Wertheimer Political Report, January 15, 2026
D21 NEWS
Trump Lays Out a Vision of Power Restrained Only by ‘My Own Morality.’
In a Planet Money NPR interview, Democracy 21’s Fred Wertheimer argues that while past presidents have had conflicts of interest, nothing compares to Trump’s current situation: Trump and his family are making billions from crypto while he simultaneously sets policy that benefits crypto.
Trump has made (almost) 4 billion dollars by this point in his second term. How? – Planet Money – NPR
TRUMPWATCH 2.0
Joe Rogan breaks with Trump over ‘Gestapo’ ICE operations
“You don’t want militarized people in the streets just roaming around, snatching up people — many of which turn out to be U.S. citizens that just don’t have their papers on them,” Rogan said on Tuesday’s episode of his podcast, likely referring to the president’s deployment of National Guard soldiers to aid in the crackdown. He added, ‘Are we really gonna be the Gestapo, ‘Where’s your papers?’ Is that what we’ve come to?'” – The Hill
Trump threatens to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to Minneapolis protests
“President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in response to rising tensions between protesters and federal personnel in Minneapolis.” – NBC News
Under Trump, a Shift Toward ‘Absolute Immunity’ for ICE
“The fatal shooting of Renee Good last week by an ICE agent in Minneapolis — and the quick reaction by Trump administration officials to declare the agent a hero and Ms. Good a villain — has put a new focus on whether federal agents enforcing President Trump’s deportation drive have been properly prepared for confrontations on city streets.” – New York Times
Many of these endeavors go far beyond typical political persuasion, challenging long-established democratic norms.
“The former special prosecutor has no regrets about pursuing a case against Donald Trump.” – Washington Post
‘We’re in a bad spot’: Fed leaders push back on Trump’s attacks on Powell
“The rebukes from regional Fed officials are landing as the White House faces a cascade of criticism over the criminal inquiry into the central bank chair.” – Politico
Fact check: Trump litters Detroit economic speech with numerous false claims about economy
“Trump litters Detroit economic speech with numerous false claims about economy.” – CNN
4 More Lawmakers in Video Say Federal Prosecutors Are Investigating Them
“The lawmakers, all Democrats who urged military service members not to follow illegal orders, said prosecutors had contacted them. But it is unclear what crime they might have committed.” – New York Times
Donald Trump Is Losing in Court
“Notwithstanding his appellate appointees’ efforts. Trump’s loss record is impressive.” – The Contrarian
Voters sharply split along party lines over ICE agent’s fatal shooting: poll
“Fifty-three percent of registered voters nationwide questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey said they think the shooting was not justified, with 35% saying it was and 12% offering no opinion.” – Fox News
What Americans think about Trump’s military intervention abroad, according to a new AP-NORC poll
“More than half of U.S. adults believe President Donald Trump has “gone too far” in using the U.S. military to intervene in other countries, according to a new AP-NORC poll.” – AP News
75% of Americans oppose US attempting to take control of Greenland, CNN poll finds
“The survey finds just 25% of Americans favor the US attempting to take control of the Danish territory. Even the president’s partisans are about evenly divided, with 50% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents saying they support it and 50% opposed” – CNN
7 Out Of 10 Voters Do Not Want The U.S. To Take Military Action Against Iran For Killing Of Protesters, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds
“70% Say Presidents Should Seek Congressional Approval Before Taking Military Action Against Another Country.” – Quinnipiac University Poll
MEANWHILE, ON CAPITOL HILL
The Senate passed bipartisan legislation Tuesday that would allow individuals to sue over nonconsensual intimate depictions of them that were generated by artificial intelligence. The bill’s passage comes in the wake of intense criticism of Elon Musk-owned X, formerly Twitter, for allowing the Grok AI chatbot to generate sexualized images of real people, including children. – Roll Call
Some Republican lawmakers on Monday criticized the Justice Department’s investigation of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, as a group of former Fed leaders called it an unprecedented assault against the independence of the central bank. Rep. French Hill, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, issued a statement Monday attesting to Powell’s character, calling him “a man of integrity with a strong commitment to public service.” – Roll Call
When five Senate Republicans voted with Democrats last week to advance a resolution to restrict President Donald Trump’s military authority in Venezuela, it looked like a significant rebuke of the administration. Now, a week later — after two Republicans flipped their votes following intense lobbying from Trump and the White House — it looks like the latest example of GOP lawmakers bowing to the president. – MS Now
As the slim House Republican majority hangs on a razor’s edge, lawmakers are getting a stern warning from party leadership: You should be absent only for matters of life and death. – NBC News
Democratic Sen. Slotkin says she’s under federal investigation over illegal orders social media video – ABC News
Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania all reported that they had received inquiries from Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia and a longtime ally of President Trump, requesting an interview with them or their private counsel. – New York Times
VOTER SUPPRESSION, MONEY, & OTHER ELECTION THREATS
Senate Republicans are vowing to block any effort by President Trump to seize Greenland by military force, as Trump officials on Wednesday refused to back off their demands to control the island during a meeting with top diplomats at the White House. – The Hill
New High of 45% in U.S. Identify as Political Independents. More independents lean Democratic than Republican, giving Democrats edge in party affiliation for first time since 2021 – Gallup
The testimony, part of the derailed Georgia election interference case, makes clear how dismissive some senior Republicans were of claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election. – New York Times
Supreme Court allows Illinois congressman to challenge mail-in balloting. The high court’s 7-2 ruling dealt with the narrow question of whether Republican congressman Michael Bost and others had standing to sue. – Washington Post
A panel of three federal judges in California declined to halt the state’s new congressional map Wednesday, rejecting claims the new lines were racial gerrymanders and allowing the map for this year’s midterm elections – Roll Call
