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)

DOJ Fails to Indict Six Democrats Over Military Video

The Trump administration’s Department of Justice attempted and failed to indict six Democratic lawmakers who appeared in a November video urging military and intelligence personnel to refuse unlawful orders. The federal grand jury in Washington, D.C., rejected the prosecution’s case on Tuesday, with prosecutors unable to convince even a single juror that probable cause existed for charges, according to sources familiar with the investigation. The video featured Representatives Jason Crow of Colorado, Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire, Chris Deluzio and Chrissy Houlahan of Pennsylvania, and Senators Mark Kelly of Arizona and Elissa Slotkin of Michigan—all with military or intelligence backgrounds—explaining that service members can refuse orders that are manifestly illegal under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The prosecution, led by Trump appointee Jeanine Pirro at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, employed political appointees rather than career prosecutors, according to one source. Trump had publicly accused the lawmakers of “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH” on his Truth Social platform following the video’s release. Legal experts widely rejected the prosecution’s theory, citing both First Amendment protections for political speech and the Constitution’s speech-or-debate clause, which grants lawmakers immunity from prosecution for legislative acts.

The failed indictment reflects a broader pattern of weaponizing the Justice Department against Trump’s perceived political opponents. The administration previously dismantled the Public Integrity Section, eliminating standard oversight requirements that normally govern investigations of sitting members of Congress, especially those involving free speech considerations. The Justice Department has also failed to secure indictments against New York Attorney General Letitia James before separate grand juries in Norfolk and Alexandria, and Pirro’s office has struggled to obtain convictions even in cases involving alleged assaults on federal officers.

Senator Kelly stated that the prosecution attempt followed administrative retaliation by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who issued a formal censure and sought to reduce Kelly’s retirement rank to punish his participation in the video. Slotkin condemned the effort as indicative of Trump’s authoritarian approach, declaring that “whether or not Pirro succeeded is not the point. It’s that President Trump continues to weaponize our justice system against his perceived enemies.” Other lawmakers rejected intimidation tactics, with Representative Crow stating that “Americans should be furious that Trump and his goons tried to weaponize our justice system again against his political opponents.”

(Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-administration/doj-fails-secure-indictment-democrats-involved-illegal-orders-video-rcna258385)

Trump Blocks Bridge After Billionaire Competitor Meets Commerce Secretary

Donald Trump threatened to block Canada’s Gordie Howe International Bridge hours after Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick met privately with Detroit billionaire Matthew Moroun, who controls the competing Ambassador Bridge, according to The New York Times. Two officials briefed on the meeting confirmed Lutnick met with Moroun in Washington on Monday, and Lutnick subsequently spoke with Trump by phone about the matter.

The Moroun family has spent decades attempting to prevent the Gordie Howe bridge through litigation and lobbying, including a challenge that reached Canada’s Supreme Court. The family previously urged Trump to halt construction of the $4.7 billion publicly funded bridge, which will compete with the Ambassador Bridge for over $300 million in daily cross-border trade once operational.

Trump posted on Truth Social threatening to block the bridge unless Canada addressed “a long list of grievances,” according to the Times report published Tuesday. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump’s position by claiming he was “putting America’s interest first,” objecting to Canadian control of the bridge and land on both sides, and criticizing insufficient use of American-made materials.

The timing coincides with escalating tension between the nations since Trump’s election, during which he has questioned Canadian sovereignty and imposed tariffs on steel, lumber, and automobiles. The Gordie Howe bridge is fully financed by Canada and will be jointly operated by Canada and Michigan, making Trump’s threat an intervention in a cross-border infrastructure project already under construction.

(Source: https://www.rawstory.com/trump-canada-2675257271/)

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/)

FDA Blocks Moderna mRNA Flu Vaccine Despite Variant Surge

The FDA rejected Moderna’s application for a next-generation mRNA flu vaccine on Tuesday, declining to review the shot despite the technology’s proven effectiveness in COVID-19 vaccines. The agency did not cite safety or efficacy concerns but instead objected to Moderna’s clinical trial design, according to a letter from Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research director Vinay Prasad. The FDA demanded the company test its vaccine against a CDC-recommended flu shot to compare safety and efficacy, claiming Moderna’s trial design exposed older participants to substandard care.

Virologist Angie Rasmussen criticized the FDA’s process, stating the rejection lacked “a thoughtful, systematic, transparent review of the evidence that relies on diverse expertise” and represented an individual decision by Prasad rather than an informed institutional review. Rasmussen emphasized that mRNA vaccine technology’s flexibility allows rapid adaptation to emerging virus variants, a capability conventional flu vaccines cannot match. The agency’s decision comes as the 2024-2025 flu season has proven exceptionally severe, with at least 22 million infections and 12,000 deaths documented in the United States, driven significantly by the arrival of subclade K.

