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Wednesday, January 28, 2026

Trump Visits Iowa, Kicking Off Midterm Campaigning

“If we lose the midterms, you’ll lose so many of the things that we’re talking about.” The president touted that this was where it all began in 2024—i.e., Iowa’s as the first primary/caucus on the calendar where he started his winning streak. CBS: President Trump rallied voters and touted his economic agenda in Iowa on Tuesday, as sources say the state is a key part of his team’s strategy for helping Republicans hold onto power in the House. The visit to the Des Moines area was the president’s first campaign-style trip of 2026. Democrats are hopeful that they’ll have the support to win back the House in the November midterm elections, while Republicans scramble to maintain control. “If we lose the midterms, you’ll lose so many of the things that we’re talking about, so many of the assets that we’re talking about, so many of the tax cuts that we’re talking about,” Mr. Trump said in a rally-like speech to supporters at the Horizon Events Center in Clive, Iowa. “And it would lead to very bad things. We’ve got to win the midterms. I mean, I’m here because I love Iowa, but I’m here because we’re starting the campaign to win the midterms” (CBS). Full speech (YouTube).

Schumer Hurtling Towards Another Government Shutdown

And politics by government shutdown will prove to be as unpopular as ever. Washington Examiner: Negotiations to avert a partial government shutdown are being complicated by Democratic demands that any changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement policy be written into law by Congress. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) drew the red line on Tuesday as he called for immigration agents to leave Minneapolis after the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti over the weekend…. Among their demands are the removal of masks routinely worn by ICE agents as well as the repeal of a new DHS memo that encourages officers to enter homes without a judicial warrant. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), speaking with reporters on his way to Schumer’s office Tuesday, said the changes “have to be in law” due to mistrust of the administration and that the two would be discussing “a set of reforms that will unite the caucus” (Washington Examiner).

Protestors Swarm Office of Gov. Walz in Minnesota Capitol

The agitators and insurrectionists and protestors were not at all pleased that Walz agreed with Trump to cooperate on criminal illegal aliens. Fox News: On Tuesday afternoon, around 200 agitators gathered outside Walz’s office inside the Capitol building, shouting, “ICE out now!” and “Do your job!” Before the demonstration, organizers said they planned to slowly march toward the governor’s doors, a move that remained peaceful. Agitators also screamed slogans like “Whose house is this… our house,” “What do we want? Charges. When do we want it? Now,” and “No one is illegal… power to the people.” Some held signs reading “Justice for Good,” featuring a photo of Renee Good, who was shot and killed by a federal officer earlier this month. Others held signs demanding justice for Alex Pretti, who was shot last week by a federal officer (Fox News).

Trump Sends a Short Message to End the Chaos in Minneapolis

The president is making it pretty clear that he’s not backing down in Minneapolis. From Tuesday afternoon: 1. Turn over all incarcerated or active warrant criminal illegal aliens for immediate deportation. 2. Transfer all criminal illegal aliens arrested by state and local police. 3. Assist federal authorities in detaining criminal illegal aliens wanted for crimes. 4. Democrats must work with the federal government in the rapid removal of all criminal illegal aliens. It’s that simple. End the chaos (White House). The Democrat Farmer Labor party (essentially just the Democrat party) in Minnesota responds crassly: Let us be direct: F*** off (Minnesota DFL).

Anti-ICE Signal Chat Implicates State Officials, Reveal Foreign Funding

Jennifer Van Laar of Red State: … it’s clear that there is an organized insurrection underway, led by several elected officials in Minnesota and aided by alleged journalists…. The groups are highly sophisticated. They’re set up geographically; within the City of Minneapolis, they’re generally divided by City Council district, but also cover St. Paul, Bloomington, and other suburbs. They start a new chat every day and delete the prior day’s chat…. Funding: On Sunday evening, Data Republican published a spreadsheet of 4000+ donors to the effort and their possible identities, and made that publicly downloadable. She also sent a non-redacted spreadsheet to the FBI and other federal authorities…. Then we have some Minneapolis elected officials. Rep. Brad Tabke: coordinates the Scott County ICE Watch Signal chat. Scott County is just outside Minneapolis. Minnesota state Rep. Alex Falconer: In a campaign stop, Falconer both admitted that he’s part of the chat and recruited participants…. Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan (?): This is the biggest name of all. An independent journalist working with Higby to determine the identities of the anti-ICE signal chat participants believes that Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is an admin in the chat going by the username Flan Southside (RedState). Van Laar goes on to note how many businesses are operating from the location of the shooting: 184 National Provider Identifier numbers listed as doing business at the same address.

