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LetMyPeopleVote
LetMyPeopleVote's Journal
LetMyPeopleVote's Journal
January 13, 2026
Kristi Noem's podium at DHS is just a straight up Nazi slogan
https://x.com/WUTangKids/status/2010896567486787615
January 13, 2026
Top DOJ officials quit after their division refused to probe Minnesota ICE shooting
At least four leaders of the Civil Rights Division resigned because the section's head, Harmeet Dhillon, decided not to investigate shooting of Renee Good.
NEW: Top DOJ officials quit after their division refused to probe Minnesota ICE shooting - At least four leaders of the Civil Rights Division resigned because the section's head, Harmeet Dhillon, decided not to investigate shooting of Renee Good.
— MaddowBlog (@maddowblog.bsky.social) 2026-01-13T04:15:22.198Z
www.ms.now/news/doj-civ...
At least four leaders of a Justice Department unit that investigates police killings have resigned in protest over the administration’s handling of the fatal shooting of a motorist in Minneapolis by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, according to three people briefed on the departures.
Top leaders of the criminal section of the Civil Rights Division have left their jobs to register their frustration with the department after the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon decided not to investigate the ICE officer’s fatal shooting of Renee Good last week. The criminal section of the division would normally investigate any fatal shooting by a law enforcement officer and specializes in probing potential or alleged abuse or improper use of force by law enforcement.
The departures – including that of the chief of the section, as well as the principal deputy chief, deputy chief and acting deputy chief – represent the most significant mass resignation at the Justice Department since February. At that time, five leaders and supervisors of the department’s Public Integrity Section, which investigates public officials for possible corruption, resigned rather than comply with an appointee of President Donald Trump’s orders to dismiss the bribery case against then-New York mayor Eric Adams.
One source briefed on the reasoning for the resignations said the handling of the ICE shooting was not the only concern for the unit leaders and that some were concerned about other decisions by division leadership.,,,,
Good’s shooting on Jan. 7 has galvanized Democrats and civil libertarians but also frustrated Minnesota politicians and state police investigators. On Jan. 10, the FBI announced it would be handling the investigation of Good’s shooting on its own and blocked Minnesota authorities from their typical role in reviewing evidence and investigating the shooting themselves. On Tuesday night, the state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul filed a lawsuit attempting to block the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions there, which Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced would grow following Good’s death.
Top leaders of the criminal section of the Civil Rights Division have left their jobs to register their frustration with the department after the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon decided not to investigate the ICE officer’s fatal shooting of Renee Good last week. The criminal section of the division would normally investigate any fatal shooting by a law enforcement officer and specializes in probing potential or alleged abuse or improper use of force by law enforcement.
The departures – including that of the chief of the section, as well as the principal deputy chief, deputy chief and acting deputy chief – represent the most significant mass resignation at the Justice Department since February. At that time, five leaders and supervisors of the department’s Public Integrity Section, which investigates public officials for possible corruption, resigned rather than comply with an appointee of President Donald Trump’s orders to dismiss the bribery case against then-New York mayor Eric Adams.
One source briefed on the reasoning for the resignations said the handling of the ICE shooting was not the only concern for the unit leaders and that some were concerned about other decisions by division leadership.,,,,
Good’s shooting on Jan. 7 has galvanized Democrats and civil libertarians but also frustrated Minnesota politicians and state police investigators. On Jan. 10, the FBI announced it would be handling the investigation of Good’s shooting on its own and blocked Minnesota authorities from their typical role in reviewing evidence and investigating the shooting themselves. On Tuesday night, the state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul filed a lawsuit attempting to block the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions there, which Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced would grow following Good’s death.
January 13, 2026
Minnesota sues DHS, ICE over immigration enforcement
The state, along with the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, allege the Trump administration’s decision to surge ICE agents into the area violates federal and state laws.
https://x.com/washingtonpost/status/2010847638669709687
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/01/12/minnesota-immigration-lawsuit-ice-dhs
Minnesota officials sued federal immigration authorities on Monday, claiming the Trump administration’s “unprecedented surge” of immigration agents is politically motivated and violates the U.S. Constitution......
