Daily News — January 17, 2026
When Allies Become Enemies
The Persecution
The man who called ICE “modern-day Gestapo” is now under federal criminal investigation—for saying it.1 Meanwhile, the agent who shot Renee Good in the head hasn’t been questioned.
That’s the Department of Justice under Donald Trump: investigate the speech, ignore the killing. Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey criticized federal agents after those agents killed an unarmed mother of three. Now DOJ wants to dig through their files.2 The statute they’re citing—18 U.S.C. § 372—requires “force, intimidation or threats.”3 Walz’s crime? Words. Frey’s crime? Telling ICE to “get the fuck out” of his city.4
Former federal prosecutor Harry Litman calls it “total garbage” and “a complete and utter non-starter.”² But here’s what matters: “The question is, will they be able to forage in the files of Walz and Frey? That is probably their game.”² They’re not trying to prosecute. They’re trying to intimidate—and to rifle through the records of political opponents under legal cover.
Walz sees the pattern: “Two days ago it was Elissa Slotkin. Last week it was Jerome Powell. Before that, Mark Kelly. The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”¹ That’s not hyperbole. That’s the list. Democrats who speak up get investigated. Agents who kill don’t.
The Extortion
Trump just declared economic war on eight NATO allies—including one that sent a single military officer to Greenland for training exercises.5
Ten percent tariffs start February 1. They rise to 25% in June if there’s no deal for—Trump’s words—”the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.”6 The trigger? European troops arrived for pre-planned Arctic defense training. Trump called it a journey “for purposes unknown.”⁶ He claims Russian and Chinese warships threaten the territory. The Danish general who’s commanded Greenland for two and a half years hasn’t seen one.7 The threat is imaginary. The punishment is real.
After months of treading carefully, European leaders finally named it.⁵ Jarlov: “We will never hand over Greenland.” Sweden’s PM: “We will not let ourselves be blackmailed.” Macron drew the comparison explicitly—no intimidation will influence Europe, “neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else.”⁵ He’s putting Trump in Putin’s category. Not as an insult. As a diagnosis.
Even Republicans are cracking. A bipartisan statement from Sens. Shaheen and Tillis: “This kind of rhetoric helps adversaries like Putin and Xi who want to see NATO divided.”8
Yesterday Canada built a “new world order” with China. Today Europe talks about fighting back against America. This is what “America First” looks like: America alone.
Meanwhile...
Iran: The Betrayal. Trump told Iranians to rise up. Millions did. The regime opened fire—fifteen thousand dead.9 Then Trump reversed course, claimed Iran “promised to stop,” and walked away.10 That’s not diplomacy. That’s using human beings as props and discarding them when the photo-op ends. A Tehran woman: “He doesn’t care about us.”⁹ She’s not wrong. Trump’s Saturday response? Lecturing Khamenei that “leadership is about respect, not fear and death.”¹⁰ The man who sent people to their deaths is offering governance tips.
Epstein Files: The Theater. “This is theater. This is high theater.” That’s not a Democrat—that’s Rep. Thomas Massie, Republican, describing his own party’s Clinton subpoena.11 The GOP staged a show: subpoenas, contempt threats, Fox hysteria. But Massie wrote the law to release the files. His verdict? Stop the performance. Just release the documents. Why won’t they? “There are billionaires in there they want to protect.”¹¹ Two million documents. Both deadlines missed.12 This isn’t incompetence. It’s protection.
nazis.us. Mark Davis, a Florida dad running for Congress, bought the domain and redirected it to dhs.gov. DHS claims they blocked it. As of Saturday night, it still works.¹³ His explanation: “I’m a nobody. And I’m the one who bought nazis.us because [Trump’s Republican party] went full fascist and not a soul in power thought to raise hell. So I did.” His closing line: “If establishment figures won’t fight Nazis, then a nobody fucking will.”13 When the redirect works and the denial doesn’t, that’s not a glitch. That’s a tell. Finally, a Florida Man headline we can be proud of.
There’s more below, but first: Corporate media is reporting these as separate stories. We’re connecting them: the DOJ investigation, the Greenland tariffs, the Iran betrayal—symptoms of the same disease. A president who punishes speech, extorts allies, and abandons people he encouraged to die. If connecting these dots matters to you, please consider supporting The American Manifesto. Paid subscriptions make this work possible.
The Pattern
We’ve been mapping this administration against the fascism syndrome—ten indicators that a democracy is backsliding into fascism:
Weaponized justice: DOJ investigates Democrats for speech. The agent who shot Renee Good in the head faces nothing. That’s not law enforcement—it’s political targeting.
