“I mean, is this a Fort Sumter?”
— Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), in an interview with The Atlantic, suggesting violence in his state could lead to a national rupture.
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Internal Battles Rage Over Trump’s Deportation Push
The Atlantic: “Officials overseeing Trump’s mass-deportation campaign are fighting one another for power.”
CEOs Finally Break Their Silence on Trump’s Policies
“The fatal shooting this weekend of a second American citizen by federal immigration agents in Minnesota has forced corporate leaders to do something they’ve rarely done since President Donald Trump returned to office last year: publicly disagree with his policies,” CNBC reports.
“For months, executives have kept quiet as the Trump administration expanded its sprawling immigration crackdown… It wasn’t until the Jan. 24 killing of intensive care unit nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents that more CEOs started to break their year of near silence on the president’s actions. The following day, dozens of executives from Minnesota-based corporations co-signed a letter calling for an ‘immediate de-escalation’ in the state.”
Meeting with RFK Jr. Set Off Recriminations Among Doctors
“A meeting this month between the head of the American Medical Association and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has prompted infighting within the nation’s leading lobbying group for doctors,” Politico reports.
“Following the Jan. 7 meeting, a contingent of member doctors wrote to the AMA’s board chair because they view Kennedy as a threat to public health whom the group should shun.”
U.S. Trade Deficit Rises Sharply
“The U.S. trade deficit in goods and services rebounded to $56.8 billion in November, rising 95 percent from the previous month as President Trump’s tariffs reordered trade,” the New York Times reports.
Trump Draws Down Immigration Agents in Minneapolis
“Tom Homan, the White House border czar who was dispatched to reset the Trump administration’s mission in the city, said the federal approach here hadn’t been perfect as he announced he was working on a plan to begin drawing down the law-enforcement presence,” the Wall Street Journal reports.
Said Homan: “I do not want to hear that everything that’s been done here is perfect.”
But he added: “The withdrawal of law enforcement resources here is dependent upon cooperation.”
Most Americans Think America Is in Decline
Most Americans believe the United States is declining in global power and influence, and nearly two-thirds say China’s power now equals or exceeds that of the United States, according to a new Carnegie Endowment poll.
Democrats Get an Edge in Georgia
Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball moves the U.S. Senate race in Georgia from Toss Up to Leans Democrat.
However, despite facing what is likely to be a difficult national political environment this fall, Republicans remain favored to hold their Senate majority.
Trump Weighs Iran Strikes to Spur Protests
President Trump is weighing options against Iran that include targeted strikes on security forces and leaders to inspire protesters, even as Israeli and Arab officials said air power alone would not topple the clerical rulers, Reuters reports.
Half of Americans Will Be Obese by 2035
A new study projected that by 2035, nearly half of all American adults, about 126 million individuals, will be living with obesity, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Donald Trump and the 40% Rule
Jonathan Bernstein: “Now I’m going to reprise my most speculative and unscientific theory that I’ve ever blogged about: The 40% rule. Basically, the (speculative! unscientific!) idea is that falling below 40% is the point where the president’s party starts really understanding how unpopular the president really is, and starts acting with that in mind…”
“Once the approval numbers fall under 40%… it gets increasingly difficult to believe the president is actually popular. And that’s when party politicians beyond those in the toughest seats start defecting, and it gets harder and harder for the president to persuade those politicians on anything.”
FiftyPlusOne has Trump’s approval at 39.1% today.
Iran Threatens to Strike Israel If U.S. Attacks
Iranian officials issued stark warnings against any US strike on the country, with a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader threatening that Tehran would attack Israel in any such event with an “unprecedented” retaliation, including “at the heart of Tel Aviv,” the Times of Israel reports.
Amy Klobuchar Runs for Minnesota Governor
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) “launched her campaign for Minnesota governor, seeking to protect her party’s hold on the office after Tim Walz abandoned his bid for a third term,” the Minnesota Star Tribune reports.
“The entrance of Klobuchar fundamentally alters the dynamic of the governor’s race. Instead of facing a polarizing second-term incumbent in Walz, Republicans are now bracing for a likely battle against the DFL’s most popular statewide politician. Klobuchar has won each of her Senate elections by wide margins and developed a reputation in Washington as a competent and ideologically moderate senator.”
Critics Question Marketing Splash for ‘Melania’
Amazon’s $35 million marketing budget for the new Melania Trump documentary “is 10 times what some other high-profile documentaries have received” and many are wondering “whether Amazon’s push is anything more than the company’s attempt to ingratiate itself with President Trump,” the New York Times reports.
The Wrap: “Melania” set for a $3 million opening despite Amazon’s $35 million marketing push.
Kristi Noem Looks Safe for Now
Playbook: “Expect a showy display of support from Trump today for Noem, who remains under intense pressure over her handling of the crisis. The president has called a Cabinet meeting for 11 a.m., and will presumably use the televised event to make his backing for Noem crystal clear — just as he did at last month’s Cabinet meeting, when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was under intense pressure over the use of deadly force in the Caribbean.”
“Noem looks safe for now, although it’s worth remembering Trump waited several weeks until after the Signalgate furor before shuffling out Mike Waltz as national security adviser.”
Why Democrats Aren’t Backing Down
A new polling memo from the Chuck Schumer-aligned Senate Majority PAC finds that 50% of voters supported (vs. only 37% opposed) reforms to ICE even if it meant a partial shutdown of the government.
More than half — 54% — said they’d blame Trump and the GOP if there was a shutdown with no ICE reforms.
And this survey was undertaken last week, before the killing of Alex Pretti.
Playbook: “The White House also does a lot of polling, and will be well aware of these shifts in public sentiment. If a deal is done today, this will be why.”
Why Trump Aggressively Moved Into Crypto
“Donald Trump, the real estate mogul, reality television star and president, has a new title: cryptocurrency tycoon. A growing share of his net worth is now linked to a corner of the financial markets over which his administration holds considerable sway,” Politico reports.
“Presidents have historically distanced themselves from their businesses while in office. But over the last year, Trump, his family and business partners have challenged that convention, backing a series of crypto startups and deals. Those crypto ventures have boosted Trump’s assets by roughly $1 billion, according to media reports.”
Playbook: “Critics see a conflict of interest on a previously unimaginable scale. Democrats see an opportunity for investigation if they win back control of Congress. But the White House dismisses all such talk as media fabrication … and Trump himself simply shrugs it all off.”
Said Trump: “I found out that nobody cared. I’m allowed to.”
Michigan Senate Race Is Wide Open
A new Emerson College poll of the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Michigan finds Mallory McMorrow at 22% support, Haley Stevens at 17% and Abdul El-Sayed at 16%.
A plurality of voters (38%) are undecided ahead of the August primary.
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