Trump Threatens GOP Tariff Dissenters With Primary Challenges

President Donald Trump threatened Republican members of Congress with primary challenges and electoral defeat if they vote against his tariff policies, declaring they will “seriously suffer the consequences come Election time.” Trump made the threat on Truth Social after six GOP representatives—Don Bacon of Nebraska, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, Jeff Hurd of Colorado, Kevin Kiley of California, Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and Dan Newhouse of Washington—joined Democrats in voting to block his emergency tariffs on Canada.

Trump justified the tariffs by citing stock market gains and claimed they reduced the trade deficit by 78 percent, asserting that tariffs provide both economic and national security benefits. He stated that “no Republican should be responsible for destroying this privilege” and framed opposition as disloyalty to the party and the administration’s economic agenda.

Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, countered that the vote was straightforward: “stand with working families and lower costs, or keep prices high out of loyalty to Donald Trump.” Rep. Don Bacon defended his vote by writing that tariffs function as a tax on American consumers and that congressional debate should precede major trade policy decisions.

The nonpartisan Tax Foundation estimated that Trump’s tariffs imposed an average tax increase of $1,000 per U.S. household in 2025 and warned costs could rise further if the policy continues. The tariffs have strained relations with major trading partners including Canada, Mexico, China, India, Brazil, and the European Union, triggering Canadian retaliatory boycotts of American goods.

Trump’s threat represents his pattern of weaponizing federal authority against officials and lawmakers who resist his demands, extending party discipline through electoral intimidation rather than policy persuasion.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-republicans-tariffs-threat-canada-b2918970.html)

Trump Attacks Oklahoma GOP Governor Stitt Over Governors Summit Dispute

President Donald Trump attacked Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt on Truth Social on Wednesday, calling the Republican leader a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only) for claiming Trump excluded all Democratic governors from an upcoming White House meeting scheduled for February 20. Stitt, who chairs the National Governors Association, stated the group was withdrawing from the annual summit because Trump had not invited Democratic members, who hold equal standing in the organization.

Trump denied Stitt’s assertion, posting that invitations went to all governors except two he deemed “not worthy of being there”: Colorado Governor Jared Polis, whom Trump accused of incarcerating a cancer patient in solitary confinement for contesting alleged voter fraud, and Maryland Governor Wes Moore, whom Trump attacked for falsely claiming military medals and mishandling Baltimore’s recovery from the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Moore serves as vice chair of the National Governors Association.

Trump stated he had extended invitations to two of his prominent Democratic critics—Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, whom he labeled a “SLOB,” and California Governor Gavin Newsom, whom he called “horrendous” and used his derogatory nickname “Newscum”—despite what he characterized as their poor performance in office. The president concluded by expressing willingness to meet Republican governors and “some of the Democrats Governors who were worthy of being invited.”

In response to the dispute, Stitt wrote that because the NGA’s mission requires representing all 55 governors, the association would no longer facilitate the event or include it in its official program. Trump dismissed this decision as false, reiterating his intent to proceed with the meeting while excluding only Polis and Moore.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-attacks-rino-republican-governor-in-bomb-throwing-social-media-post/)

Trump Threatens Trevor Noah Lawsuit Over Epstein Grammy Joke

President Donald Trump threatened legal action against comedian Trevor Noah on Monday after Noah joked during the Grammy Awards that Trump spent time on Jeffrey Epstein’s island. Trump denied any connection to Epstein, calling Noah’s performance “lousy” and asserting he has “nothing to do with Jeffrey Epstein.” Trump also attacked author Michael Wolff, describing him as a “sleaze bag” who conspired with Epstein to damage his presidency.

The president claimed that newly released Justice Department files containing 3.5 million Epstein-related documents “absolve” him of improper conduct. Trump stated the DOJ should move on from the Epstein matter and asserted the files instead reveal misconduct by Democrats, Bill Clinton, and Bill Gates, but not him. When asked directly by ABC News correspondent Rachel Scott whether he planned to sue Noah, Trump confirmed his intention and elaborated on his grievances.

Trump accused Democrats of weaponizing Epstein allegations against him politically. He stated that Democrats only pushed Epstein-related claims as a strategy to undermine his election chances, saying “The Democrats are pushing it” and “it’s turning out to be the Democrats that were with — and conspired with — Epstein.” Trump referenced emails between Wolff and Epstein obtained from the released files, including a 2016 message in which Wolff offered to “help finish” Trump before the election.

