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January 6, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/stephen-miller-greenland-us-manifest-destiny
The Republican added that there was a “good possibility that we could do it without military force,” but he went on to say that he wasn’t going to “take anything off the table.”
MaddowBlog-White House's Stephen Miller suggests the U.S. is entitled to Greenland
For all the talk about the Monroe Doctrine, we really ought to discuss a different 19th century concept: Manifest Destiny.
For all of the recent White House talk about the Monroe Doctrine, a different 19th-century concept — Manifest Destiny — should be part of the same conversation.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-01-06T18:11:19.889Z
Instead of eying US expansion to the Pacific, Team Trump apparently believes we’re destined to control the entire hemisphere.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/stephen-miller-greenland-us-manifest-destiny
The Republican added that there was a “good possibility that we could do it without military force,” but he went on to say that he wasn’t going to “take anything off the table.”
Almost a year later, the administration continues to insist on its radical vision. The New York Times reported:
According to CNN’s transcript, the full context of Miller’s quote was, “The United States should have Greenland as part of the United States. There’s no need to even think or talk about this in the context that you’re asking, of a military operation. Nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland.”.....
The day before Miller’s on-air comments, the president emphasized his belief that the U.S. needs to acquire Greenland “from a national security situation,” and the day after Miller’s appearance, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, the White House’s odd choice for a special envoy to Greenland, appeared on CNBC and refused to rule out the possibility of a U.S. takeover of the Arctic island.
......For all of the recent White House talk about the Monroe Doctrine, it seems that a different 19th century concept — Manifest Destiny — deserves to be part of the same conversation. But instead of advocating the expansion of the United States to the Pacific Ocean, Team Trump appears to be operating under the assumption that we’re destined to control the entire hemisphere.
Our longtime allies appear unimpressed. The U.S. faced a rare rebuke at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Monday. A day later, major European allies warned the United States that they would “not stop defending” the values of sovereignty and territorial integrity, in direct response to the White House threats against Greenland.
If Team Trump’s goal was to further isolate the United States for no reason, it’s succeeding beautifully.
Stephen Miller, a top aide to President Trump, asserted on Monday that Greenland rightfully belonged to the United States and that the Trump administration could seize the semiautonomous Danish territory if it wanted.
‘Nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland,’ Mr. Miller told Jake Tapper, the CNN host, after being asked repeatedly whether he would rule out using military force.
According to CNN’s transcript, the full context of Miller’s quote was, “The United States should have Greenland as part of the United States. There’s no need to even think or talk about this in the context that you’re asking, of a military operation. Nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland.”.....
The day before Miller’s on-air comments, the president emphasized his belief that the U.S. needs to acquire Greenland “from a national security situation,” and the day after Miller’s appearance, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, the White House’s odd choice for a special envoy to Greenland, appeared on CNBC and refused to rule out the possibility of a U.S. takeover of the Arctic island.
QUICK: You're talking about doing business. Is this us just going to Greenland and doing deals with them, or is this us taking it over?
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-01-06T14:28:57.480Z
JEFF LANDRY: The president is one of those people that says everything is on the table
......For all of the recent White House talk about the Monroe Doctrine, it seems that a different 19th century concept — Manifest Destiny — deserves to be part of the same conversation. But instead of advocating the expansion of the United States to the Pacific Ocean, Team Trump appears to be operating under the assumption that we’re destined to control the entire hemisphere.
Our longtime allies appear unimpressed. The U.S. faced a rare rebuke at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Monday. A day later, major European allies warned the United States that they would “not stop defending” the values of sovereignty and territorial integrity, in direct response to the White House threats against Greenland.
If Team Trump’s goal was to further isolate the United States for no reason, it’s succeeding beautifully.
January 6, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/vaccine-schedule-revised-rfk-jr-bill-cassidy
MaddowBlog-GOP's Cassidy criticizes RFK Jr.'s vaccine schedule, but the senator still isn't ready to act
The Louisiana Republican keeps complaining about Kennedy but failing to use his considerable powers.
