Today in Politics, Bulletin 289. 1/19/26

… Trump sent this deranged letter to Norway PM Jonas Gahr:

Dear Jonas: Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America. Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China, and why do they have a “right of ownership” anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also. I have done more for NATO than any other person since its founding, and now, NATO should do something for the United States. The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland.

… Gahr responded:

I can confirm that this is a message I received yesterday afternoon from President Trump. It came as a reply to a short message I sent to President Trump earlier the same day, on behalf of myself and Finland’s President Alexander Stubb. In our message to Trump, we conveyed our opposition to his increased tariffs against Norway, Finland, and other selected countries. We emphasized the need to de-escalate the rhetoric and requested a phone call between Trump, Stubb, and myself later that day. Trump’s reply came only a short time after we sent the message. It was Trump’s choice to share the message with other leaders in NATO countries.

Norway’s position on Greenland remains unchanged. Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and Norway fully supports the Kingdom of Denmark in this matter. We also support NATO strengthening its work, in a responsible manner, to promote security and stability in the Arctic. As for the Nobel Peace Prize, I have on several occasions clearly explained to Trump what is well known: it is an independent Nobel Committee-not the Norwegian government—-that awards the prize.”

… Trump was asked by NBC about Gahr’s statement: “Norway totally controls it despite what they say. They like to say they have nothing to do with it, but they have everything thing to do with it.”

… Phillips O’Brien, professor of strategic studies at St. Andrews University: “One thing that now even the most hopeful have to admit, is that the unctuous European tactic of flattering, praising, massaging Trump has been a catastrophic failure and made things worse.”

… Former Greenland MP TIllie Martinussen: “We do not want to be rich like Americans. Look how greedy they are, even trying to invade their friends. Even if there are minerals and oil under our land—and they are worth far more—we still would not sell ourselves. We know what happened to Indigenous people in Alaska and Native Americans. Their land was taken, and they were not treated well. We see who Trump surrounds himself with—white power people—and we are not white. We are people of color. We know our rights would likely be taken away.”

… Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ): “Taking over Greenland is not a joke. Trump is sending messages to foreign leaders and making threats that will destroy the most important alliance we have. Are Republicans in Congress and Marco Rubio really ready to throw NATO away because they’re too afraid to stand up to Trump?”

… CNBC: “Russian President Vladimir Putin has received an invitation to join the U.S.′ ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza, the Kremlin said Monday. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would study the details of the proposal to join the peace council created by Trump late last year. The ‘Board of Peace’ is seen as a vehicle for maintaining a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza after their protracted conflict.

… Peskov: “President Putin has indeed received an offer through diplomatic channels to join this Board of Peace. We are currently studying all the details of this proposal. We hope to contact the US side to clarify all the details.”

… Senior French official to Axios: “France was invited to join the Board of Peace and is examining the proposed legal framework with its partners. At this stage, it does not intend to give a favorable response. The Charter goes beyond the sole framework of Gaza. It raises major questions, in particular regarding respect for the principles and structure of the UN, which cannot under any circumstances be called into question.”

… Journalist Olga Nesterova: “Trump wants a signing ceremony for his proposed ‘Board of Peace’ in Davos on Thur—but it’s unclear who would sign, as many invitees want the terms rewritten. The plan has drawn criticism from Israel, skepticism in Europe, and enthusiasm from Russia-aligned states.”

… “World leaders were also blindsided by Trump’s demand for $1 billion permanent memberships. European allies are now coordinating pushback and urging Arab leaders to lobby for changes, privately warning the board is an attempt to build a rival to the UN - far beyond Gaza.”

… CNBC: “World leaders, corporate executives and figures from civil society are convening in Davos, Switzerland, this week for the World Economic Forum. All eyes are almost certain to be on one high-ranking guest: President Trump, who plans to attend with a large delegation including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Steve Witkoff.”

… “Topics of discussion at Davos - according to US and European analysts and former policymakers interviewed ahead of the event - are likely to include Russia’s war with Ukraine; prospects for global trade and markets; the probability of China invading Taiwan; and the risks of a Middle East flare-up caused by the recent uprising in Iran.”

… Politico Europe: “Trump’s special envoy to Greenland was disinvited from a traditional dog sled race on the Arctic island as a crisis escalated over the fate of the autonomous Danish territory. The Greenland Dog Sledding Assn objected to the invitation for Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and last week launched an investigation into who sent it. Trump last month tapped Landry to lead his efforts to take control of Greenland.”

