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Trump’s Denunciations of the Iranian Killings Are Pure Hypocrisy
What's the administration thinking here?

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Trump's Denunciations of the Iranian Killings Are Pure Hypocrisy

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February 5, 2026

Trump’s Denunciations of the Iranian Killings Are Pure Hypocrisy

The arbitrary arrests and killings committed by agents of Trump’s authoritarian-style rule differ only in number, not in kind, from those in Iran.

Juan Cole

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Donald Trump gestures while speaking during an executive order signing event in the Oval Office of the White House.

(Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)

The pro-democracy protesters in Iran deserved so much better. They deserved the support of a democratic United States that could sincerely urge the rule of law and habeas corpus (allowing people to legally challenge their detentions) be respected, not to speak of freedom of speech, the press, and assembly in accordance with the Constitution. Unfortunately, President Donald J. Trump has forfeited any claim to respect for such rights or a principled foreign policy and so has proved strikingly ineffective in aiding those protesters.

The arbitrary arrests and killings committed by agents of Trump’s authoritarian-style rule differ only in number, not in kind, from the detainments and killings of protesters carried out by the basij (or pro-regime street militias) in Iran. In fact, they rendered his protests and bluster about Iran the height of hypocrisy. Above all, the killing of Renee Nicole Good in her car in Minneapolis by a Trumpian ICE agent haunted his response, providing the all-too-grim Iranian regime with an easy rebuttal to American claims of moral superiority.

Rioters and Terrorists

Trump’s threats of intervention in Iran came after the latest round of demonstrations and strikes there this winter. In late December, bazaar merchants in Iran decried the collapse of the nation’s currency, the rial. For many years, it had been under severe pressure thanks to Trump’s “maximum pressure” sanctions, renewed European sanctions over Iran’s nuclear enrichment program, and incompetent government financial policies. In December, the rial fell to 1.4 million to the dollar — and no, that is not a misprint — having lost 40% of its value over the course of the previous year. Inflation was already running at 42%, harming those on fixed incomes, while the rial’s decline particularly hurt the ability of Iranians to afford imported goods.  

Such currency instability contributed to economic stagnation, as many merchants went on strike and halted commercial transactions altogether, given the heavy losses they were suffering. For the rest of December and early January, those striking traders were joined by professionals, workers, and students nationwide, some of whom wanted not just a better economy, but a less …

The End of Arms Control?
Is this competence or optics?

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The End of Arms Control?

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Current Issue

February 5, 2026

The End of Arms Control?

For the first time, we will live in a world without constraints on the US-Russian nuclear arsenal.

Katrina vanden Heuvel

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A vehicle transports a RS-24 Yars strategic nuclear missile along a street during the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Russia, on Wednesday, June 24, 2020.(Andrey Rudakov / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

“If it expires, it expires” is a reasonable way to manage a week-old gallon of milk—not a treaty designed to stave off a potentially apocalyptic nuclear conflict between Russia and the US

And yet, this was President Trump’s response when asked about the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which lapses today. It was the last nuclear arms agreement between the two countries.

For the first time since the Cold War, we find ourselves in a world without constraints on nuclear proliferation among global superpowers. It is no wonder the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, founded by Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer in 1947, has shifted its symbolic Doomsday Clock to the closest it has ever been to midnight: just 85 seconds.

Current Issue

February 2026 Issue

The expiration of New START marks the end of over five decades of continuous arms control efforts between Washington and Moscow. With the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)—called for by President Johnson in 1967 and culminating with President Nixon and Soviet General Secretary Brezhnev signing the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 1972—the United States and the Soviet Union began to more openly dialogue for the sake of de-escalation.

President Reagan and General Secretary Gorbachev signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) in 1987, banning a whole class of nuclear weapons entirely. In 1991, President Bush and Gorbachev agreed to the landmark Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I), resulting in the disarmament of 80 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons over the next decade. A series of follow-up agreements eventually led to Presidents Obama and Medvedev signing New START in 2011, capping each side at 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads. That treaty was last renewed in 2021 by Presidents Biden and Putin.

These agreements are in no small part why the world’s stockpile of nuclear weapons has fallen from its peak of 70,300 in 1986 to roughly 12,300 today.