Bill Cassidy spent 2025 criticizing RFK Jr’s radical moves, but failing to actually do anything meaningful, despite his powerful committee chairmanship.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2026-01-06T15:00:25.696Z
In 2026, the senator is offering more of the same, indifferent to the consequences of his passivity. www.ms.now/rachel-maddo...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/vaccine-schedule-revised-rfk-jr-bill-cassidy
Commenting on the development, Michael Osterholm, a professor of public health at the University of Minnesota, told The New York Times, “Today is a defining moment for our country. We can no longer trust federal health authorities when it comes to vaccines.”
Alas, 2026 is already off to a similarly crushing start. As my MS NOW colleague Will McDuffie reported:
The announcement is not binding, but as McDuffie’s report added, the CDC’s recommendations “carry great weight with local health officials” — even, in this instance, when they shouldn’t......
Cassidy, in a position of real power and influence on Capitol Hill, has plenty of other options. He could concede publicly that confirming Kennedy was a tragic mistake; he could call for Kennedy’s resignation; he could even schedule hearings and haul officials from HHS, CDC and the Food and Drug Administration to Capitol Hill to demand answers and changes.
Cassidy isn’t doing any of these things. He’s instead posting occasionally to social media to criticize radical and dangerous public health moves in the mildest of ways.
I obviously can’t read the senator’s mind. It’s possible that the Louisianan is worried about the GOP primary challenge he’s facing this year, which has led him to believe he’s better off avoiding fights with one of Donald Trump’s Cabinet secretaries. It’s also possible that Cassidy has faced behind-the-scenes pressure from Republican leaders not to do anything more consequential.
Whatever his motivation, Cassidy can’t escape responsibility for the damage Kennedy and his cohorts are doing to the nation’s public health, and while he could take meaningful action in response, the senator has chosen not to, seemingly indifferent to the consequences of his passivity.
Alas, 2026 is already off to a similarly crushing start. As my MS NOW colleague Will McDuffie reported:
U.S. health officials announced Monday that they would dramatically reduce the number of vaccinations recommended for babies and children, a decision that officials say they made after reviewing the childhood vaccine schedules of other developed countries.
The Trump administration announced it was reducing the number of diseases it routinely recommends children be vaccinated against from 17 to 11, a move that had been long signaled by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. It means the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer broadly recommend children receive vaccines for rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and hepatitis A and B.
The announcement is not binding, but as McDuffie’s report added, the CDC’s recommendations “carry great weight with local health officials” — even, in this instance, when they shouldn’t......
Cassidy, in a position of real power and influence on Capitol Hill, has plenty of other options. He could concede publicly that confirming Kennedy was a tragic mistake; he could call for Kennedy’s resignation; he could even schedule hearings and haul officials from HHS, CDC and the Food and Drug Administration to Capitol Hill to demand answers and changes.
Cassidy isn’t doing any of these things. He’s instead posting occasionally to social media to criticize radical and dangerous public health moves in the mildest of ways.
I obviously can’t read the senator’s mind. It’s possible that the Louisianan is worried about the GOP primary challenge he’s facing this year, which has led him to believe he’s better off avoiding fights with one of Donald Trump’s Cabinet secretaries. It’s also possible that Cassidy has faced behind-the-scenes pressure from Republican leaders not to do anything more consequential.
Whatever his motivation, Cassidy can’t escape responsibility for the damage Kennedy and his cohorts are doing to the nation’s public health, and while he could take meaningful action in response, the senator has chosen not to, seemingly indifferent to the consequences of his passivity.
January 6, 2026
https://www.ms.now/news/trump-pushes-back-amid-scrutiny-over-his-health
Trump pushes back amid scrutiny over his health
President Donald Trump insisted he is in good health in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, saying Friday that he had “aced” a cognitive exam.
Trump pushes back amid scrutiny over his health
— MS NOW (@ms.now) 2026-01-03T02:51:45.836Z
https://www.ms.now/news/trump-pushes-back-amid-scrutiny-over-his-health
President Donald Trump declared in a social media post Friday that he was in “perfect” health, a day after The Wall Street Journal published an interview with him in which he pushed back on scrutiny about his age and fitness.
Trump, 79, is the oldest person to have been elected president. During the interview with the Journal, he dismissed public concerns about his age and health and expressed irritation that the topic keeps coming up. The article mentioned Trump’s bruised hands — which he said is a result of taking a higher dose of aspirin — his hearing and his limited sleep, though he said he still has plenty of energy that he attributed to his “good genetics.”