The FDA’s rejection aligns with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s broader campaign to overhaul America’s vaccine schedule. Kennedy, a longtime vaccine skeptic, has repeatedly attacked mRNA technology and overseen the Trump administration’s cuts to vaccine research funding. The decision reflects an ideological effort to undermine vaccine development infrastructure rather than evidence-based regulatory assessment.

Rasmussen noted that if mRNA vaccine platforms had been recognized and deployed in time, updated flu shots could have been formulated during the current season to address subclade K, potentially preventing significant illness and death. The FDA’s rejection eliminates this adaptive public health advantage and blocks advancement of a proven technology platform that could address future viral threats with unprecedented speed.

(Source: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fda-wont-consider-a-new-mrna-vaccine-for-flu-despite-the-technologys-life/?utm_campaign=sprinklr&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin&fbclid=IwVERFWAP9v1NleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEexLElm4gFSSQ9lzhsA2ooHSD-usTICZDS63bImi6l1vLgx0EN7BvpzuKwYPI_aem_rMBeCDQiSn6U4-fwG8DxLw)

NATO Shifts Two Commands to European Leadership Amid Trump

NATO announced the transfer of two Joint Force Commands from U.S. to European leadership in response to President Trump’s demands that European allies assume greater responsibility for continental defense. The United Kingdom will assume command of the NATO Joint Force Command in Norfolk, Virginia, which oversees Atlantic and Arctic protection, while Italy takes control of Joint Force Command Naples and Germany and Poland will rotate command of Joint Force Command Brunssum. These transitions, occurring over the next several years, will place all three operational joint force commands under European leadership.

The Trump administration’s National Defense Strategy, released last month, explicitly directs NATO allies to prioritize European defense while the U.S. focuses on homeland defense and countering China. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, the strategy’s lead author, is attending this week’s NATO Defense Ministerial instead of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, marking the first such ministerial Hegseth has skipped since taking office. A Pentagon official stated the command transfers were “made jointly among all allies” and strengthen the alliance by demonstrating European leadership capacity.

The U.S. will retain supreme allied commander Europe (SACEUR), a position historically held by American officers, and will assume leadership of the Allied Maritime Command, currently led by a British vice admiral. This arrangement ensures the U.S. continues directing all three functional commands—Allied Maritime Command, Allied Land Command, and Allied Air Command—while ceding operational control of crisis-response commands to European nations. Air Force General Alexus G. Grynkewich currently commands NATO’s 80,000 U.S. service members in the European theater as supreme allied commander.

NATO framed the restructuring as a mechanism for “more fairly sharing responsibility” and demonstrating U.S. commitment to alliance leadership despite the devolution of operational authority. The command transfer from Norfolk will retain U.S. Navy control of the larger installation housing the facility, preserving American infrastructure dominance even as command authority shifts. The phased implementation allows gradual adjustment of command structures across allied nations.

(Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/nato-to-shift-2-commands-from-us-to-european-leadership/)

Trump Repeats Debunked Lies on Inflation Immigration Elections

During an NBC interview with anchor Tom Llamas on Wednesday, President Donald Trump repeated debunked falsehoods about inflation, immigration, and elections while Llamas largely declined to challenge the inaccuracies in real time. Trump claimed inflation was “almost no inflation” at 1.2% over three months, but the year-over-year rate in December 2025 was 2.7%—far from negligible—and the monthly figures were 3% in September and 2.7% in November. Trump also falsely claimed he inherited “the worst inflation in the history of our country,” when the year-over-year rate in December 2024 was only 2.9%, compared to historical highs of 23.7% in 1920.

On gas prices, Trump stated the national average reached $1.99 per gallon last week, but AAA data showed the actual national average was approximately $2.89 on Wednesday. GasBuddy found only 18 to 34 stations out of roughly 150,000 tracked nationwide offered gas under $2 during the referenced period—0.018% of all U.S. stations. Trump also claimed “$18 trillion” in foreign investment into the country, a fabrication; the White House’s own website documented “$9.6 trillion” in announced investments, itself an exaggerated figure heavily padded with vague pledges and bilateral trade statements unrelated to direct U.S. investment.