Released Epstein correspondence documented Wolff’s discussions with the deceased sex offender about targeting Trump, with Wolff writing in 2015 that Trump’s denial of visiting Epstein’s properties would give Epstein “valuable PR and political currency” to use against him. Trump claimed this email exchange demonstrated a coordinated effort to harm his political standing. He announced over the weekend his intention to sue Wolff based on these communications.

Trump ended his remarks by celebrating his return to the presidency despite what he characterized as a Democratic conspiracy to prevent his election. He said the released files proved Democrats “were working together to try and help me lose the election,” but acknowledged his presence in the Oval Office indicated that conspiracy ultimately failed.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-thrashes-lightweight-trevor-noah-and-democrats-pushing-epstein-claims-in-oval-office-rant/)

Trump Posts Racist Video Depicting Obamas as Apes

President Donald Trump posted a 62-second video to Truth Social on Thursday night containing racist imagery depicting former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes, with their faces superimposed on animal bodies for approximately one second. The video, which also promoted a debunked 2020 election conspiracy theory about manipulated vote-counting machines, was shared at 11:44 p.m. ET and included a watermark linked to a pro-Trump account on X with tens of thousands of followers.

Trump posted the video minutes after sharing content about the Black conservative movement, as part of a late-night social media spree that also featured reshared posts on Jeffrey Epstein, upcoming midterm elections, and unsubstantiated claims about manipulated elections while attacking Democratic opponents. The longer version of the video, first published online in October, portrays Trump as a lion while depicting prominent Democrats and liberals as animal characters from Disney's The Lion King, including Hillary Clinton as a warthog and New York mayor Zohran Mamdani as a hyena.

Democrats and anti-Trump Republicans immediately condemned the post as amplifying racist imagery. California Governor Gavin Newsom's office stated "Disgusting behavior by the President" and called for every Republican to denounce it, while the account Republicans Against Trump declared "Trump just posted a video on Truth Social that includes a racist image of Barack and Michelle Obama as monkeys. There's no bottom." The Bulwark, a Never Trump conservative outlet, also criticized the post.

Trump's spokesperson Karoline Leavitt defended the post on Friday, dismissing the backlash as "fake outrage" by the media and claiming the controversial clip came from a meme originally depicting Trump as "King of the Jungle." Despite these claims, Mediaite confirmed the post remained on Trump's feed as of Friday morning, with records preserved by the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine confirming its existence.

This incident represents an escalation in Trump's pattern of attacks on Obama during his second term, which has included posting discredited conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and accusing the former president of "treason" over intelligence assessments related to Russian interference allegations. Trump has also previously shared AI-generated videos depicting Obama's arrest and incarceration.

(Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-posts-video-depicting-barack-115427661.html)

Trump Threatens Lawsuit Against Michael Wolff Over Epstein Emails

President Donald Trump announced plans to sue author Michael Wolff, accusing him of “conspiring” with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to damage his political career. Trump made the statement to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday night, following the release of additional Epstein documents, claiming that emails between Wolff and Epstein exonerated him rather than implicating him.

Released documents from 2015 and 2016 show Wolff messaging Epstein about obtaining damaging information on Trump before the 2016 presidential election. In one 2016 message, Wolff wrote that Epstein could “help finish” Trump by providing opposition research; in a 2015 exchange, Wolff stated that if Trump denied visiting Epstein’s plane or property, “that gives you valuable PR and political currency. You can hang him.” Trump characterized these exchanges as evidence of a conspiracy against him, calling Wolff a “third-rate writer” engaged in a political attack.

When Wolff released a video response to the emails in late 2024, he avoided addressing his communications with Epstein and instead suggested the correspondence might reveal details about Trump’s relationship with Epstein himself. Trump has previously dismissed Epstein-related coverage as a Democratic diversion and repeatedly sought to strengthen libel laws to restrict press reporting. Trump stated he will “certainly” sue Wolff and may also pursue legal action against the Epstein estate.

Wolff authored the 2018 bestseller “Fire and Fury,” which documented internal dynamics of Trump’s first administration. Trump’s litigation threat follows his pattern of using lawsuits to suppress unfavorable reporting and accounts of his conduct.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-aiming-to-sue-michael-wolff-for-conspiring-with-jeffrey-epstein-to-wreck-his-political-career/)

Trump Demands Omar Jailed or Deported to Somalia After Attack

President Donald Trump attacked Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) in a Saturday morning Truth Social post, demanding she be imprisoned or deported to Somalia days after she was assaulted onstage with a vinegar-filled syringe. Trump falsely claimed Omar orchestrated the attack, stating “She probably had herself sprayed, knowing her,” and accused her and other Somali immigrants of fraud and corruption related to Minnesota finances.

