Year: 2026

President Trump has attacked Democrats’ “affordability” messaging, saying voters “don’t hear affordability anymore” and accusing Democrats of abandoning the topic as his administration touts an economic turnaround. In recent speeches and a Cabinet meeting he blamed Democrats for past inflation, credited his policies with falling prices, job and wage gains, and promised further steps to lower costs. Democrats and Senate leaders pushed back, calling his comments out of touch and disputing the economic picture. Coverage of the dispute appeared across major outlets, framing it as a political fight over who owns the affordability narrative ahead of upcoming elections, and messaging. (apnews.com)

Sen. John Fetterman (D‑Pa.) told reporters in Jerusalem on March 20, 2025 that he would back partnering with Israel to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, shouting “Oh yeah. Blow it up! Blow it up!” and saying he would support U.S. tools to do so. In the JNS interview he criticized fellow Democrats for backing away from Israel and argued strong action was necessary to prevent Tehran’s nuclear breakout. The remarks, reported by JNS and picked up by other outlets, intensified intraparty debate over military force versus diplomacy and prompted swift responses from both progressive and hawkish Democrats and national security experts. (jns.org)

President Donald Trump on January 28, 2026, joked he could nominate Sen. Ted Cruz to the U.S. Supreme Court, calling Cruz a “brilliant legal mind” and saying Democrats and Republicans would confirm him just to “get him the hell out” of the Senate. (newsmax.com) Trump made the remarks while promoting his “Trump Accounts” initiative; Cruz was present and smiled. (houstonchronicle.com) Cruz’s office and recent interviews say he does not want a judicial post, preferring political work. (cbsnews.com) Trump had previously listed Cruz among potential high‑court picks, fueling renewed speculation. (cnbc.com)

On January 28, 2026, FBI agents executed a court-authorized search at the Fulton County Elections Hub and Operations Center in Union City, Georgia, seizing boxes of 2020 physical ballots, tabulator tapes, electronic ballot images and voter rolls as part of an inquiry tied to the 2020 presidential contest. County officials said the materials were court-sealed and had been kept for legal proceedings; Fulton leaders expressed alarm about chain of custody and federal custody of ballots. The Justice Department confirmed the operation but offered few details; critics called the raid politically motivated while supporters said it responded to unresolved records issues. (apnews.com)

On January 29, 2026, Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced she will run for governor of Minnesota, filing preliminary paperwork earlier and releasing a campaign video stressing steady leadership and public safety. (apnews.com) Her entry follows Gov. Tim Walz’s decision to abandon a re-election bid amid a sweeping welfare and childcare fraud probe that has drawn national attention and political fallout. (washingtonpost.com) Klobuchar, a three-term senator reelected in 2024, framed her campaign as restoring competence and opposing aggressive federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. (wsj.com) Her bid reshapes the 2026 governor’s race and raises questions about who would fill her Senate seat if she resigns. (theguardian.com)

Nasra Ahmed, 23, the Somali American woman who went viral for likening her identity to “bananas and rice,” was arrested in Minneapolis Wednesday as part of a federal sweep that took 16 people into custody, Attorney General Pam Bondi said. Authorities say the group is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal officers under 18 U.S.C. §111 in connection with anti‑ICE protests that intensified after recent deadly federal enforcement incidents, including the Jan. 24 shooting of Alex Pretti and an earlier ICE‑involved killing. Bondi posted names and photos on X and warned more arrests may follow earlier this week. (foxnews.com)

Newly released video shows Alex Pretti confronting federal immigration agents in Minneapolis on January 13, 2026, where he appears to spit at officers, kick and shatter the taillight of a government SUV, and is wrestled to the ground. (washingtonpost.com) Eleven days later, on January 24, Border Patrol agents fatally shot the 37-year-old during a separate scuffle; officials said he resisted and was armed, while family and bystanders dispute that account. (washingtonpost.com) Homeland Security investigators are reviewing the footage as agents involved have been placed on leave and calls for accountability grow. (people.com) The footage has reignited national debate over policing practices.