New York Times: “Members of Congress ran in fear of their lives from the Capitol four years ago as it was besieged by a pro-Trump mob, and many Republicans made strong statements in the immediate aftermath of the attack that violent rioters must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
“But on Tuesday, few spoke up to object to Mr. Trump’s pardons, and many Republican lawmakers said it was time to move on.”
Said Sen. John Thune (R-SD): “We’re looking at the future, not the past.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) will endorse former Gov. James McGreevey (D) for mayor of Jersey City on Sunday, the New Jersey Globe reports.
“Federal immigration authorities will be permitted to arrest people and carry out enforcement actions in and near places such as churches and schools, marking a departure from long-standing policy to avoid so-called sensitive areas,” CNN reports.
New York Times: “Ken Martin, one of the front-runners to lead the Democratic National Committee, said on Tuesday that he had support from 200 members of the party, a level of backing that is close to what he needs to clinch victory.”
“If that support holds for Mr. Martin, the chairman of the Minnesota Democrats, he would be just 25 votes short of the number necessary to win the party elections on Feb. 1.”
“President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending all U.S. foreign assistance programs for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals,” the AP reports.
Gallup: “Overall, 46% of Americans identified as Republicans or independents who leaned toward the Republican Party, compared with 45% who identified as Democrats or Democratic-leaning independents.”
Prior to 2022, Republicans only had a slight edge once before, in 1991.”
In private meetings, President Trump “keeps expressing a desire to move fast, fully aware that the window for maximal disruption won’t stay open for long,” Time reports.
Said a senior Trump official: “Your biggest opportunities for change are in the first couple of years, and even more so in the first 18 months, because that’s ahead of elections. He’s at the apex of power now. Every month that goes by, he has a little bit less.”
“Within hours of taking office, President Donald Trump terminated the Secret Service detail that was assigned to his former national security adviser John Bolton,” CNN reports.
“Bolton, who left the Trump White House in November 2019, has required ongoing US Secret Service protection because of threats against him from Iran.”
Fox News host Sean Hannity will interview President Trump in the Oval Office on Wednesday, Axios reports.
It’s Trump’s first Oval interview since returning to the White House.
“We are, quite frankly, the dominant predator.”
— Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), on Fox Business, where he explained his bill to help the U.S. take Greenland.
“Senators received an affidavit Tuesday from the former sister-in-law of defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth in which she says his behavior caused his second wife to fear for her safety,” NBC News reports.
“The receipt of the affidavit comes after Senate Armed Services Committee staffers were in contact with Hegseth’s former sister-in-law for several days.”
“Reports that the Trump administration might swiftly carry out an immigration crackdown, perhaps as early as this week, have left some neighborhoods reeling in cities like Chicago,” the New York Times reports.
“While the timing and locations of targeted arrests are uncertain, and though Tom Homan, Mr. Trump’s border czar, said as recently as Saturday that ‘no decision has been made yet,’ the prospect of raids has consumed the conversation in Chicago neighborhoods such as Pilsen and Little Village.”
Bloomberg reports foot traffic in the Latino area of Little Village plunged 50%.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) told CNN that former President Biden pardoning his family members makes it “harder to make a critique, to stand on the high ground and make a critique of the Trump pardons.”
Adm. Linda Lee Fagan, the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, has been terminated over concerns about the border, recruitment and an “erosion of trust,” Fox News reports.
The White House told Fox News that President Trump will make a “big” announcement later today about infrastructure.
CBS News reports Trump will announce up to $500 billion in private sector investment to build artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States.
“President Claudia Sheinbaum called for cool heads to prevail after Donald Trump’s vow to impose hefty tariffs sent the country’s currency tumbling on fears that Mexico will become a target of his administration,” Bloomberg reports.
Said Sheinbaum: “It’s important to always keep a cool head and refer to the signed orders beyond the actual rhetoric. That’s what counts before the law, strictly speaking.”
“The European Union signaled its readiness to engage and negotiate with U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday, warning of the need to avoid a trade conflict that would hurt both sides and the global economy,” Reuters reports.
Said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: “We will need to work together to avoid a global race to the bottom.”
Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.
Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.
Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.
Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.
Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.