Trump’s post attacked Omar as a “scammer” and suggested she and “her absolutely terrible friends from Somalia should all be in jail right now or, far worse, send them back to Somalia.” He also criticized Governor Tim Walz, characterizing him as either corrupt or incompetent for allegedly failing to prevent unspecified Minnesota fraud. Trump’s demand to deport Omar echoes rhetoric he has repeatedly deployed at rallies attacking Omar’s background and citizenship status.

Omar responded by questioning Trump’s decency and mental fitness, telling CNN that Trump “lacks” the compassion and basic humanity she was raised to possess. She suggested invoking the 25th Amendment, stating Trump exhibits “some sort of dementia” given his contradictory public statements about her and his apparent inability to recall his own rhetoric.

Trump has consistently used deportation rhetoric targeting Omar, repeatedly suggesting she return to Somalia where she was born. This pattern of attacks intensified following the on-stage assault, with Trump immediately weaponizing the incident as a platform for xenophobic accusations rather than expressing concern for her safety.

The attack and Trump’s response align with his broader pattern of dehumanizing Somali immigrants and people, including recent statements characterizing Somalis as “good at” only “pirating ships” during a White House briefing marking his return to office.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/online/trump-rages-at-ilhan-omar-in-early-morning-rant-days-after-attack-demands-sending-her-to-jail-or-back-to-africa/)

Trump Demands Jail for Noem Critics, Attacks Protest ‘Scam’

President Donald Trump defended Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Friday via Truth Social, attacking protesters and Democrats as “Radical Left Lunatics” and “Insurrectionists” while demanding they be imprisoned. Trump claimed Noem is being targeted “because she is a woman” and credited her with fixing “the Border disaster” he inherited, asserting the murder rate reached a 125-year low under his administration.

Trump characterized protests in Minnesota and major cities as a “SCAM” designed to obscure what he labeled “CRIMINAL ACTS of theft and insurrection” by Democrats. He accused Democrats of “stealing Billions of Dollars from Minnesota, and other Cities and States” and instructed Republicans not to be “pushed around” by what he termed aggressive protest manipulation.

The president reiterated his campaign platform of “Strong Borders, and Law and Order” and separately praised Border Czar Tom Homan, whom Trump appointed this week to oversee the immigration enforcement crackdown in Minnesota. The operation has deployed approximately 2,100 federal agents to the Minneapolis area in what officials characterize as the largest immigration enforcement operation ever conducted.

Trump’s remarks come amid DOJ investigations into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over allegations they conspired to impede Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations through public statements. Trump’s invocation of imprisonment for political opponents and protesters aligns with his broader pattern of weaponizing federal authority against critics.

The late-night posts demonstrate Trump’s willingness to criminalize dissent and attribute federal policy failures to Democratic sabotage while absolving his administration of responsibility for enforcement outcomes.

(Source: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-ice-protest/)

Trump Sues Dimon $5B After CEO Opposes Credit Card Rate Cap

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon faced immediate retaliation after publicly opposing Trump’s proposal to cap credit card interest rates at 10%, which would slash rates roughly in half from their current average of 20%. On January 22, 2026, Trump filed a $5 billion lawsuit against JPMorgan Chase and Dimon in Florida state court, alleging the bank improperly “debanked” him following the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack. The lawsuit arrived one day after Dimon told attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos that Trump’s affordability proposal would trigger “an economic disaster.”

Trump’s lawsuit exemplifies his use of federal power to punish corporate executives who contradict him. The president has investigated, sued, or brought criminal charges against perceived enemies including media companies CBS, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal. Trump threatened Apple with massive tariffs over CEO Tim Cook and blocked Exxon from entering Venezuela because he disapproved of CEO Darren Woods’ demeanor at a meeting. The filing demonstrates Trump weaponizing litigation as retaliation for speech that contradicts his agenda.