In the lengthy article, Trump denied that he falls asleep during White House events, adding he has trouble sleeping some nights and usually functions on limited hours of sleep.
“Sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they’ll catch me with the blink,” Trump said about images that show his eyes closed.
The president has appeared to nod off during several events, including at a Cabinet meeting last month in which he appeared to battle to stay awake. In November, Trump seemed to struggle to keep his eyes open in the Oval Office during an event announcing price cuts for weight loss drugs......
Beyond the president’s physical health, the article mentions Trump’s habit of going from topic to topic in speeches and statements, sometimes making factual errors. Often recently Trump has veered off topic, and at times rambled, while speaking in public, including during an event in Pennsylvania aimed at highlighting affordability in the swing state and during his scattered speech in September in front of hundreds of U.S. military leaders at a base in Virginia.
But the president has insisted that he suffers no cognitive decline.
Trump’s former and current physician said they administered the Montreal Cognitive Assessment to Trump, in 2018 and 2025, respectively, and that he had scored “30 out of 30” on the assessments.
Trump, 79, is the oldest person to have been elected president. During the interview with the Journal, he dismissed public concerns about his age and health and expressed irritation that the topic keeps coming up. The article mentioned Trump’s bruised hands — which he said is a result of taking a higher dose of aspirin — his hearing and his limited sleep, though he said he still has plenty of energy that he attributed to his “good genetics.”
In the lengthy article, Trump denied that he falls asleep during White House events, adding he has trouble sleeping some nights and usually functions on limited hours of sleep.
“Sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking, blinking, and they’ll catch me with the blink,” Trump said about images that show his eyes closed.
The president has appeared to nod off during several events, including at a Cabinet meeting last month in which he appeared to battle to stay awake. In November, Trump seemed to struggle to keep his eyes open in the Oval Office during an event announcing price cuts for weight loss drugs......
Beyond the president’s physical health, the article mentions Trump’s habit of going from topic to topic in speeches and statements, sometimes making factual errors. Often recently Trump has veered off topic, and at times rambled, while speaking in public, including during an event in Pennsylvania aimed at highlighting affordability in the swing state and during his scattered speech in September in front of hundreds of U.S. military leaders at a base in Virginia.
But the president has insisted that he suffers no cognitive decline.
Trump’s former and current physician said they administered the Montreal Cognitive Assessment to Trump, in 2018 and 2025, respectively, and that he had scored “30 out of 30” on the assessments.
January 6, 2026
Mike Luckovich-trump's next distraction
— Mike Luckovich (@mluckovich.bsky.social) 2026-01-06T19:20:56.207Z
January 6, 2026
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-s-private-remarks-to-morning-joe-could-blow-up-case-against-marduro-legal-expert/
Trump may have blown up Maduro case in private chat with Morning Joe: legal expert
trump is an idiot and is giving Maduro some good material to use if this case goes to trial
Trump may have blown up Maduro case in private chat with Morning Joe: legal expert
— Anne Grete (GoogeliArt) 🦋💙PD (@googeliart.bsky.social) 2026-01-06T15:10:14.871Z
www.rawstory.com/trump-s-priv...
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-s-private-remarks-to-morning-joe-could-blow-up-case-against-marduro-legal-expert/
President Donald Trump's private comments to MS NOW's Joe Scarborough could blow up the prosecution of Venezuela's former president Nicolás Maduro.
The "Morning Joe" host revealed Tuesday morning that he'd spoken to the president the previous day, and he told viewers that Trump boasted that the U.S. was going to take over the South American nation's oil production.
"'Joe, the difference between Iraq and this is that [George W.] Bush didn't keep the oil – we're going to keep the oil,'" Scarborough said Trump told him, "and to underline his point, Trump said his comments were no longer on background and said, 'In 2016, I said we should have kept the oil, it caused a lot of controversy. Well, we should have kept the oil.'".....
Those comments, along with similar statements Trump has publicly made, could strengthen Maduro's defense as he fights prosecution in New York on drug and weapons charges, according to MS NOW's legal analyst Lisa Rubin.