In their suit, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are asking a federal court to issue a temporary restraining order to stop or limit the Department of Homeland Security’s “Operation Metro Surge.”
The Minnesota officials allege that “thousands of armed and masked DHS agents have stormed the Twin Cities to conduct militarized raids” at sites including schools and hospitals. DHS said last week that its Minnesota effort would be the agency’s largest immigration enforcement operation ever, with 2,000 federal agents and officers involved.
“This is, in essence, a federal invasion of the Twin Cities and Minnesota, and it must stop,” Ellison told reporters Monday afternoon. “DHS agents have sown chaos and terror across the metropolitan area and in cities across the state of Minnesota.”,,,,,
The lawsuit accuses agents of “unlawful and dangerous” tactics such as swapping and altering license plates, using tear gas and other chemical weapons on bystanders, and arresting people without warrants or probable cause.
Minnesota and Illinois join other state and local governments that have filed immigration-related lawsuits against the Trump administration, including cases aimed at halting the federal government’s attempts to withhold federal funding to “sanctuary” jurisdictions that limit local cooperation on immigration enforcement and the administration’s efforts to end birthright citizenship.
In their suit, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are asking a federal court to issue a temporary restraining order to stop or limit the Department of Homeland Security’s “Operation Metro Surge.”
The Minnesota officials allege that “thousands of armed and masked DHS agents have stormed the Twin Cities to conduct militarized raids” at sites including schools and hospitals. DHS said last week that its Minnesota effort would be the agency’s largest immigration enforcement operation ever, with 2,000 federal agents and officers involved.
“This is, in essence, a federal invasion of the Twin Cities and Minnesota, and it must stop,” Ellison told reporters Monday afternoon. “DHS agents have sown chaos and terror across the metropolitan area and in cities across the state of Minnesota.”,,,,,
The lawsuit accuses agents of “unlawful and dangerous” tactics such as swapping and altering license plates, using tear gas and other chemical weapons on bystanders, and arresting people without warrants or probable cause.
Minnesota and Illinois join other state and local governments that have filed immigration-related lawsuits against the Trump administration, including cases aimed at halting the federal government’s attempts to withhold federal funding to “sanctuary” jurisdictions that limit local cooperation on immigration enforcement and the administration’s efforts to end birthright citizenship.
January 13, 2026
Minnesota sues DHS, ICE over immigration enforcement
The state, along with the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, allege the Trump administration’s decision to surge ICE agents into the area violates federal and state laws.
https://x.com/washingtonpost/status/2010847638669709687
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2026/01/12/minnesota-immigration-lawsuit-ice-dhs
Minnesota officials sued federal immigration authorities on Monday, claiming the Trump administration’s “unprecedented surge” of immigration agents is politically motivated and violates the U.S. Constitution......
In their suit, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are asking a federal court to issue a temporary restraining order to stop or limit the Department of Homeland Security’s “Operation Metro Surge.”
The Minnesota officials allege that “thousands of armed and masked DHS agents have stormed the Twin Cities to conduct militarized raids” at sites including schools and hospitals. DHS said last week that its Minnesota effort would be the agency’s largest immigration enforcement operation ever, with 2,000 federal agents and officers involved.
“This is, in essence, a federal invasion of the Twin Cities and Minnesota, and it must stop,” Ellison told reporters Monday afternoon. “DHS agents have sown chaos and terror across the metropolitan area and in cities across the state of Minnesota.”,,,,,
The lawsuit accuses agents of “unlawful and dangerous” tactics such as swapping and altering license plates, using tear gas and other chemical weapons on bystanders, and arresting people without warrants or probable cause.
Minnesota and Illinois join other state and local governments that have filed immigration-related lawsuits against the Trump administration, including cases aimed at halting the federal government’s attempts to withhold federal funding to “sanctuary” jurisdictions that limit local cooperation on immigration enforcement and the administration’s efforts to end birthright citizenship.