Trump falsely asserted he won the 2020 election, claiming “I won three times” when he won in 2016 and 2024 but lost in 2020. He denied suggesting he wanted to nationalize elections despite stating in a separate Monday interview: “The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.” Trump also repeated unsubstantiated claims that elections in Detroit, Philadelphia, and Atlanta are “extremely corrupt” without presenting evidence, and falsely alleged cheating occurred in Fulton County, Georgia during 2020—claims debunked years ago by Georgia’s Republican elections chief and Trump’s own first-term Justice Department appointees.

On immigration, Trump claimed Biden “allowed in our country…25 million people,” a fabrication; federal records documented under 11 million “encounters” through December 2024, with estimates of roughly 2.2 million additional “gotaways.” Trump also repeated an unsubstantiated claim about “11,888 murderers” Biden allegedly allowed into the country, mischaracterizing Department of Homeland Security data. Trump stated foreign governments “emptied” jails into America, particularly naming Venezuela and “the Congo,” claims experts from those nations and global prison scholars have told CNN are baseless.

Llamas responded to most false statements with minimal acknowledgment—saying “right,” “yeah,” or offering no pushback—allowing misinformation to circulate unchallenged on air. Trump also denied knowing why Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard attended an FBI raid on Georgia’s election hub, contradicting Gabbard’s own written statement. NBC published a separate fact-check article but failed to correct Trump’s falsehoods during the live interview itself, leaving viewers without immediate corrective information on critical policy matters.

(Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/02/05/politics/fact-check-trump-nbc-interview)

NSA Detected Foreign Call About Trump Associate Gabbard Blocked

Last spring, the National Security Agency detected a phone call between two foreign intelligence operatives discussing a person close to Donald Trump. Rather than following standard protocol to distribute the intelligence report, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard delivered a paper copy directly to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and subsequently instructed the NSA to transmit the classified details to her office instead of publishing the report.

On April 17, a whistleblower contacted the inspector general alleging that Gabbard blocked the classified intelligence from routine distribution. The whistleblower filed a formal complaint on May 21 detailing Gabbard’s actions. The NSA does not monitor individuals without justification, and the person discussed in the call is not understood to be an administration official or special government employee, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The intelligence community inspector general dismissed the complaint after a 14-day review on June 6, stating the office “could not determine if the allegations appear credible.” The watchdog’s independence may be compromised after Gabbard assigned one of her top advisers, Dennis Kirk—a co-author of Project 2025 and a first Trump administration official—to work in the inspector general’s office on May 9, two weeks after the whistleblower’s initial contact.

For eight months, the complaint remained classified and withheld from congressional intelligence committees, violating the law requiring agencies to relay whistleblower complaints to Congress within 21 days. Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Mark Warner stated the months-long delay reflected an effort to “bury the complaint.” Members of the “gang of eight” received a heavily redacted version on Tuesday night, with much of the complaint withheld under claims of executive privilege—a move Gabbard’s attorney said flags presidential involvement in the underlying intelligence concerns.

Gabbard’s office denied all allegations, stating “every single action taken by DNI Gabbard was fully within her legal and statutory authority.” House Oversight Committee Democrat Stephen Lynch warned that Kirk’s appointment raised “troubling questions about the independence” of the intelligence community inspector general’s office, compromising the agency’s ability to serve as an independent watchdog against weaponization of intelligence for political purposes.

(Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/07/nsa-foreign-intelligence-trump-whistleblower)

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 Launches TrumpRx Website, Exaggerates Drug Savings

President Trump unveiled TrumpRx.gov on Thursday at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, a website designed to direct consumers to purchase prescription drugs at reduced prices. The site itself does not sell medications but serves as a search portal linking users to pharmacies and manufacturer websites where they can buy drugs directly. Trump claimed the platform would help Americans save money and improve their health.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, who oversees Medicare and Medicaid, stated at the event that offering fertility drugs through the site would result in a surge of “Trump babies.” Trump negotiated deals with major pharmaceutical manufacturers to reduce certain drug prices and increase domestic production in exchange for exempting the companies from threatened tariffs on foreign-made medications. The administration framed these agreements as a victory in controlling drug costs ahead of midterm elections, positioning affordability as a campaign issue.

Researchers specializing in drug pricing analysis issued warnings that TrumpRx would not deliver the savings Trump promised, projecting that many consumers would still pay excessive amounts for medications obtained through the platform. The site represents Trump’s attempt to claim credit for drug price reductions while relying on voluntary corporate participation rather than regulatory enforcement or government price negotiations that have historically achieved more significant savings for patients.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/health/trumprx-online-drugstore-prices.html)

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