"Barry Pollack, who had represented Julian Assange and now represents Maduro, previewed that he is going to make motions to dismiss on the basis of not only head of state immunity, but about the legality of the abduction in the first place," Rubin said.
"And I think that Mr. Pollack would have been very interested in the conversation you had with the president yesterday. Had that conversation taken place before the court appearance, I expect that comments like that would have been addressed, and he would have told the judge this was pretextual."
"This was a military operation all along," Rubin said, anticipating Maduro's defense. "It was always about the oil that the president intends to keep, and not about an indictment or a superseding indictment of Nicolás Maduro, who has been under indictment in the United States already for five-plus years."
The "Morning Joe" host revealed Tuesday morning that he'd spoken to the president the previous day, and he told viewers that Trump boasted that the U.S. was going to take over the South American nation's oil production.
"'Joe, the difference between Iraq and this is that [George W.] Bush didn't keep the oil – we're going to keep the oil,'" Scarborough said Trump told him, "and to underline his point, Trump said his comments were no longer on background and said, 'In 2016, I said we should have kept the oil, it caused a lot of controversy. Well, we should have kept the oil.'".....
Those comments, along with similar statements Trump has publicly made, could strengthen Maduro's defense as he fights prosecution in New York on drug and weapons charges, according to MS NOW's legal analyst Lisa Rubin.
"Barry Pollack, who had represented Julian Assange and now represents Maduro, previewed that he is going to make motions to dismiss on the basis of not only head of state immunity, but about the legality of the abduction in the first place," Rubin said.
"And I think that Mr. Pollack would have been very interested in the conversation you had with the president yesterday. Had that conversation taken place before the court appearance, I expect that comments like that would have been addressed, and he would have told the judge this was pretextual."
"This was a military operation all along," Rubin said, anticipating Maduro's defense. "It was always about the oil that the president intends to keep, and not about an indictment or a superseding indictment of Nicolás Maduro, who has been under indictment in the United States already for five-plus years."
January 6, 2026
MaddowBlog-On Jan. 6 anniversary, Speaker Johnson rejects plaque to honor police officers
The GOP leader had plenty of time to come up with an excuse for his refusal. He didn’t come up with much.
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/january-6-anniversary-plaque-mike-johnson
After the Jan. 6 attack, Congress agreed to install a permanent plaque to honor the law enforcement personnel who helped protect the U.S. Capitol against pro-Trump rioters. By statute, the plaque was to be placed on the western side of the building by March 2023 and list the names of those who served.
That deadline lapsed almost three years ago. The plaque is done and ready to be installed, but it’s reportedly sitting in a Capitol basement utility room surrounded by tools and maintenance equipment.
Architect of the Capitol Thomas Austin confirmed during a congressional hearing last year that the only thing standing in the way of installing the plaque is the approval from House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office — approval the Louisiana Republican has not extended for reasons he’s been reluctant to explain. (Austin also needed approval from Senate leaders, which he has already received.)
On the eve of the Jan. 6 anniversary, the House speaker elaborated on his position. The Associated Press reported:
The GOP leader has had quite a bit of time to come up with a coherent explanation for his refusal to honor the officers who protected the Capitol. This, evidently, is what he’s come up with.
Meanwhile, two Jan. 6 police officers, former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and current Metropolitan Police Department Officer Daniel Hodges, filed a lawsuit last summer to force congressional leaders to follow the law. Donald Trump’s Justice Department weighed in on the case last month, telling a federal court to reject the litigation, though the case is still pending.
For their part, many congressional Democrats have replicas of the plaque hung outside their Capitol Hill offices. If those same Democrats are in the majority after this year’s midterm elections, no one should be surprised if the real plaque is installed where it’s supposed to be in early 2027.
That deadline lapsed almost three years ago. The plaque is done and ready to be installed, but it’s reportedly sitting in a Capitol basement utility room surrounded by tools and maintenance equipment.
Architect of the Capitol Thomas Austin confirmed during a congressional hearing last year that the only thing standing in the way of installing the plaque is the approval from House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office — approval the Louisiana Republican has not extended for reasons he’s been reluctant to explain. (Austin also needed approval from Senate leaders, which he has already received.)
On the eve of the Jan. 6 anniversary, the House speaker elaborated on his position. The Associated Press reported:
Speaker Johnson’s office said in a statement late Monday the statute authorizing the plaque is ‘not implementable’ and proposed alternatives also ‘do not comply.’