In their suit, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are asking a federal court to issue a temporary restraining order to stop or limit the Department of Homeland Security’s “Operation Metro Surge.”
The Minnesota officials allege that “thousands of armed and masked DHS agents have stormed the Twin Cities to conduct militarized raids” at sites including schools and hospitals. DHS said last week that its Minnesota effort would be the agency’s largest immigration enforcement operation ever, with 2,000 federal agents and officers involved.
“This is, in essence, a federal invasion of the Twin Cities and Minnesota, and it must stop,” Ellison told reporters Monday afternoon. “DHS agents have sown chaos and terror across the metropolitan area and in cities across the state of Minnesota.”,,,,,
The lawsuit accuses agents of “unlawful and dangerous” tactics such as swapping and altering license plates, using tear gas and other chemical weapons on bystanders, and arresting people without warrants or probable cause.
Minnesota and Illinois join other state and local governments that have filed immigration-related lawsuits against the Trump administration, including cases aimed at halting the federal government’s attempts to withhold federal funding to “sanctuary” jurisdictions that limit local cooperation on immigration enforcement and the administration’s efforts to end birthright citizenship.
January 12, 2026
Golden Globes-Andor was robbed
I am very disappointed that Andor did not win any awards lost night
https://x.com/MaceAhWindu/status/2010547497840820551
https://x.com/sw_holocron/status/2010512120606011403
January 12, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/minnesota-democrat-accuses-trump-administration-of-a-cover-up-after-good-shooting
MaddowBlog-Minnesota Democrat accuses Trump administration of a 'cover-up' after Good shooting
“I think they have just completely destroyed any credibility as they have so quickly rushed to judgment,” Sen. Tina Smith said.
We’ve all heard the expression “Shoot first, ask questions later.â€
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-01-12T18:21:31.646Z
So long as the administration instead says, “Shoot first, never ask questions,†folks like @smith.senate.gov will have a point when they talk about “cover-ups.†www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/minnesota-democrat-accuses-trump-administration-of-a-cover-up-after-good-shooting
The same day, The New York Times reported: “The investigation into the killing of Renee Nicole Good, 37, federal officials said, would be the exclusive province of the F.B.I., which is overseen by a director, Kash Patel, who has described President Trump as an unerring boss, and even a king.”
If you’re thinking this has the makings of a cover-up, you’re thinking along the same lines as Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota, who spoke rather plainly and unreservedly about her concerns during an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week.”
,,,,,,,Told that this was a rather provocative allegation, Smith added: “What I mean by that is that you can see everything that they are doing is trying to shape the narrative, to say what happened, without any investigation. And, you know, hours after Renee Good was shot and killed by federal agents, Kristi Noem was already telling us exactly what had happened. They were calling her a domestic terrorist before they even knew what her name was.”
The Minnesotan, who’s retiring at the end of her current term, also said: “What I think is essential to keep in mind here is that if we’re going to trust the federal government, how can we trust the federal government to do an objective, unbiased investigation, without prejudice, when at the beginning of that investigation they have already announced exactly what they saw, what they think happened? And then they bar from participating in the investigation the unbiased state investigators who frequently collaborate with federal investigators when there are things that need to be looked into.
“So, I mean, I think they have just completely destroyed any credibility as they have so quickly rushed to judgment.”
We’ve all heard the expression “Shoot first, ask questions later.” So long as the Trump administration instead says, “Shoot first, never ask questions,” concerns such as those raised by Smith will continue.
If you’re thinking this has the makings of a cover-up, you’re thinking along the same lines as Democratic Sen. Tina Smith of Minnesota, who spoke rather plainly and unreservedly about her concerns during an appearance on ABC News’ “This Week.”
Sen. Tina Smith: "How can we trust the federal government to do an objective, unbiased investigation, without prejudice, when at the beginning of that investigation they have already announced what they think happened? ... they have completely destroyed any credibility."
