The Daily Wrap Up

16, Jan 2026

[Transcript edited for clarity, length and flow]

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Today there was a roundtable on health care, or at least that was what it was supposed to be. Instead of discussing health care policy, Donald used the occasion to threaten Greenland. He doesn’t do very well sticking to the script.

This time there was a new twist. Donald floated the idea of imposing tariffs on countries that refuse to support his plan to take over of Greenland. Even if force were used, his special envoy to Greenland, Jeff Landry, later reinforced the message by insisting that a deal for United States control of Greenland “could and will be made.” The people of Greenland and Denmark, it seems, were not considered relevant to that calculation.

Meanwhile, NATO allies have sent troops to the region amid rising tensions because, unlike the Republican Party, they are taking this seriously. While laying out his latest tariff scheme, Donald had this to say:

Donald: I’m the tariff king, and the tariff king has done a great job. And I hope we win the Supreme Court case because if we don’t, be ashamed for our country, be ashamed.

It might be a shame for him, but it would be far more damaging for the rest of us. One of the reasons we are now on the brink of economic decline is precisely because of his ill-considered and irresponsible tariffs.

According to Politico, a growing number of Republicans are now revolting against Donald’s agenda to seize Greenland. Several Republican lawmakers with national security and Arctic policy expertise have warned that such a move would be reckless, illegal, and deeply damaging to United States alliances. Senator Lisa Murkowski has insisted that Greenland must be treated as an ally, not an asset. North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis has said that Congress would move to block any military action through a war powers resolution.

Behind the scenes, Republicans are scrambling to reassure Denmark, which serves as Greenland’s protector. A bipartisan delegation recently traveled to Copenhagen to make clear that Donald does not have congressional backing for military strikes. On its face, that sounds reassuring. Unfortunately, recent history suggests caution. Just weeks ago, several Republicans who had initially supported measures to prevent Donald from escalating United States involvement in Venezuela reversed course, effectively greenlighting his imperial ambitions there. Given that record, I am not holding my breath when it comes to Congress restraining him over Greenland.

Republican Congressman Don Bacon publicly rebuked Donald’s threats during an appearance on CNN. He had this to say:

Bacon: I think a lot of the stuff about invading Greenland, he says, I believe it’s really being done for negotiating effect, but he says it almost every day. So, I feel like people like me and others, we got to speak up and say it’s wrong. You don’t threaten a NATO ally. They’ve been a great ally. We’ve had bases on there since World War II. Denmark has fought with us on our side in Iraq and Afghanistan. So, I feel like it’s incumbent on folks like me to speak up and say that these threats and bullying of an ally are wrong. And just on the weird chance that he’s serious about invading Greenland, I want to let him know that would probably be the end of his presidency. Most Republicans know this is immoral and wrong, and we’re going to stand up against it.

Do most Republicans know this? Do most Republicans care? The pattern of this party suggests that many will say the right thing privately while remaining unwilling to say it publicly. They have shown little concern about what ICE is doing to this country, so it is hard to believe they will suddenly find their courage. Still, it is better to have people like Representative Bacon on the record. If Donald were to order a military incursion into a NATO ally, it would not merely upend the post–World War II Western democratic order. It would fundamentally alter the global balance.

I am not convinced it would end his presidency. Nothing has so far. What it would do is destroy the United States as a credible international actor. Our allies would no longer trust us, and they would be right not to. Republicans would be wise to get out in front of this and take it seriously.

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In other news, Donald, who is himself a criminal, pardoned yet more criminals. It is one of the few things he seems to do efficiently. Today he granted clemency to several people tied to his political orbit, including convicted fraudster Adriana Camberos.

This was not the first time. Donald previously commuted Camberos’s sentence in 2021. Prosecutors later asserted that she returned to criminal activity and she was convicted again in 2024 for a separate fraud scheme. Despite these repeat offenses, Donald pardoned both Camberos and her brother. In doing so, he not only erased their sentences but also potentially wiped-out millions of dollars in court-ordered restitution, ensuring that the people they defrauded may never see justice.

The list of reforms this country desperately needs is long. Near the top, though not above Supreme Court reform, abolishing the filibuster, or ending the Electoral College, should be reforming the presidential pardon power. What we are witnessing now is sheer insanity. The vast majority of people Donald has pardoned are unrepentant criminals, many of them dangerous, including those involved in the January 6 insurrection.

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Unsurprisingly, the polls are not good for him. A new CNN/SSRS poll finds that 58 percent of Americans consider Donald’s first year back in office a failure. A majority say he is focused on the wrong priorities. Economic anxiety dominates, and many voters believe he has worsened economic conditions while doing nothing to address affordability. We must remember that, according to Donald, affordability is a word made up by the left. Confidence in the future has eroded sharply since his return to the White House. Even many Republicans say he should be doing more to lower prices.

But why would he? He has already declared that he has fixed everything. Never mind what the gas pump or grocery receipt says. If your lived experience contradicts his pronouncements, that is your problem.

The central mantra of the Trump regime is simple: do not believe your own eyes. They will continue lying and escalating their behavior until people either accept their version of reality or become too exhausted and afraid to resist. That is the choice in front of us.

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