… “In a statement, the assn said the tourism company that issued the invite to Landry ‘has unilaterally withdrawn its invitation.’ The KNQK assn last week criticized Landry’s invitation, saying it was ‘unacceptable that political pressure is being exerted from outside.’ It described ‘the participation of foreign political actors’ at the dog sled race as ‘wholly inappropriate.’”

… It appears that Don Lemon and participants in a protest at a St. Paul, MN church may be about to get hit with federal criminal charges by DOJ. Daily Beast: “Don Lemon has called out MAGA figures for ‘losing their mind’ over his coverage of anti-ICE protesters who stormed a church during a Sunday service. The former CNN anchor livestreamed himself joining a group of demonstrators who disrupted a service at Cities Church in Minneapolis to protest a pastor there who they said works for ICE.”

… Lemon: “The MAGA admin and the fake news MAGAs are losing their mind over something that’s not even true. I had no affiliations with that organization. I didn’t even know they were going to this church until we followed them. We were there chronicling protests. Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism, which was report on it and talk to the people who were involved, which included the pastor, members of the church, and members of the org. That’s it.”

… “It’s called journalism, First Amendment, all that stuff. All of you people who believe in the First Amendment absolutist, there you go. So why don’t you talk to the actual person who is in charge of the org and whose idea was to have the protest at the church before you start blaming me for stuff for which you have no idea.”

… DOJ Civil Rights Div Chief Harmeet Dhillon responded: “The Civil Rights Div is investigating the potential violations of the federal FACE Act by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers. House of worship is not a public forum for your protest! It is a space protected from exactly such acts by federal criminal and civil laws! Nor does the First Amendment protect your pseudo journalism of disrupting a prayer service. You are on notice!”

… Dhillon then went on Benny Johnson’s podcast: “The people on the left we’re talking about, they’re not familiar with what goes on in a house of worship. A lot of them are godless people. It’s off limits to go into a house of worship to do your little protest. Protests can occur on public property, protests can occur outside. The only question is, who was involved, how many were involved, and how many charges are going to be brought here? Those are the questions.”

… She then said she is looking at prosecuting Lemon and the protesters under the Ku Klux Klan Act: “The Klan Act is one of the most important federal civil rights statutes. Its a law that makes it illegal to terrorize and violate the civil rights of citizens. Whenever people conspire this, the Klan Act can be used. Everyone in the protest community needs to know that the fullest force of the federal govt is going to come down and prevent this from happening and put people away for a long time.”

… AG Pam Bondi: “I have been in constant communication with Asst. AG Dhillon today over these events which DOJ is investigating at my direction. Any violation of federal law will be prosecuted.”

… Alina Habba on Fox: “This DOJ under Pam Bondi’s leadership will not tolerate intimidating people in their place of worship. We will not tolerate intimidation of federal law endorcement, and we most certainly will investigate and prosecute anyone who encourages, funds or incites the same. You are on notice.”

… Karoline Leavitt: “President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship. DOJ has launched a full investigation into the despicable incident that took place earlier today at a church in Minnesota.”

… Joe Rigney, founding pastor of the church in St. Paul: “All I want for MLK Day this year is for Don Lemon to be arrested for coordinating with Democratic operatives to disrupt a Christian worship service.”

… Right-wing activists are all over social media demanding arrests. Auron MacIntyre with The Blaze: “Every protester in this video has committed a federal crime. They can all be easily identified. Don Lemon needs to be in custody by the end of the day if the admin is to ever be taken seriously again.”

… Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL) on Newsmax: Q - “Do you think the church incident in St Paul is enough for Trump to trigger the Insurrection Act? Has it gone too far? Steube: I think it’s gone too far before that.”

… Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) on Fox Business: “They’re libtards in a blue city. If the libtards are gonna side with lawlessness, that’s on them.”

… Sean Davis, founder of The Federalist: “I’m sick and tired of the tough talk and the podcast threats and the tweets. I want to see these people in prison and I want to see them in prison yesterday.”

… Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) on NewsNation: “What we’re seeing in Minneapolis is a situation devolve into chaos when a city, state begins to embrace issues and ethics and an ethos that is totally antithetical to America. We are Republicans believe in the rule of law, God, country, law enforcement.”