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-01-11T16:28:48.220Z
,,,,,,,Told that this was a rather provocative allegation, Smith added: “What I mean by that is that you can see everything that they are doing is trying to shape the narrative, to say what happened, without any investigation. And, you know, hours after Renee Good was shot and killed by federal agents, Kristi Noem was already telling us exactly what had happened. They were calling her a domestic terrorist before they even knew what her name was.”
The Minnesotan, who’s retiring at the end of her current term, also said: “What I think is essential to keep in mind here is that if we’re going to trust the federal government, how can we trust the federal government to do an objective, unbiased investigation, without prejudice, when at the beginning of that investigation they have already announced exactly what they saw, what they think happened? And then they bar from participating in the investigation the unbiased state investigators who frequently collaborate with federal investigators when there are things that need to be looked into.
“So, I mean, I think they have just completely destroyed any credibility as they have so quickly rushed to judgment.”
We’ve all heard the expression “Shoot first, ask questions later.” So long as the Trump administration instead says, “Shoot first, never ask questions,” concerns such as those raised by Smith will continue.
January 12, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trumps-new-architect-sketches-out-an-even-more-ambitious-white-house-overhaul
MaddowBlog-Trump's new architect sketches out an even more ambitious White House overhaul
If the unnecessary ballroom weren't enough, there are now plans to add a second story to the West Wing’s colonnade.
MSNOW - Trump’s new architect sketches out an even more ambitious White House overhaul
— Lola Gayle (@lolagaylec.bsky.social) 2026-01-10T15:57:54.938Z
If the unnecessary ballroom weren't enough, there are now plans to add a second story to the West Wing’s colonnade.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trumps-new-architect-sketches-out-an-even-more-ambitious-white-house-overhaul
And so, last month, Trump hired a new architect to oversee the initiative — one who presumably would be comfortable with the president’s appetite for an ever-expanding project.
It’s against this backdrop that The Washington Post reported:
The same report noted that the new architect, Shalom Baranes, told the National Capital Planning Commission that as part of the White House overhaul, officials are also considering a one-story addition to the West Wing’s colonnade — a subject about which the president talked to The New York Times a day earlier.
The Republican told the newspaper that he was calling the project the “Upper West Wing.”.....
He said he wanted to paint the entirety of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is part of the White House complex, so that it would look like, in the words of Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, “a big white blob.” (Late last week, the president indicated that this is still a priority.)
Evidently, the to-do list is still growing.
If we were talking about a Trump-owned property, all of this would merely be a curiosity, but we’re not. This is the White House — which is supposed to be our house.
In 1998, the late David Broder criticized Bill Clinton in a memorable way. “He came in here and he trashed the place — and it’s not his place,” the longtime Washington Post columnist said of the Democratic president.
Broder, of course, was being metaphorical about Clinton and his impact at the White House. A generation later, the incumbent Republican president is actually trashing the place.
It’s against this backdrop that The Washington Post reported:
President Donald Trump plans to build his controversial ballroom as tall as the White House’s main mansion itself, the project’s chief architect told a federal review committee Thursday — a significant change of plans that breaks with long-standing architectural norms requiring additions to be shorter than the main building.
The same report noted that the new architect, Shalom Baranes, told the National Capital Planning Commission that as part of the White House overhaul, officials are also considering a one-story addition to the West Wing’s colonnade — a subject about which the president talked to The New York Times a day earlier.
The Republican told the newspaper that he was calling the project the “Upper West Wing.”.....
He said he wanted to paint the entirety of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is part of the White House complex, so that it would look like, in the words of Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, “a big white blob.” (Late last week, the president indicated that this is still a priority.)
Evidently, the to-do list is still growing.
If we were talking about a Trump-owned property, all of this would merely be a curiosity, but we’re not. This is the White House — which is supposed to be our house.
In 1998, the late David Broder criticized Bill Clinton in a memorable way. “He came in here and he trashed the place — and it’s not his place,” the longtime Washington Post columnist said of the Democratic president.
Broder, of course, was being metaphorical about Clinton and his impact at the White House. A generation later, the incumbent Republican president is actually trashing the place.
