.


He did not appear to be kidding.

Johnson on impeaching judges: "I'm for it"

The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com) 2026-01-21T16:47:03.212Z


.....A group of congressional Republicans apparently interpreted Trump’s appeal as a directive and got to work introducing impeachment resolutions against judges who ruled against the White House’s preferences.

Indeed, the list grew quickly. Over the course of a few months, GOP impeachment resolutions were filed against Boasberg, U.S. District Court Judge Amir Ali, U.S. District Court Judge John Bates, U.S. District Court Judge Deborah Boardman, U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer, U.S. District Court Judge Theodore Chuang, U.S. District Court Judge Paul Engelmayer and U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell Jr. (Technically, Engelmayer is facing two parallel impeachment measures.)....

The campaign, however, was largely ignored by most GOP lawmakers. Of the eight judicial impeachment resolutions introduced in 2025, most have fewer than 10 co-sponsors. There are currently 218 House Republicans, including a great many who deserve to be seen as very far to the right, and roughly 90% of them have made no effort to support or to advance these efforts......

It’s worth emphasizing that the impeachment resolutions, should GOP leaders bring them to the House floor, are likely to fall short of a majority. What’s more, even if the House were to impeach any or all of these jurists, it would take 67 votes in the Senate to remove them from the federal bench, which is effectively an impossibility.

These obvious attempts at intimidating the judiciary, in other words, almost certainly won’t work.

But for Johnson to endorse publicly such a radical effort speaks volumes about how radical his politics have become.

Last year, a Marquette University Law School poll found that 70% of Americans opposed impeaching federal judges over anti-Trump rulings. There is, however, often a big gap between what the public wants and what Republican officials decide to do. Watch this space.
January 22, 2026

MaddowBlog-The glaring problem(s) with Trump's newly unveiled 'Board of Peace'

In theory, an international panel overseeing the peace process in Gaza makes sense. In practice, what the White House has come up with does not.

The Board of Peace didn’t *have* to be a ridiculous idea, but the White House made sure that it was:
- Trump power-grab
- embracing despots
- mission creep
- lying about members
- absurd logo www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-01-22T20:23:58.952Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/the-glaring-problems-with-trumps-newly-unveiled-board-of-peace

But as is always the case, the details would reflect the panel’s merits. With this in mind, The Associated Press reported on the unveiling of the entity known as the Board of Peace:

President Donald Trump on Thursday inaugurated his Board of Peace to lead efforts at maintaining a ceasefire in Israel’s war with Hamas, insisting that ‘everyone wants to be a part’ of the body he said could eventually rival the United Nations — despite many U.S. allies opting not to participate.

In a speech at the World Economic Forum, Trump sought to create momentum for a project to map out a future of the war-torn Gaza Strip
.


Right off the bat, the American president’s boasts about “everyone” expressing an interest in joining the board is more wishful thinking than an accurate summary of global support. Several prominent U.S. allies — including the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, France, Ukraine, Norway and Sweden — have already declined invitations to participate, at least for now.

The White House had originally said that Belgium had signed on to the board’s charter, but its deputy prime minister soon after issued a statement explaining that Belgium was not a part of the entity......

Left unsaid is who, exactly, will be responsible for administering and allocating the collected funds, though in context, it seems likely that Trump will expect to maintain control.

Trump’s Board of Peace logo is basically the UN logo, except dipped in gold and edited so the world only includes America.

Adam Schwarz (@adamjschwarz.bsky.social) 2026-01-22T10:16:52.596Z


Finally, there’s the board’s logo, which looks similar to the United Nations’ logo, except this one emphasizes North America — and like everything else associated with the incumbent Republican president, it’s gold.
January 22, 2026

Two founding members of Board of Peace did not show up to the signing ceremony because they would be arrested

Nothing says "board of peace" like having two founding members not show up to the signing ceremony because they would be arrested at the airport for war crimes.

Wendi (@wendow.bsky.social) 2026-01-22T19:04:28.902Z
January 22, 2026

MaddowBlog-White House insists Trump didn't say what everyone heard him say about Iceland

So many Republicans see the president as infallible that even inconsequential slip-ups must be denied in Orwellian fashion.

There’s a straight line from "Sharpiegate" to Karoline Leavitt denying that Trump accidentally referenced Iceland when he meant Greenland.

We’re apparently supposed to see Trump as infallible, so even minor and inconsequential slip-ups must be denied in Orwellian fashion. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...

Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-01-22T14:59:44.118Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/white-house-insists-trump-didnt-say-what-everyone-heard-him-say-about-iceland

Donald Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was an embarrassing mess. The American president peddled a series of absurd falsehoods, he needlessly targeted U.S. allies with baseless whining, and he reminded much of the Western world over the course of an hour and a half why the Trump-led United States has seen its international standing collapse.

