Wertheimer Political Report, February 5, 2026

|, |by

DEMOCRACY 21
President Trump Hits the Trifecta  
Trifecta One: Trump provided an unprecedented influence-money case of huge, private financial benefit begetting huge U.S. government return to foreign country.
Trifecta Two: Trump reportedly referenced more than 5,300 times in Epstein files and related items made public by Justice Department. DOJ keeps secret three million additional Epstein files.
  • How Trump Appears in the Epstein files. The New York Times found more than 5,300 files with references to Mr. Trump and related terms. They include salacious and unverified claims, as well as documents that had already been made public.
Trifecta Three: Trump proposes blatantly unconstitutional “nationalization” of election process and “takeover” by Republicans. Constitution gives authority over election process only to states and Congress.
  • President Donald Trump said Republicans should nationalize elections and take over the election process in some places. “The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over. We should take over the voting in at least — many, 15 places.’ The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.”

TRUMPWATCH 2.0

Nuclear Arms Control Era Comes to End Amid Global Rush for New Weapons
“Beijing, Moscow and shaken American allies are seeking new warheads as President Trump ends more than a half century of nuclear arms control with Russia.” – New York Times

Judges across the country rebuke ICE for defying court orders
“They are increasingly castigating what they say are systematic legal and constitutional abuses by the administration.” – Politico

Five Constitutional Amendments Trump Is Ignoring in Minnesota
“Let us count the ways your rights have been violated.” – Constitutional Accountability Center

Trump’s Profiteering Hits $4 Billion
“In August, I reported that the President and his family had made $3.4 billion by leveraging his position. After his first year back in office, the number has ballooned.” – The New Yorker

Epstein victims’ lawyers ask court to order DOJ to take down Epstein files website
“The lawyers — who represent more than 200 alleged Epstein victims — say that over the last 48 hours they have reported “thousands of redaction failures on behalf of nearly 100 individual survivors whose lives have been turned upside down by the DOJ’s latest release,” according to the letter [to the court].” – ABC News

Epstein survivors still identifiable in document dump despite DOJ promises, attorney says
“Epstein survivors still identifiable in document dump despite DOJ promises, attorney says. Victims’ identities remained publicly accessible Wednesday despite assurances from the Justice Department to have it fixed by noon, an attorney told NBC News.” – NBC News

How Stephen Miller Stokes Trump’s Boundary-Pushing Impulses
“The White House aide has been an architect of aggressive immigration sweeps in U.S. cities and deadly boat strikes in the Caribbean.” – Wall Street Journal

Fulton County goes to court to demand return of ballots seized by FBI
“The ‘constitution is at stake in this fight,’ a county commissioner says.” – Washington Post

A Legal Tool for Holding ICE Agents to Account, Hiding in Plain Sight
“A proposal in a 1987 law review article could address a gap that makes it all but impossible to sue federal officials for violating the Constitution.” – New York Times

Homeland Security is targeting Americans with this secretive legal weapon
“In October, a retiree emailed a DHS attorney to urge mercy for an asylum seeker. Then DHS subpoenaed his Google account and sent investigators to his home.” – Washington Post

MEANWHILE, ON CAPITOL HILL

Top Republicans throw cold water on ‘nationalizing’ elections. The SAVE Act has become a rallying cry, but some see larger issues — or warn of slippery slopes. – Roll Call

Senate GOP debates filibuster reform after Trump calls to ‘nationalize’ elections. – The Hill

GOP game-plans for a DHS shutdown, as skepticism grows over talks. – The Hill

Trump’s crypto ties pose growing obstacle on Capitol Hill. A long-standing policy priority for the cryptocurrency industry is on the brink of running into a Donald Trump problem. – Politico

To Win Back the House, Democrats Take the Fight to Deep-Red Areas. Democrats are tapping candidates with unusual résumés — a Tejano recording star, a smokejumper and a fourth-generation farmer — to compete in areas long seen as inhospitable. – New York Times

MONEY IN POLITICS, VOTING, ELECTION & OTHER RELATED INFO

Election officials from across the country pushed back on Thursday against the Trump administration’s increasingly combative tactics, following an FBI raid in Fulton County, Georgia, and a growing number of Justice Department demands for voter rolls. – NBC News

Steve Bannon calls for Trump to deploy ICE and military troops to polling sites. The Trump ally was one of few GOP voices to support the president’s push to nationalize voting.  – Politico

This Supreme Court decision could upend millions in political spending ahead of the midterms. Here’s how the parties are preparing. Democrats and Republicans are laying the groundwork to prepare for a Supreme Court ruling that could overhaul political fundraising forever. – Politico

Both parties see signs of optimism in fourth-quarter fundraising report. – Roll Call

Democrats post early fundraising edge in marquee 2026 Senate races. – Politico

Supreme Court refuses to block California’s Democratic-friendly map. – The Hill