The GOP leader has had quite a bit of time to come up with a coherent explanation for his refusal to honor the officers who protected the Capitol. This, evidently, is what he’s come up with.
Meanwhile, two Jan. 6 police officers, former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and current Metropolitan Police Department Officer Daniel Hodges, filed a lawsuit last summer to force congressional leaders to follow the law. Donald Trump’s Justice Department weighed in on the case last month, telling a federal court to reject the litigation, though the case is still pending.
For their part, many congressional Democrats have replicas of the plaque hung outside their Capitol Hill offices. If those same Democrats are in the majority after this year’s midterm elections, no one should be surprised if the real plaque is installed where it’s supposed to be in early 2027.
January 6, 2026
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/mark-kelly-demotion-pete-hegseth-010626
MaddowBlog-'I'm never going to back down': Mark Kelly pushes back against Hegseth's intensifying crusade
The Pentagon chief is moving forward with plans to demote the senator’s military rank. The secretary may not be prepared, however, for what happens next.
‘I’m never going to back down’: Mark Kelly pushes back against Hegseth’s intensifying crusade - MS NOW
— (@oc88.bsky.social) 2026-01-06T15:20:46.352Z
apple.news/A8Ld_5ONZSbu...
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/mark-kelly-demotion-pete-hegseth-010626
In mid-December, the Pentagon announced that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was “escalating” his crusade against Sen. Mark Kelly, launching an “official Command Investigation” into the Arizona Democrat. It was, as The Washington Post noted soon after, “an unprecedented use of the military justice system to investigate a political adversary.”
Three weeks later, the beleaguered Cabinet secretary, who presumably has more important matters on his plate, took the next step down a radical path. My MS NOW colleague Erum Salam reported:
For those who might have lost sight of the transgression that prompted the secretary’s crusade: Several Democratic military veterans appeared in a video, released in November, in which they urged service members to reject illegal orders. A week later, Hegseth announced an investigation into Kelly, a decorated Navy veteran. (The Arizona Democrat is the only member of the group who retired as a captain and served long enough to receive a military pension.)....
Kelly’s pushback: If Trump’s Pentagon expects Kelly to back down in the face of absurd bullying, that’s apparently not going to happen. “Here’s the thing, Rachel: I’m never going to back down from these guys,” the senator said Monday on MS NOW. “I’m going to continue to speak out. I’m going to continue to do my job and, as much as I can, highlight how wrong these people are and how outrageous this is and how dangerous.”......
Endgame: As part of the existing process, Kelly has 30 days to respond formally to Hegseth’s letter, but just as notably, assuming his demotion happens, the senator will have the option of taking the matter to the courts, to the Board for Correction of Naval Records or to both.
“If the executive branch were to move forward in any forum — criminal, disciplinary, or administrative — we will take all appropriate legal action on Senator Kelly’s behalf to halt the Administration’s unprecedented and dangerous overreach,” Kelly’s lawyer wrote in a letter to Secretary of the Navy John Phelan in December.
Three weeks later, the beleaguered Cabinet secretary, who presumably has more important matters on his plate, took the next step down a radical path. My MS NOW colleague Erum Salam reported:
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday that he plans to demote the military rank of Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona after the retired Navy captain reminded those actively serving to disobey illegal orders. […]
Hegseth said he issued a ‘letter of censure’ to Kelly, calling it a first step toward a demotion and a decrease in pension. Censure is a formal disciplinary action, sometimes punitive, that can only be issued by someone in a service member’s chain of command. If successful, it can result in demotion of a service member’s rank and a reduction in their retirement pay.
For those who might have lost sight of the transgression that prompted the secretary’s crusade: Several Democratic military veterans appeared in a video, released in November, in which they urged service members to reject illegal orders. A week later, Hegseth announced an investigation into Kelly, a decorated Navy veteran. (The Arizona Democrat is the only member of the group who retired as a captain and served long enough to receive a military pension.)....