January 12, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-describes-his-embarrassing-failure-to-create-jobs-as-amazing
MaddowBlog-Trump describes his embarrassing failure to create jobs as 'amazing'
Confronted with dreadful news, the Republican did what he tends to do on economic matters: He played make-believe.
After failing spectacularly to deliver on his promises about job creation, Trump tried to rebrand failure as “amazing.â€
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-01-12T19:36:18.363Z
That’s demonstrably ridiculous. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-describes-his-embarrassing-failure-to-create-jobs-as-amazing
But the president did none of these things. At a White House event, the Republican instead did what he tends to do on economic matters: Trump played make-believe.
I’m mindful of the fact that Trump doesn’t appear to know very much about economic policy or recent history, but White House officials have described him as a “visual learner,” so I’ve updated a chart showing job growth by year since the Great Recession, with red columns representing Republican administrations and blue columns representing Democratic administrations.
?resize=560,294
That small red column on the right side of the image? That’s 2025, when the U.S. job market added 584,000 jobs for the whole year. That might sound like a decent number until you compare it to recent history: In 2024, when Trump said the economy was terrible, job growth topped two million. A year earlier, the total was almost 2.6 million jobs......
For American workers, this is awful, but for the president’s political standing, it’s a disaster: Trump spent the 2024 election season assuring voters that he’d deliver an economic “boom,” starting on “Day One” of his second term.
Trump, after having failed spectacularly to deliver on those promises, has tried to rebrand failure as “amazing.” No one should be fooled by such nonsense.
COLLINS: Can you respond to today's economic report?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-01-09T21:13:20.419Z
TRUMP: It's an amazing report. The most amazing thing is govt jobs are way down and yet the employment numbers are very good.
I’m mindful of the fact that Trump doesn’t appear to know very much about economic policy or recent history, but White House officials have described him as a “visual learner,” so I’ve updated a chart showing job growth by year since the Great Recession, with red columns representing Republican administrations and blue columns representing Democratic administrations.
?resize=560,294
That small red column on the right side of the image? That’s 2025, when the U.S. job market added 584,000 jobs for the whole year. That might sound like a decent number until you compare it to recent history: In 2024, when Trump said the economy was terrible, job growth topped two million. A year earlier, the total was almost 2.6 million jobs......
For American workers, this is awful, but for the president’s political standing, it’s a disaster: Trump spent the 2024 election season assuring voters that he’d deliver an economic “boom,” starting on “Day One” of his second term.
Trump, after having failed spectacularly to deliver on those promises, has tried to rebrand failure as “amazing.” No one should be fooled by such nonsense.
January 12, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/white-houses-homan-deflects-when-pressed-on-cava-bag-controversy
MaddowBlog-White House's Homan deflects when pressed on Cava bag controversy
The FBI recorded Homan allegedly accepting $50,000 in cash as part of an undercover operation. Questions for the border czar haven’t gone away.
The FBI recorded White House border czar Tom Homan allegedly accepting ,000 in cash (in a Cava bag) as part of an undercover operation.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-01-12T20:54:57.469Z
He wants the questions to go away.
They aren’t.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/white-houses-homan-deflects-when-pressed-on-cava-bag-controversy
It was September when MS NOW was first to report on an undercover FBI operation from 2024 in which Tom Homan was recorded accepting $50,000 in cash after indicating he could help agents, who were posing as business executives, win government contracts in a second Trump administration.....
Two weeks later, the controversial official sat down with NBC News’ Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” and faced questions about the controversy.
.....Pressed further on whether he kept or returned the money, Homan described the matter as “ridiculous,” adding, “I will not answer any more of these questions.”
Asked whether he’d be comfortable with the FBI releasing the recordings of his interactions with the undercover agents, he concluded, “I am not going to get ahead of the FBI. That’s their decision.”
University of Michigan law professor Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney and an MS NOW legal analyst, noted in response to the exchange, “It doesn’t take a trained ear to hear the deflections.”,,,,'
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, three Democratic senators — Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Adam Schiff of California, each of whom serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee — filed a Freedom of Information Act request in November with the Justice Department’s criminal division, demanding a variety of details related to the case.
