Tom Nichols: “Over the past few months, during his agency’s chaotic crackdowns in Chicago and Minneapolis, the U.S. Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino has worn an unusual uniform: a wide-lapel greatcoat with brass buttons and stars along one sleeve. It looks like it was taken right off the shoulders of a Wehrmacht officer in the 1930s. Bovino’s choice of garment is more than tough-guy cosplay (German media noted the aesthetic immediately). The coat symbolizes a trend: The Republicans, it seems, have a bit of a Nazi problem.”

“By this, I mean that some Republicans are deploying Nazi imagery and rhetoric, and espouse ideas associated with the Nazi Party during its rise to power in the early 1930s.”

The Atlantic: “Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has faced intense scrutiny from Republicans and calls for her firing from Democrats since the January 24 shooting of Alex Pretti by Customs and Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis. Now Noem’s tenuous standing with the Trump White House is creating concern in her home state of South Dakota that she might leave the Cabinet to challenge Senator Mike Rounds in the state’s June Republican primary.”

“Political allies of Rounds have begun preparing for this scenario, even though they remain skeptical that Noem will actually make the move, three people familiar with the discussions told me. To get into the race, Noem would have to register for the primary and collect the 2,171 supportive signatures statewide by the end of next month. A Noem adviser told me today that she has no plans to leave. But Noem could have an incentive to seek elective office if Democrats remain on track to win back control of the House and launch investigations into her tenure at the Department of Homeland Security. A Senate seat would give her both a professional staff and a fundraising platform to help defend herself.”

Jonathan Last lays out what the conditions would have to be like for the Republican party to begin rejecting Trumpism:

• A sizable midterm loss.
• Presidential approval below 40 percent and heading lower.
• No potential heir to Trump from inside the administration.
• A president willing to take his hands off the wheel and allow the party to abandon him.

He concludes: “Laid out like that, you can understand why this scenario is so implausible.”

Laura Field: “Macho displays and transgressive memes mark a significant shift in how the federal government sees and promotes its mission—and sanctions state violence. It may be tempting to see this change as an organic or bottom-up phenomenon, as if federal agencies are appealing to Proud Boys to lure more ICE recruits.”

“But the reality is that this transformation is the culmination of years of work by niche groups of conservative intellectuals who have long rejected America’s liberal traditions—and now dominate the halls of power.”

“Republicans are in full-out panic mode over their plunging support with Hispanic voters after losing a special election in a ruby-red Texas district over the weekend,” Politico reports.

Washington Post: “After a brief pause, Musk returned to Trump’s good graces and is again donating millions to Republican candidates and his own America PAC. In total, he has given at least $73 million to federal political committees last year.”

“In 2025, Musk gave $10 million each to the Senate Leadership Fund and the Congressional Leadership Fund — two super PACs aimed at electing Republicans to Congress. He also gave $5 million to Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. in June.”

“Musk also continued to build America PAC, funneling more than $45 million to his super PAC over the course of 2025.”

“In an ever image-obsessed Washington, the Republican National Committee is spending tens of thousands of dollars lately on professional hair and makeup services,” NOTUS reports.

“Between April and November, the RNC spent more than $59,000 on ‘media preparation,’ paid to a pair of makeup artists.”

Jonathan Martin: “To cover the Republican Party in the age of President Donald Trump requires a grasp of cryptology.”

“Because of the unflinching personal loyalty he demands, and punishment he’ll administer on public dissenters, leading GOP officials speak in rhetorical code.”

“And in the aftermath of the second killing by federal agents of a protester in Minnesota, there’s been a stream of statements, comments and sound bites from party lawmakers that beg for translation.”

“The fatal shooting of a 37-year-old man by a federal agent in Minneapolis has set off alarm bells among Republicans, fueling worries within the party about a potential backlash to violent tactics by the Trump administration in its immigration crackdown,” the New York Times reports.

“Some Republicans came forward on Sunday to vigorously defend the administration and place blame for the death of the man, Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a U.S. citizen, on forces on the left who oppose President Trump’s immigration policies. But many party leaders stayed silent, and some G.O.P. lawmakers both in the center and on the hard right raised grave concerns, suggesting a rare moment of dissent over a killing carried out in broad daylight and recorded by bystanders.”

Punchbowl News: “Election years are supposed to be predictable, filled with partisan messaging votes to divide the minority and bolster the majority’s political standing.”

“But nine days into the new year, Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune have been plunged into a series of uncomfortable — and in some cases, intractable — political problems. If this is the way 2026 is going to go, it could be a very long year for the GOP, especially the razor-thin House Republican majority.”

“And President Donald Trump is at the center of several of these Republican crises.”