Good evening everyone. This will be my last update of the night and it is a very busy one. Democrats say they will force Trump and his children to testify before Congress after Republicans compelled Bill and Hillary Clinton to testify.
In a shocking federal court moment, a Department of Justice attorney begged the judge to hold her in contempt and jail her for one night just so she could finally get 24 hours of sleep. President Trump attacked a female reporter for not smiling enough and doubled down on his idea of nationalizing elections.
Meanwhile, controversies continue over federal immigration enforcement, including cases where evidence and communications have raised serious questions about agents’ conduct, public safety, and accountability in shootings involving U.S. citizens.
To all those who have sent positive notes or subscribed, thank you. If you are able, please consider subscribing to support this work and help sustain the level of focus this reporting requires. I pledge to you that I will always remain independent. Why? Because being in this moment has never been so important to hold those in power accountable.
Here’s the news:
- After Republicans moved to compel Bill and Hillary Clinton to testify over Epstein, Democrats warned they would respond by forcing Donald Trump to testify as well, citing what they call the “Comer precedent” of threatening criminal prosecution to compel a former president’s testimony; Rep. Zoe Lofgren pointedly asked when Trump would be called, noting he ignored a prior Jan. 6 subpoena without consequence, while Rep. Jared Moskowitz said Trump and his family would be hauled in and could “thank James Comer for that.”
- Kaitlan Collins began asking what Trump would say to an Epstein survivor, but he cut her off to attack her personally, calling her a “bad” reporter, mocking CNN’s ratings, criticizing her demeanor and appearance, and telling her network they should be ashamed, without answering the question.
- Trump said it was “a shame” for the House to bring Bill and Hillary Clinton in to testify, adding that he always liked Bill Clinton, called Hillary Clinton “a very capable woman,” and said he “hate[s] to see it” despite the investigation moving forward.
- Melinda French Gates said the release of Epstein files mentioning her ex-husband, Bill Gates, caused her “unbelievable sadness” and reopened painful memories from their marriage, stressing that he—and anyone else named—must answer for their own conduct, while condemning Epstein’s abuse of young girls and expressing hope for justice; the files include Epstein’s self-written emails alleging affairs, drug requests, and ethically or potentially illegal behavior involving Gates—claims Gates has forcefully denied through a spokesperson.
- Trump said the country should move on from the Epstein files and focus instead on issues he claimed people “actually care about.”
- Why did the DOJ redact this file?
- Today, Congressman Robert Garcia exposed federal agents laughing, via text messages, after shooting an American citizen.
- A federal judge convened a show-cause hearing after concluding his habeas orders were repeatedly ignored in multiple cases, leaving immigrant detainees unconstitutionally detained for days; under pressure to explain the noncompliance, a DOJ attorney told the court the system and the job “suck,” said government lawyers cannot keep up with the volume of orders, and asked to be held in contempt simply to get 24 hours of sleep.
- When pressed by Kaitlan Collins on his call to “nationalize” elections, Trump argued that states act as agents of the federal government in administering elections and questioned why the federal government does not run them directly.
- Trump boasted about Melania Trump’s documentary, calling her a “movie star,” claiming it was the top documentary in 19 years, and praising her past as a top model while celebrating her current celebrity status.
- New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the state will deploy trained legal observers to monitor and document ICE enforcement actions for potential legal violations, citing concerns about aggressive Trump-era immigration raids and warning that the observers’ findings could be used to challenge federal actions in court, a move DHS criticized as undermining cooperation with ICE.
- U.S. forces shot down an Iranian Shahed-139 drone after it aggressively approached the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea despite U.S. de-escalation efforts, with Central Command saying the drone had unclear intent; Iran claimed the flight was a routine reconnaissance mission in international waters and said it later lost contact with the drone.
- Tulsi Gabbard, as director of national intelligence, is conducting a Trump-approved, standalone review of the 2020 election focused on voting machine vulnerabilities and foreign interference, operating separately from a Justice Department probe and drawing criticism after she appeared at an FBI raid of a Georgia election facility despite having no domestic law enforcement role.
- Trump signed a $1.2 trillion funding bill to end a partial government shutdown after House passage, but Democrats warned they will block future DHS funding unless Congress imposes limits on ICE’s enforcement tactics—including body cameras, unmasking agents, and warrant requirements—following fatal encounters in Minneapolis, setting up a looming fight over immigration enforcement and accountability.
- William Stevenson, the former husband of Jill Biden, was arrested in Delaware and charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, Linda Stevenson, who was found unresponsive after police responded to a reported domestic dispute in late December, and he is being held on $500,000 cash bail.
- Senator Thom Tillis said even a presidential pardon for Fed Chair Jerome Powell would not lift his blockade of Federal Reserve nominees, insisting only the Justice Department finishing its investigation into Powell’s Senate testimony will suffice, a stance that is currently blocking Trump’s nominee Kevin Warsh and that Tillis says is necessary to protect the Fed’s independence.
- Trump escalated his feud with Rep. Ilhan Omar by posting a baseless suggestion that she was linked to ISIS in Somalia, reviving years of personal attacks and deportation rhetoric as tensions rise in Minnesota amid his administration’s immigration crackdown.
See you in the morning.
— Aaron
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