By Ben Meiselas
Hi all, it’s January 6, 2026. The 5-year anniversary of the day Trump sicced his followers on our Capitol in an attempt to overturn the election results and overthrow our democracy. Many in the media may have moved on — but we haven’t. And we will never.
Before I dive into my recap of today’s news, I want to highlight a few things we’ve done so far to bring attention to the day:
We published a powerful editorial from former Capitol Officer Harry Dunn right here on Meidas+. Click here to read.
We just released the Meidas Studios documentary film The Last Republican for international audiences. The film follows Adam Kinzinger during his final year in Congress, after he publicly held Donald Trump accountable for January 6 and chose country over party. Now, viewers in Canada, Australia, the UK, and beyond can watch the movie. Simply search “The Last Republican” on the Apple TV store, or you can try to click here. If you’re in the States, today is a good day to watch or re-watch.
We’ve re-released our short film, “A Coup in Plain Sight,” which documents the insurrection attempt. I will post the video below.
Pablo Manríquez, who just joined MeidasTouch in our new DC bureau, wrote about his experience covering the insurrection. Read it here.
I will soon be going live on YouTube and sharing never-before-seen footage I’ve obtained from the day courtesy of our friends at Status Coup, right after today’s episode of Political Beatdown.
OK, now to today’s news.
I watched Donald Trump’s briefing with Republican members of Congress on the invasion of Venezuela so you don’t have to (well, that was supposed to be the topic, anyway), and I’m struggling to overstate how dangerous, unserious, and humiliating it was for the United States.
This was not a commander-in-chief explaining strategy, law, or objectives. This was a man unraveling in public, at the Kennedy Center, no less (yes, that’s the name), rambling about Maduro dancing, oil, cognitive tests, canceling elections, and his personal grievances, while the country he invaded is spiraling into fear and uncertainty.
Trump told Republicans that Nicolás Maduro “tried to imitate my dance a little bit,” and that he didn’t like it. Multiple outlets had previously reported that Trump fixated on Maduro’s dancing and believed it was meant to upstage him, and that it was one of his motivations for the invasion. Trump’s comments today appear to confirm that reporting.
Trump then pivoted to what this invasion is really about. He told Republicans he’s meeting with oil companies and made it clear what the agenda is: “Drill, baby, drill” in Venezuela. He bragged about bringing down oil prices and said American companies would extract Venezuelan oil.
What he left out until later is that U.S. oil companies don’t want to invest their own capital in Venezuela because it’s too risky. So his solution is to have American taxpayers subsidize them. The number being discussed is as high as $100 billion. Public money, private profit, foreign occupation. These billionaires sure love their socialism.
Trump then went on his usual rant about passing tests meant to detect signs of dementia, then quickly showed us again why so many are questioning his cognitive health.
At one point, Trump asked the Republicans in the room why the American public doesn’t like what they’re doing. “What the hell is going on in the mind of the public?” he said, insisting they have “the right policy.”
No, Donald.
The policies Trump is advancing are wrecking the economy, funneling wealth to the oligarchs, stripping rights, and dragging the country into unnecessary wars. The public knows exactly what he’s selling, and they’re not buying it.
Trump also complained about media coverage of his health, saying he angrier at his own staff than at The New York Times for reporting that he’s slowing down. He accused his team of “malfeasance” for accurately describing his schedule.
He joked about canceling elections. But we know better. That’s not a joke. That’s a trial balloon.
And somehow, Trump found time to rant about Barack Obama, boast about selling more Boeing planes than anyone in history, claim drug prices are down “1,000%,” and randomly describe Senator Tim Scott as a “straight guy.” No comment.
Trump also claimed that “everybody” in Venezuela is marching in the streets and celebrating the invasion. That is flatly false. Reports from the ground now show widespread fear and confusion. Armed groups aligned with figures from the Maduro regime are still active, and power is consolidating around new authoritarian actors. Opposition leader María Corina Machado was effectively sidelined. Venezuelans don’t know who’s in charge or what comes next.
There is no policy here. There is no plan. There’s just a madman trying to use the power of the United States to inflict pain on people both at home and abroad.
Here’s some other news we’re tracking:
France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Denmark released a joint statement rebuking the United States, affirming that Greenland’s future is for Greenland and Denmark alone to decide.
California Republican Rep. Doug LaMalfa has died at age 65. With Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation and a January 31 special election in Texas expected to add a Democrat, Speaker Mike Johnson’s majority is on life support. Indiana Republican Rep. Jim Baird is also currently hospitalized after a car crash.
The state Supreme Court struck down Wyoming’s abortion ban, including the nation’s first ban on abortion pills.
MS NOW’s Scarborough said Trump told him directly that the key difference between Iraq and Venezuela is one thing: that the U.S. plans to take the oil this time.
The White House used taxpayer money to update the website about January 6 to call the insurrectionists “patriots,” Mike Pence a “coward,” and blame the violence on police officers and Democrats.
A January 6 rally of pardoned convicts near the Capitol, advertised as expecting hundreds of attendees, fizzled with barely a dozen attendees.
Much more to come. Thanks for subscribing and supporting our work.