But since the turn of the century, a once-bipartisan commitment to diplomacy has slowly been undermined by increasingly jingoistic Republican administrations. In 2002, John Bolton persuaded President George W. Bush to withdraw from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in the name of fighting terrorism. Trump doubled …

Trump ‘would much prefer’ to watch TPUSA Super Bowl halftime show instead of Bad Bunny
What's the administration thinking here?

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday that President Donald Trump “would much prefer” to watch Turning Point USA’s alternative Super Bowl halftime show with Kid Rock.

Leavitt was asked at the White House press briefing if the president had a preference between TPUSA’s show and the on-field halftime show starring Bad Bunny.

“I think the president would much prefer a Kid Rock Performance over Bad Bunny, I must say that,” Leavitt said.

Trump will spend part of Sunday at his Florida residence, Mar-a-Lago, where he will likely watch the Super Bowl before heading back to the White House.

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, who goes by the stage name Bad Bunny, won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year on Sunday. As he accepted the award for best música urbana album, he declared “ICE out” and “We’re not savage, we’re not animals, we’re not aliens.”

Bad Bunny’s political activism has been criticized by conservatives. As part of the backlash, TPUSA announced in October 2025 that it would put on its own halftime show. TPUSA’s lineup will be anchored by Kid Rock and include country rock singer Brantley Gilbert and country musicians Lee Brice and Gabby Barrett.

TRUMP SKIPPING SUPER BOWL OVER BAD BUNNY AND GREEN DAY PERFORMANCES: ‘I’M ANTI-THEM’

Trump previously indicated he would not attend the Super Bowl, citing Bad Bunny and Green Day’s performances.

“I’m anti-them,” Trump told the New York Post. “I think it’s a terrible choice. All it does is sow hatred. Terrible.”

Feds shift to targeted immigration enforcement in Minneapolis under Homan
Who's accountable for the results?

The Trump administration is shifting its approach to cracking down on illegal immigration in Minneapolis after federal agents' actions drew scrutiny and sparked protests, sources tell Fox News.
Minneapolis has become a flash point for clashes between federal immigration enforcement agents and agitators, particularly following the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Local leaders slammed the Trump administration's actions in Minneapolis, with Mayor Jacob Frey calling on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to "get the f--- out" of his city after Good was fatally shot.
Amid the unrest, President Donald Trump moved to change his administration's approach and sent border czar Tom Homan to manage the situation. 
A White House official appeared to dismiss rumors of tension between Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem and Homan, saying that the two were working together to carry out the president's agenda.
HOMAN ANNOUNCES DRAWDOWN OF FEDERAL PRESENCE IN MINNESOTA, HAILS ‘UNPRECEDENTED COOPERATION’ FROM LOCAL POLICE
"Thanks to Tom Homan’s tireless work, an unprecedented number of counties in Minnesota have agreed to coordinate with ICE to transfer custody of criminal aliens upon their release. This is one of the conditions President Trump set for a draw down. These commitments have been made by local officials, and will continue to be monitored for compliance," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital.
Not all of Homan's changes have been kept behind closed doors. The border czar announced the immediate drawdown of 700 personnel from Minnesota, effective Wednesday, though 2,000 officers will remain. He cited improved cooperation with jails and said that a complete drawdown was the goal, but it was "contingent upon the end of illegal and threatening activities against ICE."
MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR TO VISIT DC TO PUSH FOR END OF 'UNLAWFUL ICE OPERATIONS' AFTER TRUMP'S BLUNT WARNING
Homan has reportedly changed how Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) operates and interacts with suspected illegal immigrants. The border czar has reportedly increased the threshold for making arrests and shifted entirely to targeted operations as opposed to rover patrols, which were seen under Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, according to sources. 
Under Homan's leadership, CBP agents have been instructed to not approach anyone they suspect to be in the country illegally unless they are a target, according to sources. CBP agents will instead be partnered with ICE officers to make targeted arrests, sources said. …

Health Canada Delays Info Request 15 Years on Vaccines
Every delay has consequences.

Health Canada has confirmed its longest current extension under the Access to Information Act is 15 years, covering a request for vaccine and adverse drug reaction reports dating back to 1998. The request originally involved several million pages of records.
The department stated that the request has been narrowed in scope and is actively being processed, but the original extension remains in place because the Act does not allow amendment after the first 30 days of the request.
The Public Health Agency of Canada acknowledged delays tied to pandemic-era records, with one request extended by more than five years. The agency cited the volume of material moving through senior offices during COVID and extensive consultations

Trump’s shadow hangs over the Winter Olympics
What's the administration thinking here?