But one part of the Republican’s weird, meandering remarks generated attention for an unexpected reason.

Trump: “I'm helping Europe. I'm helping NATO, and until the last few days, when I told them about Iceland, they loved me. They called me daddy…. But now what I'm asking for is a piece of ice, cold and poorly located, that can play a vital role in world peace and world protection"

The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com) 2026-01-21T16:07:38.233Z


.....It would have been easy for the White House simply to acknowledge that the president had misspoken. Since everyone misspeaks from time to time, this likely would have generated very little attention.

But that’s not what happened. The New York Times reported:

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, denied that Mr. Trump had misspoken, responding in a social media post to a reporter who wrote that he had appeared to mix the countries up multiple times.

‘No he didn’t,’ she wrote to the reporter. ‘His written remarks referred to Greenland as a ‘piece of ice’ because that’s what it is. You’re the only one mixing anything up here.’


In other words, Leavitt would have us believe that when Trump said “Iceland” four times, he was really commenting on “ice land.” As in a land of ice.

In context, that is obviously preposterous. The Orwellian pushback, however, was oddly familiar.....

When news outlets noted the president’s error, Trump took great offense, insisting he was right, despite the obvious fact that he was mistaken. It set in motion a series of increasingly ridiculous events, culminating in Trump displaying a map to which he literally took a pen, drawing a bump onto the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast so he could make the scientific prediction conform retroactively to his mistake. (The mess became known as “Sharpiegate.”)

Leavitt’s line on the president’s “Iceland” reference is a page from the same book. Since Trump’s loyalists insist he is incapable of being wrong, even minor, inconsequential slip-ups have to be rejected and denied.

The tactics make the White House and its allies look worse. By all appearances, they don’t care.
January 22, 2026

Health saga ratchets as Trump puts bruises on full display in Davos

trump is not well

Health saga ratchets as Trump puts bruises on full display in Davos www.rawstory.com/trump-bruises/

Darbyscastle (@darbyscastle.bsky.social) 2026-01-22T15:33:47.268Z

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-bruises/

When President Donald Trump formally launched his "Board of Peace" organization at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this week, a new set of dark bruises on his hands became highly conspicuous, The Daily Beast reported on Thursday.

"The slight bruise on Trump’s right hand was visible Thursday when he held up a signed founding charter for the group at the Davos event, as well as an even darker one on his left," reported Ewan Palmer. "But his bruised and frail hands were largely obscured by a presidential lectern as he delivered a low-energy, rambling speech in Davos for the second day in a row."

Trump, who is set to surpass his predecessor Joe Biden as the oldest sitting president in history, has frequently presented with hand bruising, often wearing thick layers of makeup to cover it.....

Trump has also been spotted with swollen ankles, a potential sign of heart failure, which combined with the reported battery of tests he has been under, has led some medical experts to believe the White House is covering up a much more serious health condition.
January 22, 2026

MaddowBlog-Five things to know about Trump's 'concept of a deal' on Greenland and tariffs

Any suggestion there’s a substantive agreement appears to be wrong. As the president has admitted, the details don't exist yet.

Five things to know about Trump’s ‘concept of a deal’ on Greenland and tariffs - MS NOW

apple.news/AMC7-sqG7TVC...

(@oc88.bsky.social) 2026-01-22T15:08:49.790Z

https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-greenland-concept-of-a-deal-five-things-to-know

After years of assurances that his health care plan was just “two weeks” away, Donald Trump was pressed during a 2024 debate on this elusive blueprint. The Republican famously declared, “I have concepts of a plan.”.....

And yet, after the president announced that he’d agreed to “a framework” with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the future of Greenland, the Republican faced inevitable questions about the agreement’s contents, and he decided to lean once again on a familiar phrase.

Kernen: “Can you go into what you just talked about with the NATO meeting?”

Trump: “Well, we have a concept of a deal.”

The Bulwark (@thebulwark.com) 2026-01-21T20:50:23.909Z


“We have a concept of a deal,” Trump told CNBC on Wednesday afternoon.

As the dust settles on the head-spinning developments, here are five key elements to keep in mind:

1. For now, the details of the deal don’t appear to exist. Shortly after announcing the breakthrough by way of his social media platform, the American president conceded to reporters, “It’s right now a little bit in progress.” On Thursday morning, during a Fox Business interview, he added, “It’s really being negotiated now, the details of it.” Any suggestion there’s a meaningful agreement in place appears misguided.

2. Be prepared for a fresh round of “TACO” mockery. Throughout 2025, the president confronted consistent “Trump Always Chickens Out” ridicule, mostly driven by his willingness to back off his treats of tariffs in the face of sharp stock market downturns. This week, it happened again. The Republican specifically referenced the stock market three times during his remarks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, shortly before caving — which left little doubt as to why he was eager to back away from the crisis he created.....