Kelly’s pushback: If Trump’s Pentagon expects Kelly to back down in the face of absurd bullying, that’s apparently not going to happen. “Here’s the thing, Rachel: I’m never going to back down from these guys,” the senator said Monday on MS NOW. “I’m going to continue to speak out. I’m going to continue to do my job and, as much as I can, highlight how wrong these people are and how outrageous this is and how dangerous.”......
Endgame: As part of the existing process, Kelly has 30 days to respond formally to Hegseth’s letter, but just as notably, assuming his demotion happens, the senator will have the option of taking the matter to the courts, to the Board for Correction of Naval Records or to both.
“If the executive branch were to move forward in any forum — criminal, disciplinary, or administrative — we will take all appropriate legal action on Senator Kelly’s behalf to halt the Administration’s unprecedented and dangerous overreach,” Kelly’s lawyer wrote in a letter to Secretary of the Navy John Phelan in December.
January 6, 2026
Joe Biden is the only U.S. president in the last 80 years to start no new wars and pursue no regime change
https://x.com/ChrisDJackson/status/2008323126937997678Joe Biden (2021–2025)
No new war. No regime change.
Trump (2017–2021) (2025-)
Venezuela regime change. Iran escalation.
Obama (2009–2017)
Libya regime change. Syria.
G.W. Bush (2001–2009)
Afghanistan. Iraq.
Clinton (1993–2001)
Kosovo war. Iraq regime change doctrine.
G.H.W. Bush (1989–1993)
Panama invasion. Gulf War.
Reagan (1981–1989)
Grenada. Central America regime change.
Carter (1977–1981)
No declared war, but covert regime-change actions and Afghanistan proxy escalation.
Ford (1974–1977)
Vietnam continuation and covert operations.
Nixon (1969–1974)
Expanded Vietnam into Cambodia and Laos.
Johnson (1963–1969)
Vietnam escalation.
Kennedy (1961–1963)
Bay of Pigs. Cuba regime change.
Eisenhower (1953–1961)
Iran 1953. Guatemala 1954. Both regime change.
Truman (1945–1953)
Korean War.
No new war. No regime change.
Trump (2017–2021) (2025-)
Venezuela regime change. Iran escalation.
Obama (2009–2017)
Libya regime change. Syria.
G.W. Bush (2001–2009)
Afghanistan. Iraq.
Clinton (1993–2001)
Kosovo war. Iraq regime change doctrine.
G.H.W. Bush (1989–1993)
Panama invasion. Gulf War.
Reagan (1981–1989)
Grenada. Central America regime change.
Carter (1977–1981)
No declared war, but covert regime-change actions and Afghanistan proxy escalation.
Ford (1974–1977)
Vietnam continuation and covert operations.
Nixon (1969–1974)
Expanded Vietnam into Cambodia and Laos.
Johnson (1963–1969)
Vietnam escalation.
Kennedy (1961–1963)
Bay of Pigs. Cuba regime change.
Eisenhower (1953–1961)
Iran 1953. Guatemala 1954. Both regime change.
Truman (1945–1953)
Korean War.
January 6, 2026
It seems that even the trump administration knows that the claim that this was a law enforcement action is bogus
Top Republican joins Trump reaming as powerful committee shut out of Maduro briefing
trump is claiming that his administration did not have to notify Congress of the action in Venezuela because this was merely a law enforcement action with some military support and not an invasion or military action. If that is the actual case, then the trump administration needs to brief the head of the Judiciary Committees which are the committees that would have jurisdiction over these actions. trump is NOT briefing the Senate Judiciary Committee and that has pissed off Grassley
https://x.com/fawfulfan/status/2008341196939104527
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-senate-venezuela/
President Donald Trump came under fire on Monday from both parties' leadership in the Senate Judiciary Committee over his refusal to include them in the briefing about the operation to capture Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro.
In recent months, Democrats have complained that the administration is sidelining their elected officials from participating in Venezuela briefings while keeping Republicans in the loop. This time, however, Trump is simply not including the Judiciary Committee at all, prompting Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and ranking member Dick Durbin (D-IL) to release an outraged statement.
The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted that the operation was a law enforcement action, not a military one, partly because the former would not require congressional approval — but, Grassley and Durbin pointed out, if it's a law enforcement action, the Judiciary Committee should at least be briefed on things.