Corporate America has largely remained silent under Trump’s second term, with executives adopting an unofficial strategy of compliance to avoid becoming targets. When Trump imposed steep global tariffs last spring and began explicitly meddling in private company revenues—carving out government cuts from firms like Nvidia and Intel—business leaders stayed quiet. Trade groups drafted plans to oppose the administration but shelved them after worrying about inviting White House retaliation, according to CNN sources. Normally vocal business lobbies have been notably quiet, revealing how thoroughly Trump has chilled legitimate corporate speech.

Dimon and other Wall Street leaders broke ranks over the credit card rate proposal because it struck directly at banking’s profit engine. Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser stated the bank could not support a rate cap, and Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan argued it would restrict credit availability. However, Dimon’s “economic disaster” comment—coming from Wall Street’s most prominent figure—represented the rare direct critique that prompted Trump’s swift legal action. Trump subsequently attacked Dimon publicly, falsely suggesting he profits from higher interest rates before announcing the lawsuit.

The pattern reveals authoritarian governance by retaliation: Trump uses his control over federal agencies and courts to punish dissent from business leaders whose compliance he demands. Dimon has not endorsed Trump, contradicting Trump’s false claims, yet the CEO still faced legal assault for opposing a specific policy. This abuse of executive power to settle personal grievances and enforce political loyalty demonstrates corruption at the core of Trump’s administration, where government becomes an instrument for silencing opposition and enriching those in the president’s favor.

(Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/23/business/jamie-dimon-donald-trump)

Trump Attacks Powell, Demands Fed Rate Cuts

President Donald Trump attacked Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday via Truth Social, demanding the central bank cut interest rates immediately and claiming Powell is "hurting our country and its national security." Trump called Powell a "moron" responsible for "costing America Hundreds of Billions of Dollars a year" in interest expenses, despite the Federal Open Market Committee voting 10-2 to hold rates steady after three consecutive months of reductions.

Trump falsely linked the Fed's interest rate decision to his tariff policies, claiming that revenue from tariffs should result in the lowest interest rates globally. He did not explain the relationship between import taxes and the Fed's overnight interbank lending rate, nor did he acknowledge that tariffs are paid by American consumers rather than foreign countries.

Only two Trump appointees to the Federal Reserve's board—Christopher Waller and Stephen Miran—supported further rate cuts aligned with Trump's demand. The broader committee cited solid economic expansion and elevated inflation as reasons to maintain current rates, noting that future adjustments would depend on economic data and outlook rather than presidential pressure.

Trump's attack followed a Department of Justice criminal investigation into Powell and the Federal Reserve, which Powell publicly characterized as retaliation for the bank's refusal to artificially lower rates. Powell stated the investigation represents "a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President."

The DOJ probe drew bipartisan congressional criticism, including from Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who vowed to block any future Trump nominees to the Fed board until the investigation concludes. Trump has previously threatened to sue Powell over Federal Reserve building renovations, continuing his pattern of weaponizing federal authority against officials who resist his economic demands.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-jerome-powell-interest-rates-reaction-b2910171.html)

Trump Demands Jack Smith Prosecution After Election Conspiracy Testimony

President Donald Trump demanded prosecution of former special counsel Jack Smith on Truth Social following Smith’s House Judiciary Committee testimony on Thursday, labeling him “Deranged” and accusing him of perjury and destroying lives. Smith had testified that he possessed evidence “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Trump conspired to overturn the 2020 election, investigating both the January 6 Capitol riot and classified documents stored at Mar-a-Lago.

During his public testimony, Smith stated he anticipated the Trump Department of Justice would attempt to indict him, characterizing Trump’s social media attacks as intimidation tactics and warnings to others who challenge the president. Smith declared he would not be intimidated and affirmed his team followed department policy, facts, and law in their investigation, which produced proof of serious crimes.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has already acted on Trump’s prior social media suggestions to prosecute perceived enemies, initiating charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James, former FBI Director James Comey, and former National Security Advisor John Bolton. Trump continues to falsely claim the 2020 election was rigged, repeating this assertion at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week while predicting prosecutions of unspecified individuals responsible for the alleged fraud.

Smith’s testimony directly contradicted Trump’s assertions, with the former prosecutor explaining that his investigation followed established legal procedures and produced substantial evidence of criminal conduct. Trump’s demand for Smith’s prosecution exemplifies his pattern of weaponizing the Justice Department against adversaries and leveraging federal power to silence critics and investigators.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/deranged-jack-smith-should-be-prosecuted-trump-calls-for-special-counsels-indictment-in-angry-truth-social-post/)

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