5. He could still reverse course again. The incumbent American president hasn’t exactly earned a reputation for steadfastness and consistency. There were few similarities between his approach to Greenland on Tuesday and his approach on Wednesday. What will his position be next week or next month? No one knows, and that’s part of the broader problem: Trump is an erratic and easily confused official who tends to be swayed by the last person to have his ear, which necessarily makes it difficult for anyone, including our closest allies, to have confidence about the future.
January 22, 2026

Trump shocks with proposal to make himself 'king of the world'

This board is simply a way for trump to declare himself king of the world

The full text of a charter for President Donald Trump's proposed Board of Peace sounds suspiciously like plans to make himself "king of the world," according to a political theorist.

Raw Story (@rawstory.com) 2026-01-22T00:00:50Z

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-king-of-the-world

The full text of a charter for President Donald Trump's proposed Board of Peace sounds suspiciously like plans to make himself "king of the world," according to a political theorist.

A charter was sent out with invitations to dozens of world leaders, asking them to join the U.S. president on a panel to oversee the postwar management of Gaza, but the full text, obtained by The Times of Israel, conspicuously does not mention Gaza.

"So, the 'Board of Peace' [sic] not only doesn't mention Gaza in particular; it proposes to make Donald Trump in particular (not the president of the United States) king of the world," said Jacob T. Levy, a political theory professor at McGill University.

Levy dug into the full text of the charter and analyzed its rules, which he believes sketch out a plan to make the 79-year-old former reality TV star the ruler of the global conglomerate and then pass that title down to one of his heirs.

"Membership is subject to a 3-year term limit unless the member state either pays a billion-dollar bribe or the Chairman — entirely unilaterally — decides to extend it," Levy wrote. "The Chairman may choose to *terminate* a member state's membership (even if it has paid!), which requires a 2/3 vote to override."

Decisions shall be made by a majority of the member states that are present and voting, but subject to the approval of the chairman, and Levy dismissed that arrangement as absurd......

Levy argued that the arrangement was brazenly corrupt even by Trump's standards.

"Proposing this structure... is impeachable. It really is," he wrote. "Regardless of whether this organization ever even looks in the direction of Gaza, it's an assault on the international order subordinating the decisions of states to the personal jurisdiction of the Trump family."

January 22, 2026

The Borowitz Report-Denmark Offers Trump Ownership of Room in Assisted Living Facility in Greenland

Denmark Offers Trump Ownership of Room in Assisted Living Facility in Greenland
open.substack.com/pub/borowitz...

BrokenPromiseland (@brokenpromisedland.bsky.social) 2026-01-22T13:14:01.877Z

https://www.borowitzreport.com/p/denmark-offers-trump-ownership-of

DAVOS (The Borowitz Report)—In a much-praised resolution to a roiling diplomatic crisis, on Wednesday Denmark offered Donald J. Trump “full ownership” of a room in an assisted living facility in Greenland.

The deal was orchestrated by French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who were seen high-fiving moments after Trump signed the admission form.

Speaking to reporters, Carney said that Trump’s new home was actually located in Iceland, not Greenland, but added, “We’re pretty sure he doesn’t know the difference.”

For his part, President Macron acknowledged that the agreement represented a compromise, noting, “Our first choice was an ice floe.”


January 22, 2026

Ty Cobb: 'Significant decline' in Trump mental faculties

trump has suffered significant declines in mental faculties

Ty Cobb: 'Significant decline' in Trump mental faculties

USpolitics 🇺🇸 (@uspol.skyfleet.blue) 2026-01-21T14:56:42.463Z

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5698558-trump-health-fitness-cobb

Former White House attorney Ty Cobb claimed President Trump is experiencing a “significant decline” in his mental faculties, pointing to the commander in chief’s Tuesday appearance at a White House press briefing to mark the anniversary of his return to the Oval Office.

“I think there’s been a significant decline. He’s always been driven by narcissism. But I think the dementia and the cognitive decline are, you know, palpable, as do many experts, including many physicians,” Cobb told MS NOW’s Ari Melber on “The Beat,” in comments highlighted by Mediaite.

Dr. Jonathan Reiner, who served as a cardiologist for former Vice President Dick Cheney, on Monday pushed for a congressional inquiry into Trump’s fitness. Reiner noted a recent letter from Trump to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre featuring the president seemingly connecting his threats to acquire Greenland with not winning the 2025 the Nobel Peace Prize.

“This letter, and the fact that the president directed that it be distributed to other European countries, should trigger a bipartisan congressional inquiry into presidential fitness,” Reiner wrote on the social platform X.

At the beginning of the month, Trump said he was in “perfect health” and “aced” a cognitive exam.

Profile Information

Member since: Mon Apr 5, 2004, 03:58 PM
Number of posts: 175,777
Latest Discussions»LetMyPeopleVote's Journal