"President Trump and Secretary Rubio have stated that this was a law enforcement operation that was made at the Department of Justice's (DOJ) request, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)," they wrote. "The Senate Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over DOJ, FBI and DEA, and all three agencies are led by individuals who our Committee vetted and processed. The Attorney General herself will be present at today's briefing."
"There is no legitimate basis for excluding the Senate Judiciary Committee from this briefing," they wrote. "The administration's refusal to acknowledge our Committee's indisputable jurisdiction in this matter is unacceptable and we are following up to ensure the Committee receives warranted information regarding Maduro's arrest."
In recent months, Democrats have complained that the administration is sidelining their elected officials from participating in Venezuela briefings while keeping Republicans in the loop. This time, however, Trump is simply not including the Judiciary Committee at all, prompting Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and ranking member Dick Durbin (D-IL) to release an outraged statement.
The Trump administration has repeatedly insisted that the operation was a law enforcement action, not a military one, partly because the former would not require congressional approval — but, Grassley and Durbin pointed out, if it's a law enforcement action, the Judiciary Committee should at least be briefed on things.
"President Trump and Secretary Rubio have stated that this was a law enforcement operation that was made at the Department of Justice's (DOJ) request, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)," they wrote. "The Senate Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over DOJ, FBI and DEA, and all three agencies are led by individuals who our Committee vetted and processed. The Attorney General herself will be present at today's briefing."
"There is no legitimate basis for excluding the Senate Judiciary Committee from this briefing," they wrote. "The administration's refusal to acknowledge our Committee's indisputable jurisdiction in this matter is unacceptable and we are following up to ensure the Committee receives warranted information regarding Maduro's arrest."
It seems that even the trump administration knows that the claim that this was a law enforcement action is bogus
January 6, 2026
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-vetoes/
Republicans hatch plot to override Trump's vetoes that enraged GOP
trump's first vetoes were petty to punish Colorado for not releasing Tina Peters and to punish Boebert. I hope that congress overrides these vetoes
Republicans hatch plot to override Trump's vetoes that enraged GOP
— Gary Schwall Sr. (@glschwall.bsky.social) 2026-01-05T22:15:31.451Z
www.rawstory.com/trump-vetoes/
https://www.rawstory.com/trump-vetoes/
President Donald Trump issued his first two vetoes of his second term last month — enraging many in his own party as he struck down bipartisan consensus legislation based on his own personal grievances. And now, House Republicans may override his vetoes, with a vote on the matter scheduled for Thursday.
According to Politico, "barring any major, last-minute GOP defections, senior House Republicans and Democrats generally expect the chamber will approve the overrides in a rare rebuke of Trump — though leaders expect some Republicans who initially supported the bills to now fall in line with Trump’s wishes."
The first bill, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, would improve loan terms for a water infrastructure upgrade in eastern Colorado, right in the district of far-right Rep. Lauren Boebert — so vetoed amid Trump's anger of Colorado state officials' refusal to capitulate to his demands to release imprisoned election conspiracy theorist and former county clerk Tina Peters.....
Boebert in particular, normally a Trump ally, expressed fury over the veto of benefits for her district, accusing Trump of seeking revenge on her for voting to release the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case files.
Despite the likelihood of the vetoes being overridden in the House, the Politico report noted, it isn't clear whether the override will have the votes in the Senate. To override a veto, both the House and Senate must repass it by a two-thirds majority.
According to Politico, "barring any major, last-minute GOP defections, senior House Republicans and Democrats generally expect the chamber will approve the overrides in a rare rebuke of Trump — though leaders expect some Republicans who initially supported the bills to now fall in line with Trump’s wishes."
The first bill, the Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Act, would improve loan terms for a water infrastructure upgrade in eastern Colorado, right in the district of far-right Rep. Lauren Boebert — so vetoed amid Trump's anger of Colorado state officials' refusal to capitulate to his demands to release imprisoned election conspiracy theorist and former county clerk Tina Peters.....
Boebert in particular, normally a Trump ally, expressed fury over the veto of benefits for her district, accusing Trump of seeking revenge on her for voting to release the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case files.
Despite the likelihood of the vetoes being overridden in the House, the Politico report noted, it isn't clear whether the override will have the votes in the Senate. To override a veto, both the House and Senate must repass it by a two-thirds majority.
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