… I can’t agree with that, especially since I frequently write about Trump’s pardons, ICE’s conduct, and daily lawbreaking.

… Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) on Fox: “These agitators - who by the way are paid, folks. America, they are paid to do this kind of mess.”

… MN AG Keith Ellison to Meidas: “This is the essence of dictatorship. It’s the essence of it. And we’ve got to get over the idea that this couldn’t happen here. Not only could it happen here—it’s happening here.”

… The Wrap: Bruce Springsteen dedicated his song ‘The Promised Land’ to Renee Nicole Good, the Minnesota woman killed by ICE, at his show in NJ. The Boss also echoed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and said, ‘ICE should get the fuck out!’”

… CNN pollster Harry Enten on Trump’s deportation program: “These numbers have completely flipped. This was such a strength for the president. It was +18 at the beginning of his presidency - one of the most popular things in his agenda. But there’s been over a 25 point switcheroo in the negative direction. Now the program is underwater at -8.”

… Fox reporter in Minnesota, Bill Melgulin: “I’m told multiple ICE agents with rooms booked at the St. Paul Downtown Doubletree by Hilton received a notice today that their rooms are being cancelled and the hotel will temporarily close ‘due to heightened public safety concerns in St. Paul.’ I called the hotel and checked online and they are indeed not taking any bookings right now. They referred me to other hotels.”

… “I'm told this also happened today at the Intercontinental St. Paul, with ICE agents with bookings there notified the hotel will be temporarily closing today due to the ongoing unrest in Minnesota”

… NY Post: “A sprawling internal investigation into Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer has uncovered an alcohol ‘stash’ in her DC office - and evidence she took subordinates to a strip club while on an official departmental trip. The investigation has also confirmed that rumors the secretary pursued an ‘inappropriate’ relationship with an underling were discussed internally months ago and dismissed by her chief of staff Jihun Han - who was put on leave along with his deputy Rebecca Wright.”

… “A bombshell complaint that alleged Chavez-DeRemer had also committed ‘travel fraud’ by having Han and Wright ‘make up’ official trips, was drinking in her office during the workday and enabled a hostile work environment - with her top aides belittling and bullying staffers. The complaint has sparked at least a dozen interviews so far with govt officials and staff - an indication of the expansiveness of the probe.”

… “The interviews have also uncovered an incident involving Chavez-DeRemer allegedly taking subordinates to an Oregon strip club in April 2025. The visit to the club, Angels PDX, outside of Portland came at the tail end of a 5-day trip to meet with the state’s Democratic governor Tina Kotek, a CEO of a truck manufacturing company, and to tour an Intel chip center and view an ‘ironworker project’.”

… “The Labor Dept inspector general’s office, helmed by former NY GOP Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, is seeking all potential evidence - including video footage - about at least 5 purported meet-ups between the married mother-of-two and her alleged paramour at the secretary’s DC apartment and a Las Vegas hotel. The subordinate in the alleged ‘inappropriate’ relationship with the secretary has since been placed on administrative leave.”

… “Despite a Florida trip lasting 5 days, schedules show, the labor secretary had just one speaking engagement at a luncheon. A ‘stash’ of champagne and other liquor cited in the complaint was also uncovered by investigators in the two women’s offices this week.”

I’m afraid this trip to the WEF in Davos by Trump going to be a disaster. The vibes are not good. We are pretty close to the collective security arrangements built by many presidents of both parties over many decades coming completely unraveled by one unhinged madman. It is looking like this conference may result in another tether coming unmoored. Hopefully I’m wrong. Maybe 4 days of golf in Palm Beach before a trip to Switzerland will chill him out, but I doubt it.

If you missed yesterday’s Bulletin covering the entire weekend, you can find it here.

… USA Today: “In a break from past presidential traditions, including his own first term, President Trump has not recognized Jan. 19 2026 as Martin Luther King Jr. Day through any official statement, proclamation or activity. Trump spent the day at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The WH did not immediately respond when asked on Jan. 19 whether Trump planned to acknowledge the day, or King's legacy.”

… “Congress created the Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and only it can stop its official observance. President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law on Nov. 2, 1983, thus designating the third Monday in January a federal holiday in observance of the civil rights leader. Trump is the first president not to issue an official proclamation