Homan Meets With Walz, Frey; Will Create Database of Leftist Agitators

And the Border Czar’s plan to publicize the names has made the agitator class nervous. Tom Homan: Today I met with Governor Walz, Mayor Frey, and top law enforcement officials to discuss the issues on the ground in Minnesota. We all agree that we need to support our law enforcement officers and get criminals off the streets. While we don’t agree on everything, these meetings were a productive starting point and I look forward to more conversations with key stakeholders in the days ahead (Homan). Jeff Charles at Townhall: Border czar Tom Homan announced on Tuesday that the government is creating a database of leftist anti-ICE protesters who impede the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. During an appearance on Fox News, Homan acknowledged that people have the right to protest the administration’s policies. “But when you cross the line…if you interfere, impede, or assault a police officer, you will be prosecuted,” he said. “One thing I’m pushing for right now…we’re going to make them famous. We’re going to put their face on TV. We’re going to let their employers in their neighborhoods, in their schools, know who these people are.” … In a memo to agents, ICE directed them to “capture all images, license plates, identifications, and general information on hotels, agitators, protesters, etc., so we can capture it all in one consolidated form” (Townhall).

Dr. Oz Exposes Fraud in California Hospices

Dr. Mehmet Oz is now the Administrator of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (HHS). And he’s begun to peel back the layers of fraud in the Golden State: The Trump administration is “aggressively” targeting the Russian and Armenian mob to crack down on medical fraud in California, Medicaid czar Dr. Mehmet Oz said as he threatened a major campaign against the scheming gangsters. The former TV-doctor offered a stark warning Monday that the feds were working to take down corrupted doctors that have fallen in league with the criminals, who are allegedly siphoning billions through the medical schemes in the Golden State. “This mafia seems to have taken over the system. They corrupted doctors, they’ve normalized fraud so that everyone sort of expects it, but the magnitude of it is so great that we have to take it out aggressively” (New York Post). Dr. Oz: We have witnessed a 7-fold INCREASE in hospice in LA County. Seven-fold. That doesn’t happen naturally! $3.5B just here in Los Angeles County. We think around hospice and home health care. Then you add in all the other things like they have in Minnesota, but in California scale, it’s huge. There are not seven times more deaths in LA County than there were five years ago. These fraudsters, and these do tend to be foreign influences, these are Russian-Armenian gangs, mafia, that are leading a lot of these efforts (X).

Trump Issues Executive Order Addressing California Rebuilding Efforts After Fire

The order will have Governor Newsom in fits. From the new California Post: President Trump is sidestepping thumb-twiddling California Democrats with an executive order aimed at fast-tracking the rebuilding of Los Angeles a year after devastating wildfires torched entire city blocks and left thousands homeless. “I want to see if we can take over the city and state and just give the people their permits they want to build,” Trump told the California Post Friday in an exclusive Oval Office interview when he signed the seven-page order (Post). From the order: the SBA and the [Homeland Security] Secretary, through the Administrator of FEMA, shall consider promulgating regulations that: (i) preempt State or local permitting processes, and other similar pre-approval requirements, that each agency has found to have unduly impeded the timely use of Federal emergency-relief funds by homeowners, businesses, or houses of worship in rebuilding such structures following a disaster; and eplace preempted State or local permitting regimes, or other similar pre-approval requirements, with a requirement that builders self-certify to a Federal designee (White House).

Virginia Gerrymander Scheme Blocked in Circuit Court

The latest in the redistricting wars. Stacy Matthews at RedState: Virginia Democrats were dealt a big setback on Tuesday when a Virginia Circuit Court judge slapped down their 2026 midterms gerrymandering scheme, ruling that how they went about it procedurally was illegal: “A Virginia judge ruled Tuesday that a proposed constitutional amendment letting Democrats redraw the state’s Congressional maps was illegal, potentially foiling their efforts to pick up seats in the U.S. House in November. Tazewell Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley Jr. struck down the legislature’s actions on three grounds, ruling that lawmakers failed to follow their own rules for adding the redistricting amendment to a special session; failed to approve the amendment before the public began voting in last year’s general election; and failed to publish the amendment three months before the election, as required by law. As a result, he said, the amendment was invalid and void (RedState). Look for the ruling to be appealed at that Virginia Supreme Court.

10.

Massacre in Iran: Over 36,500 Killed; ‘political violence at the Stalin, Hitler and Mao level’

Unspeakable horror—and the estimates keep going up. Iran International: More than 36,500 Iranians were killed by security forces during the January 8-9 crackdown on nationwide protests, making it the deadliest two-day protest massacre in history, according to documents reviewed by Iran International’s Editorial Board. Iran International’s Editorial Board can confirm the death toll after reviewing newly obtained classified documents, field reports, and accounts from medical staff, witnesses, and victims’ families…. Despite the confusion and concealment, the rapid increase in death toll figures in classified government reports has heightened concerns that the actual number of those killed may be even higher. Due to communication restrictions and security pressure, independent verification remains impossible. However, based on credible information from hospital sources and eyewitnesses, the number of deaths in several major cities is described as shocking…. What we are witnessing in Iran today can be categorized as a crime against humanity (Iran International). Niall Ferguson describes it as political violence “at the Stalin, Hitler and Mao level” (Ferguson).

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