It’s not yet clear when, or if, the senators will receive the answers they’re looking for. Watch this space.
Two weeks later, the controversial official sat down with NBC News’ Kristen Welker on “Meet the Press” and faced questions about the controversy.
WELKER: Where is that ,000? Did you keep it?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-01-11T15:12:52.619Z
HOMAN: I didn't take k from anybody & that's a question for the FBI. Bottom line I did nothing illegal.
WELKER: But was there k in the bag?
HOMAN: I'm not addressing it
WELKER: But did you keep the money?
HOMAN: k is ridiculous
.....Pressed further on whether he kept or returned the money, Homan described the matter as “ridiculous,” adding, “I will not answer any more of these questions.”
Asked whether he’d be comfortable with the FBI releasing the recordings of his interactions with the undercover agents, he concluded, “I am not going to get ahead of the FBI. That’s their decision.”
University of Michigan law professor Barbara McQuade, a former U.S. attorney and an MS NOW legal analyst, noted in response to the exchange, “It doesn’t take a trained ear to hear the deflections.”,,,,'
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, three Democratic senators — Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Adam Schiff of California, each of whom serve on the Senate Judiciary Committee — filed a Freedom of Information Act request in November with the Justice Department’s criminal division, demanding a variety of details related to the case.
It’s not yet clear when, or if, the senators will receive the answers they’re looking for. Watch this space.
January 12, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/with-acting-president-of-venezuela-boast-trump-isnt-helping-his-own-cause
If this was NOT a law enforcement operation, the trump broke the law by NOT notifying congress in advance
MaddowBlog-With 'acting president of Venezuela' boast, Trump isn't helping his own cause
“This was a law enforcement operation” was a nice talking point for the White House, but it had a shelf life of one day.
With ‘acting president of Venezuela’ boast, Trump isn’t helping his own cause - MS NOW
— (@oc88.bsky.social) 2026-01-12T19:46:39.938Z
apple.news/AmH5_h7uDTnq...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/with-acting-president-of-venezuela-boast-trump-isnt-helping-his-own-cause
Immediately after Americans learned that Donald Trump had deployed U.S. forces to bomb Venezuela and capture Nicolás Maduro, Secretary of State Marco Rubio relied heavily on a specific phrase in response to a variety of questions, calling the incursion “a law enforcement operation.” He added, as part of a description of the administration’s foreign policy, “We didn’t occupy a country.”
Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, used an identical line, telling representatives of the Security Council, “This was a law enforcement operation.”
That is, because Maduro was facing federal criminal charges in the United States, the administration was within its rights simply to enforce the indictment, take the Venezuelan leader into custody and bring him to court like any other criminal defendant.
The military, according to the argument, was simply there to protect the officers conducting the arrest.....
All of this helped set the stage for Sunday, when Trump used his social media platform to promote an image that described him as the “acting president of Venezuela,” which came on the heels of the Republican saying that his administration is “in charge” of the South American country.
“This was a law enforcement operation” was a nice little talking point for the White House, but as it turns out, it had a shelf life of a single day.
Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, used an identical line, telling representatives of the Security Council, “This was a law enforcement operation.”
That is, because Maduro was facing federal criminal charges in the United States, the administration was within its rights simply to enforce the indictment, take the Venezuelan leader into custody and bring him to court like any other criminal defendant.
The military, according to the argument, was simply there to protect the officers conducting the arrest.....
All of this helped set the stage for Sunday, when Trump used his social media platform to promote an image that described him as the “acting president of Venezuela,” which came on the heels of the Republican saying that his administration is “in charge” of the South American country.
Trump posts that he’s “Acting President of Venezuelaâ€
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-01-12T01:25:18.958Z
“This was a law enforcement operation” was a nice little talking point for the White House, but as it turns out, it had a shelf life of a single day.
If this was NOT a law enforcement operation, the trump broke the law by NOT notifying congress in advance
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