This Weekend in Politics, Bulletin 288.

… WaPo: “The Pentagon has ordered about 1,500 active-duty soldiers to prepare for a possible deployment to Minnesota after Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to unrest there. The soldiers are assigned to two infantry battalions with the Army’s 11th Airborne Division, which is based in Alaska and specializes in cold-weather operations.”

… “The Insurrection Act, a federal law dating to 1807, permits the president to take control of a state’s National Guard forces or deploy active-duty troops domestically in response to a ‘rebellion.’ Invoking the act would be an extraordinary move and mark the first time a commander in chief has done so since President Bush called on the military during the LA riots of 1992 that killed dozens of people and caused widespread destruction.”

… Kristi Noem on CBS. Q - “What’s the breakdown of the percentage of those in custody who have actually committed a criminal offense? Noem: 70%. Host: It’s not 70%. Noem: It is. Host: Okay. Well, our reporting is that 47% based on your agency’s own numbers. Noem: You’re wrong again. Host: Well, that’s from your agency.”

… Host: “Let me talk to you about the officer, Jonathan Ross. He was struck, he was hospitalized … Noem interrupts: Don’t say his name. For heaven’s sakes, we shouldn’t have people continue to dox law enforcement. Host: His name was published. Noem: That doesn’t mean it should be said.”

… Host: “Are your agents going to comply with the order not to use chemical agents?
Noem: The order was a little ridiculous because the judge told us that we couldn’t do what we already aren’t doing. Host: But we just saw video of chemical agents being used. Noem: We only use those chemical agents when there’s violence happening.”

… Trump posted: “Why is Minnesota fighting this? Do they really want murderers and drug dealers to be ensconced in their community? The thugs that are protesting include many highly paid professional agitators and anarchists. Is this really what Minnesota wants?”

… The Atlantic columnist David Frum: “Minnesota is turning into Trump’s Vietnam.”

… Dep. AG Todd Blanche on Fox. Q - “Is the FBI conducting an investigation into the ICE agent who shot Renee Good? Blanche: What happened that day has been reviewed by millions of Americans because it was recorded. We investigate when it’s appropriate to investigate. That is not the case here. We are not going to bow to pressure. So no, we are not investigating.”

… Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) on ABC: “Watch this video of a woman who says she’s disabled getting dealt with by ICE. What do you think when you see this stuff? McCaul: Well, the optics aren’t good. Host: They smashed the window of her car and threw her to the ground. McCaul: It appears to be a little overzealous, but what about the actions of the murderers and drug traffickers?”

… Podcaster Joe Rogan: “There’s two things that are insane. One is the targeting of migrant workers. Not cartel members, not gang members, not drug dealers. Just construction workers. Showing up at construction sites, raiding them. Gardeners. Like, really?”

… Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey followed McCaul. Q - “In the hours after the shooting of Renee Good, you went on national TV and said to ICE, ‘get the F out of Minneapolis.’ Do you regret that language? That doesn’t sound like turning the temperature down. Frey: I don’t regret it at all. If I seemed like I was angry and frustrated, I was.”

… Q - “Noem called on your city to set up a safe zone where protests would be contained. Is that something you’re looking at? Frey: First Amendment speech is not limited to one park or one section of the city. You’re allowed to protest so long as you’re doing it peacefully.”

… Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) on CNN: “I think ICE needs to be totally torn down. People want immigration enforcement that goes after criminals and focuses on criminals, not the goon squad that has come from Stephen Miller and Trump. We cannot vote for anything that actually adds more money and doesn’t constrain ICE. We cannot keep funding this type of goon squad.”

… Noem’s spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin: “They are pouring cold water on the ground so that our ICE law enforcement vehicles will slide, crash, and potentially kill them.”

… Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN): “I was texting Stephen Miller this week about ways to stop the Minneapolis insurrectionists. We cannot let these rioters inspire other insurrections across our country.”

… J6 insurrectionist Jake Lang, who spent 4 years in prison before being pardoned by Trump, showed up in Minneapolis to try and provoke trouble. He claimed on X that he was stabbed during a protest. NBC said they looked into it but were unable to verify his claim.

… NBC: “Anti-ICE demonstrators and a group of reporters surrounded Lang and his associates, backing them in a recessed window along the City Hall building. Counterprotesters could also be seen hurling water balloons at Lang, leaving him soaked in water in the freezing cold. They also threw snowballs at other pro-ICE protesters, soaking them as temperatures dropped toward zero degrees Fahrenheit.”