President Donald Trump won’t be representing the U.S. at the opening ceremony of the Italian Olympic Games in Milan’s famous San Siro Stadium. But his shadow will surely loom over the two-week-long sporting spectacle, which kicks off Friday.

The president’s repeated jabs at longtime partners, his inconsistent tariff policy and repeated plays for Greenland have shown just how much he's shifted the traditional world order. The resulting international “rupture,” as described by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Davos last month, has turned beating the Americans in Italy from a crowning sporting achievement to an even greater moral imperative for the president's rivals.

“This is life and death,” said Charlie Angus, a former member of Parliament in Canada with the New Democratic Party and prominent Trump critic. “If it’s the semifinals and we’re playing against the United States, it’s no longer a game. And that’s profound.”

The Trump administration has big plans for these Olympics, according to a State Department memo viewed by POLITICO. It hopes to “promote the United States as a global leader in international sports” and build momentum for what the White House sees as a “Decade of Sport in America,” which will see the country host the Summer Olympics and Paralympics in 2028 and the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in 2034, as well as the FIFA World Cup this summer.

But a combative administration may well complicate matters.

He’s sending Vice President JD Vance, a longtime critic of Europe’s leaders, to lead the presidential delegation in Milan. Then there’s ICE. News that American federal immigration agents would be on the ground providing security during the games sparked widespread fury throughout the country.

Trump has also clashed with many of the countries vying to top the leaderboards in Milan. Since returning to the White House in January, he’s antagonized Norway, which took home the most medals in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, over a perceived Nobel Peace Prize snub and clashed repeatedly with Canada, which finished fourth.

“We’re looking at the world in a very different light,” Angus said. “And we’re looking at a next-door neighbor who makes increasingly unhinged threats towards us. So to go to international games and pretend that we’re all one happy family, well, that’s gone.”

Trump has also sparred with Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, (the 13th-place finisher in Beijing) and threatened a military incursion in pushing Denmark (a Scandinavian country which curiously hasn’t medaled in the Winter Olympics since 1998) to cede Greenland.

All while seeming to placate Russia, whose athletes competed under a neutral flag in 2022 due to doping sanctions and secured the second-most medals in the Beijing games, which ended …

Mike Johnson open to ‘Arctic Frost’ payout deal, Lindsey Graham says
Are they actually going to vote on something real?

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) is negotiating with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) a deal that could revive payouts for those targeted as part of ex-special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into 2020 election interference.

Graham said in a statement that he and Johnson spoke about the investigation, dubbed “Arctic Frost,” after the House stripped out language allowing Graham and several other GOP senators surveilled by Smith to sue for $500,000 in damages.

He claimed that Johnson is open to a compromise that would expand who is eligible to sue, as Graham floated in a floor speech last week before the Senate agreed to remove his provision.

“I had a very good conversation with Speaker Johnson who does, in my view, want to open the courthouse doors to people wronged and hold Jack Smith accountable,” Graham said on Thursday. “He wants to expand the ability to sue to more people, not less, consistent with congressional ethics rules. I share that view.”

Johnson’s office did not respond to a request for comment by press time, but a Graham spokesperson says the conversation took place within the last week.

The provision became a flashpoint in government funding talks at the end of January, with Graham accusing Johnson of “jamming” him and promising to hold up spending legislation until he gets a Senate vote on a new provision.

House Republicans were taken by surprise over the language, in part because it was tucked into an earlier bill without their knowledge and did not grant similar compensation to House members who were surveilled.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) agreed to hold that vote, though the language will have to be adjusted after the Senate ethics committee found that senators could not profit due to concerns about self-enrichment, Politico previously reported.

JEFFRIES RISKS NEW FRACTURE WITH SCHUMER OVER ICE FUNDING RED LINE

In its place, Graham has proposed a legal avenue for lawmakers to sue “consistent with Congressional ethics rules” and wants to open that private right to action to outside groups also monitored by Smith.

The phone records of eight senators and one House Republican were seized as part of the Arctic Frost investigation, which focused on efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Tuberville warns mayor over anti-ICE activism: 'You won't like me very much'
Every delay has consequences.

Irondale Mayor James Stewart, Jr. cited Martin Luther King Jr. as justification for protecting illegal immigrants and pledged funds to train activists to track ICE agents. However, his actions may prompt federal blowback, as Alabama's senior senator warned the mayor he "won't like me very much" if he follows through.
Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. — who is also running to succeed term-limited Gov. Kay Ivey this year — warned Stewart that the Democrat will have no such luck circumventing the feds.
"When I’m governor, Alabama will have a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to rogue mayors trying to go around federal law," Tuberville, the ex-Auburn football coach, told Fox News Digital.
"Like it or not, federal law says that illegal immigrants must be deported. If mayors don’t like that, they should run for Congress."
ANTI-ICE LEGISLATION HEADS TO DESK OF RISING STAR DEMOCRAT GOVERNOR, TESTING HIS PRESIDENTIAL AMBITIONS
Fox News Digital reached out to Stewart’s office after he said in his February mayoral newsletter that "watching ICE operations tear families apart in Irondale highlights the urgent need to address immigration policies affecting our community, which brings me back to King's final speech, the one where he said he'd seen the Promised Land but might not get there."
"I understand that now. This may be my last term. But I still have to do God's will. Every single day. When Dr. King said, 'I just want to do God's will' the night before they killed him, it brings me to tears. Because I know what that means now," Stewart said.
Stewart said ICE operations are "following the same pattern" King described in his letter from jail in Birmingham, adjacent to Irondale.
Tuberville further took issue with reporting from Alabama news outlet 1819 News – so named for the state’s founding year – that Irondale has contracted with the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice (ACIJ) to aid programs such as a "warning system to track [ICE] agents at the behest of the city’s mayor."
In that regard, Stewart said in his newsletter his King-inspired work is not done while "families who built this community are being hunted."
Days after Stewart’s newsletter publication, knife-wielding Mexican illegal immigrant Jose Ba-Ruiz was arrested and charged Monday by the Justice Department for assaulting an ICE agent in the Birmingham area.
MINNEAPOLIS MAYOR AVOIDS QUESTION ON OPPOSING OBAMA-ERA IMMIGRATION POLICY NOW PUSHED BY TRUMP
In comments to Fox News Digital, Ivey backed up Tuberville, saying Montgomery will always work with DHS:
"Unlike Minnesota, in Alabama, we enforce the …

Appeals court questions church’s bid to revive ICE’s ‘sensitive’ places policy
Who's accountable for the results?

A federal appeals court grilled a lawyer for churches suing over the Department of Homeland Security’s end to the “sensitive locations” policy for immigration enforcement over claims that the threat of deportation decreased service attendance.

The coalition of churches and other religious institutions sued the Trump administration over its decision to revoke a previous DHS policy that prohibited immigration enforcement activities at “sensitive” places, including churches and schools. During Thursday’s hearing before a three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, questioning centered on the coalition’s claims that the threat of immigration enforcement led to attendance drops, and whether that is enough for the churches to sue over the January 2025 policy change.

Kelsi Corkran, lawyer for the group of churches, argued that any drop in attendance at religious services should be sufficient to allow the lawsuit to go forward and further urged the panel to reinstate the revoked policy.

“If even a small subset of plaintiffs, congregants, and ministry participants likely would have continued attending but for DHS’s change in enforcement policy for places of worship, and likely would return if the sensitive locations policy was restored, plaintiffs have standing to seek preliminary injunction relief,” Corkran told the panel of judges.

The hearing before the appeals court comes roughly 10 months after U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich denied the groups’ effort to reinstate the old policy, finding they lacked standing to bring the lawsuit. Friedrich found in her April 2025 ruling that the groups did not show “‘substantial evidence’ tying the rescission to the alleged declines in religious attendance.”

One of the judges questioned Corkran on how reinstating the policy would make churches and similar “sensitive locations” the safest places from immigration enforcement, even safer than someone’s home. Corkran responded by acknowledging that people will likely “be very eager to go back” if the revoked policy were restored.

DOJ lawyer Michael Talent also faced questions about the claims of attendance drops at the churches, arguing they are too vague to pin on the DHS policy change. He also defended the policy by arguing that immigration authorities will not disregard religious liberty rights to conduct operations at churches, arguing that the new policy instead allows authorities to exercise their discretion and “common …

Police officer survives a knife attack, shoots attacker. Mamdani visits attacker and not the officer
This affects the entire country.

A man charged a police officer with a knife and was shot.
Zohran Mamdani didn’t check in on the officer, instead he visited the attacker in the hospital and offered condolences to the attacker’s family.