… “Lang had promised to burn a Quran at the planned demonstration, but did not appear to do so. His group blasted music, including the song ‘Ice Ice Baby.’ However, Lang, who is from NY and is running for the US Senate seat in FL vacated by Marco Rubio, struggled to be heard over counterprotesters. Counterprotesters shouted profanities and waved banners reading, ‘Minnesota Nice, Not ICE,’ and, ‘ICE out now!’”

… Nebraska mom Jamie Bonkiewicz received a visit at her home from Secret Service after she made this post on X: “When Karoline Leavitt gets what she deserves, I hope it’s televised.” She later posted a photo of the agent at her door with this caption: “The Secret Service came to my door today because of a tweet. No threats. No violence. Just words. That’s where we are now.”

… When she was asked what she meant by the post, she told the agent: “I want to see their trials.” She was then asked if she attended any protests recently or Democratic rallies or events. She refused to answer, responding: “Why do you want to know that?” She then explained to the agent that she simply hoped that Leavitt would be in a Nuremberg-style trial in the future and was hoping it would be televised. The agent left.

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… NYT: “The FBI has had many missions in the more than half-century since its founding director, J. Edgar Hoover, died. It has chased spies, foiled terrorist attacks, ushered in a modern era of innovation and decreased crime rates. But under its current chief, Kash Patel, the bureau has added payback to its portfolio. Agents now scour the FBI’s vast holdings to root out negative information about those who once investigated Trump.”

… “Almost from the moment Patel took over the bureau, FBI personnel have been poring over case files, internal DOJ correspondence and other sensitive materials to find documents intended to expose and discredit federal law enforcement officials who investigated Trump and his allies. The material, once gathered, has typically been distributed through various channels to Trump-allied media and to Republicans on Capitol Hill, including Sen. Charles Grassley, the chairman of the Judiciary Committee.”

… WaPo: “When Dan Bongino was named the FBI’s second-in-command last year, the right-wing podcaster’s fan base hailed it as a monumental victory. Bongino, it seemed, would finally be empowered to confront the ‘deep state’ cabal he had long blamed for some of Washington’s darkest mysteries, including sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s death. Now, having stepped down as deputy director after less than a year in the job, Bongino is returning to an audience in rebellion.”

… “Many online have pilloried him for not exposing the conspiracies or jailing the villains he had once decried in hundreds of tweets and Rumble streams. Evan Kilgore on X: ‘People feel conned here. Literally NOTHING has changed.’”

… Kyle Seraphin, a right-wing podcaster who was once friendly with Bongino but now says he’s a hypocrite: “He’s in a really tough spot. His reputation is now inextricably tied to the FBI’s reputation under his admin, so he can’t meaningfully criticize it. He’s cornered by his own words and actions.”

… “Bongino’s predicament reflects the broader challenge for MAGA movement leaders who gained power by harnessing online provocations, conspiracy theories and skepticism toward government, only to face similar attacks.”

… Trump announced in a deranged Truth Social post his latest threats against our NATO allies since they oppose the US conquering Greenland: “We have subsidized Denmark, and all of the Countries of the European Union, and others, for many years by not charging them Tariffs, or any other forms of remuneration. Now, after Centuries, it is time for Denmark to give back - World Peace is at stake! China and Russia want Greenland, and there is not a thing that Denmark can do about it. They currently have two dogsleds as protection, one added recently.”

… “Only the United States of America, under PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP, can play in this game, and very successfully, at that! Nobody will touch this sacred piece of Land, especially since the National Security of the United States, and the World at large, is at stake. On top of everything else, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown. This is a very dangerous situation for the Safety, Security, and Survival of our Planet. These Countries, who are playing this very dangerous game, have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable.”

… “Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation end quickly, and without question. Starting on February 1st, 2026, all of the above mentioned Countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, The United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Finland), will be charged a 10% Tariff on any and all goods sent to the United States of America. On June 1st, 2026, the Tariff will be increased to 25%. This Tariff will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”

… NYT: “The leaders of Europe reacted with unified outrage to Trump’s latest coercions on the massive island in the North Atlantic. So, too, did lawmakers in Washington, including some members of the president’s own party. And the abrupt announcement of new tariffs seemed to throw a trade deal Trump had struck with the EU into serious doubt.”

… French President Emmanuel Macron: “No intimidation or threat will influence us - neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else in the world when we are confronted with such situations. Tariff threats are unacceptable. Europeans will respond in a united and coordinated manner should they be confirmed. We will ensure that European sovereignty is upheld.”

… Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson: “We won’t allow ourselves to be blackmailed. Denmark and Greenland alone decide questions that affect Denmark and Greenland.”

… UK PM Keir Starmer: “Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of NATO allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration.”

… Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Brussels think tank Bruegel: “It means the end of the Turnberry deal and we’re in a full-blown trade war. We either fight a trade war, or we’re in a real war.” He then hoped that the US Supreme Court will end this by ruling against Trump on tariffs: “Maybe this will focus minds in the Supreme Court.”

… UK MP Simon Hoare: “The civilized world can deal with Trump no longer. He is a gangster pirate.”

… Jordan Bardella, President of the French right-wing National Rally party: “The threats issued by Trump against the sovereignty of a state, all the more so a European one, are unacceptable. Commercial blackmail is no more tolerable. We call on the EU to suspend the agreement concluded last July, which we had denounced at the time, that commits our interests without sufficient counter-parties. Failing that, Brussels would once again demonstrate its impotence and the resigned acceptance of the vassalization of its member states.”

… Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC): “This response to our own allies for sending a small number of troops to Greenland for training is bad for America, bad for American businesses, and bad for America’s allies. It’s great for Putin, Xi and other adversaries who want to see NATO divided. The fact that a small handful of ‘advisors’ are actively pushing for coercive action to seize territory of an ally is beyond stupid.”

… Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was asked on NBC about invading Greenland: “I’ve heard no Republican support for that. Even the most hawkish members of our caucus have said they won’t support it. He keeps rattling the cage. As far as trying to buy it peacefully, you don’t get purchasers to come around by berating them.”

… But it turns out that at least one Republican senator is all for it. Ted Cruz on Fox: “When it comes to Greenland, I want to commend President Trump for being single-mindedly focused on America first. I believe it is overwhelmingly in America’s national interest to acquire Greenland. The whole history of America has been a history of acquiring new lands and new territories.”

… Treasury Sec Scott Bessent on NBC: Q - “Is military action on the table? Bessent: I believe the Europeans will understand that the best outcome is for the US to receive control of Greenland.”

… Q - “Is Greenland or NATO more essential to US national security? Bessent: That’s obviously a false choice. Host: Not from the perspective of European leaders. Bessent: European leaders will come around and understand they need to be under the US security umbrella. What would happen in Ukraine if the US pulled its support out? The whole thing would collapse.”

… Q - “What is the national emergency that justifies this new slate of tariffs? Bessent: The national emergency is avoiding a national emergency.”

… AP: “The EU and the Mercosur bloc of South American countries formally signed a long-sought free trade agreement, strengthening commercial ties in the face of rising protectionism and trade tensions around the world. The signing ceremony in Paraguay’s capital, Asuncion, caps more than a quarter-century of torturous negotiations. It marks a major geopolitical victory for the EU in an age of American tariffs and surging Chinese exports, expanding the bloc’s foothold in a resource-rich region increasingly contested by Washington and Beijing.”

… “It also sends a message that South America is keeping a range of trade and diplomatic relationships even as Trump makes an aggressive push for geopolitical dominance of the Western Hemisphere. Mercosur consists of the region’s two biggest economies, Argentina and Brazil, as well as Paraguay and Uruguay. Bolivia, the bloc’s newest member, is not included the trade deal but could join in the coming years.”

… “Supported by South America’s cattle-raising countries and European industrial interests, the accord will gradually eliminate more than 90% of tariffs on goods ranging from Argentine beef to German cars, creating one of the world’s largest free trade zones and making shopping cheaper for more than 700 million consumers.”

… BBC: “PM Mark Carney's new approach to Canada's foreign policy can perhaps be distilled in one line: ‘We take the world as it is, not as we wish it to be.’ Experts told the BBC the move represents a significant shift in Canada’s policy on China, one that is shaped by ongoing uncertainty with the US, its largest trade partner.”

… International trade expert Eric Miller: “The PM is saying, essentially, that Canada has agency too, and that it’s not going to just sit and wait for the US.” He added nthat Canada’s relationship with China has become “more predictable” than its relationship with the US under the Trump admin, so Canada was “recalibrating” its relationship with China, “strategically, pragmatically, and decisively”.

… Bloomberg: The Trump admin has told countries that if they want a spot on his new “Gaza Board of Peace” that will be developing the Gaza Strip, then they have to contribute at least $1 billion as a fee for entry.

… Guardian: “There is a growing sense of embarrassment among mid-level and senior officials within FIFA over the awarding of its peace prize to Trump. There was unease within FIFA at the time of Trump receiving the award with the governing body not disclosing any details of the selection process. Now, though, that has shifted to ‘deep embarrassment’, according to one senior FIFA source. Multiple officials have expressed their unease of the way it was handled.”

… NYT: Moments after Trump finished taping a 13-minute interview with CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil in Michigan, Karoline Leavitt approached Dokoupil and his colleagues to convey a message from the president. Leavitt told him: “He said, ‘Make sure you guys don’t cut the tape, make sure the interview is out in full. He said, ‘If it’s not out in full, we’ll sue your ass off.’”

… “Not long ago, the notion of a WH press secretary’s casually threatening a lawsuit if a journalist does not obey her orders would be shocking. But Trump has made abundantly clear that he is serious about pursuing legal or regulatory action against media outlets whose coverage displeases him.”

… “In the audio recording, the CBS group seemed surprised by Leavitt’s comment - ‘Oh, great, OK!’ Kim Harvey, CBS Evening News executive producer, replied. Dokoupil quickly turned to humor. ‘He always says that!’ he told Leavitt in a light tone. Leavitt did not laugh.”

… Trump announced he is suing JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon: “A front page Article in The Fake News Wall Street Journal states, without any verification, that I offered Jamie Dimon, of JPMorgan Chase, the job of Fed Chairman. This statement is totally untrue, there was never such an offer and, in fact, I’ll be suing JPMorgan Chase over the next two weeks for incorrectly and inappropriately DEBANKING me after the January 6th Protest.”

… “Why wouldn’t The Wall Street Journal call me to ask whether or not such an offer was made? The problem is, I have Scott Bessent doing a fantastic job, A SUPERSTAR - Why would I give it to Jamie? No such offer was made there, or even thought of, either. The Wall Street Journal ought to do better ‘fact checking,’ or its already strained credibility will continue to DIVE.”

… Trump renewed his threats against Republican senators in Indiana who refused to redistrict: “I was with David McIntosh of the Club for Growth, and we agreed that we will both work tirelessly together to take out Senate Majority Leader Rod Bray, a total RINO, who betrayed the Republican Party, the President of the US, and everyone else who wants to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! We’re after you Bray, like no one has ever come after you before!”

… Sen. Bill Cassidy betrayed his oath as a physician when he voted to confirm RFK Jr. knowing he was unfit. He was desperate to either get Trump’s endorsement or to keep him neutral if he got a primary challenger. Trump stabbed him in the back last night: “Highly Respected America First Congresswoman Julia Letlow, of the wonderful State of LA, is a Great Star! I am hearing that Julia is considering launching her Campaign for the US Senate in LA. Should she decide to enter this Race, Julia Letlow has my Complete and Total Endorsement. RUN, JULIA, RUN!”

A word from me on Michael Cohen. As many of you know, Cohen posted a Substack late Friday night claiming that he was “pressured and coerced” by prosecutors leading up to his testimony against Trump. Trump and right-wing media immediately seized on it - Trump made a Truth Social post seeking to discredit the entire case.

I’m not sure exactly what Cohen’s angle is here. Maybe this has something to do with his statement last year that he wanted a pardon from Trump, and it was back-channeled to him that this was the first step to make that happen. Who knows. As with most things Cohen, you just really never know what the truth is during the manipulations.

Obviously we worked for the same company, but my personal contact with him was extremely minimal - intentionally so on my part. I do not trust anyone who worked for Trump for an extended period of time - especially someone who served as his “fixer.” He has admitted to things that I could never imagine doing in a million years.

I also never believed that he was sincere in his “mea culpas” because every one was always heavily laced with deflection of blame to others while claiming victimhood. Michael Cohen was never a victim, he was an accomplice. My view has always been that he was only sorry about getting caught.

It also caused me to revisit Cohen’s trial testimony, where the Trump defense team alleged that he only finally turned on Trump because he thought he was going to get a senior position in the WH Counsel’s office and didn’t. This now sounds very plausible to me after Friday.

I know many of you trusted him, as the brothers did. Manipulators can be very persuasive. The second I saw what he wrote on Friday night I was fuming because it just confirmed my prior beliefs - which were no secret to people who know me. I was very happy to see the brothers take swift action to end our relationship with him because it was the right thing to do. I believe in them and this company. We all make mistakes - that mistake has been corrected.

I can’t be bought. My integrity isn’t for sale at any price. If I was penniless and homeless and someone offered me $10 million to advocate for something I didn’t believe in, I would refuse it. My lifelong hero has always been Gandhi - material things mean nothing to me. I don’t seek wealth, fame or recognition. I have no ego about any of this. I don’t promote myself. I turn down a lot of things because I don’t care about all that. I want to live a comfortable but humble life and always speak the truth.

I think I am blessed with the ability to cut through the bs to find truth in a country governed by lies. My mission is to relentlessly expose the lies and get as much factual and reliable information to people about what is happening. I think everyone who currently works for this company is on the same page with that and is moving together in the same direction, even though for a time we had someone who really only ever cared about himself.