Aggression as virtue: Economic warfare against allies for attending training exercises. Military threats against NATO territory. When Macron puts you in Putin’s category, that’s not spin—it’s recognition.
War on reality: Greenland has “two dogsleds.” European troops arrived “for purposes unknown.” Russian and Chinese ships that the Danish commander has never seen in 2.5 years.
A Florida dad bought nazis.us because “not a soul in power thought to raise hell.” He’s not wrong. The people with power to stop this—on our side—are still waiting for permission. Give it to them.
If you want to understand the machine and how to dismantle it, start here:
Your Move
The only person not under investigation in Minneapolis is the agent who shot Renee Good. What does that tell you about who this Justice Department is designed to protect?
Europeans are finally saying out loud what they’ve been thinking: Trump is a threat to NATO. Why do so many Americans still struggle to name it?
Who needs to hear this? Share this piece, or have the conversation yourself. The people being persecuted are the ones who spoke up. Keep speaking.
NPR, “Justice Department opens investigation into Minnesota governor and Minneapolis mayor“, NPR, January 16, 2026.
Documents the DOJ investigation into Walz and Frey following their criticism of ICE operations. Captures Walz’s devastating response listing the pattern of political targeting—Slotkin, Powell, Kelly—and noting “the only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”
Sarah Davis, “Former federal prosecutor blasts DOJ over Walz, Frey subpoenas: ‘Total garbage’“, The Hill, January 17, 2026.
Former federal prosecutor Harry Litman calls the investigation “total garbage” and “a complete and utter non-starter,” explaining the First Amendment protections that make prosecution impossible. Crucially identifies the real game: “Will they be able to forage in the files of Walz and Frey? That is probably their game.”
Grace Eliza Goodwin, “US justice department investigating Minnesota Democrats over alleged obstruction of ICE“, BBC News, January 17, 2026.
Details the federal statute being cited—18 U.S.C. § 372—which requires “force, intimidation or threats.” Reports Walz called ICE “modern-day Gestapo” and that Renee Good was found with at least three gunshot wounds and possibly a fourth to the head.
Kyle Cheney, Hassan Ali Kanu, and Josh Gerstein, “Judge limits ICE’s crowd control tactics following Minneapolis shooting“, Politico, January 16, 2026.
Reports Mayor Frey urged ICE to “get the fuck out” of his city. Documents the 80-page ruling by Judge Kate Menendez and the White House calling it “absurd.” Notes federal prosecutors sent grand jury subpoenas to Walz and Frey on Friday.
Adam Gabbatt, Robert Mackey, and Callum Jones, “Trump threatens 25% tariff on European allies until Denmark sells Greenland to US“, The Guardian, January 17, 2026.
Documents European leaders’ “unusually blunt” responses after months of treading carefully. Captures Jarlov’s defiant statement that Greenland will “never” be handed over, and Macron’s comparison of Trump’s threats to Putin’s actions in Ukraine.
AP Staff, “Trump says 8 European countries will face 10% tariff for opposing US control of Greenland“, Associated Press, January 17, 2026.
Details the tariff timeline (10% February 1, 25% June 1) targeting Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland. Documents Trump’s language demanding “Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” and his false claim that Europeans arrived “for purposes unknown” when it was pre-coordinated Arctic defense training.
AP Staff (same source), documents Danish Maj. Gen. Søren Andersen stating he hasn't seen any Chinese or Russian combat vessels in 2.5 years commanding Greenland, despite Trump's claims.
Steve Kopack, “Trump says he’ll hit Denmark and 7 other countries with new tariffs until there’s a deal to buy Greenland“, NBC News, January 17, 2026.
Documents Republican opposition: Murkowski calls tariffs “unnecessary, punitive, and a profound mistake.” Bipartisan Shaheen-Tillis statement warns the rhetoric “helps adversaries like Putin and Xi who want to see NATO divided.”
Kay Armin Serjoie, “‘He Doesn’t Care About Us’: Iranian Protesters Say They Were Betrayed By Trump“, TIME, January 17, 2026.
Harrowing interviews with Iranians who feel betrayed. A businessman says “Trump is also responsible for the death of these 15,000” because protesters took to the streets after Trump’s “locked and loaded” post. A woman in Tehran: “I’ve lost all hope. Trump’s not going to do anything. Why should he? He doesn’t care about us.”
Sophia Cai, “Trump to POLITICO: ‘It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran’“, Politico, January 17, 2026.
Documents Trump’s Saturday statement lecturing Khamenei that “leadership is about respect, not fear and death”—days after abandoning protesters he encouraged to rise up.
Sarah Davis, “Massie calls Clintons’ subpoena over Epstein ties ‘theater’: ‘Just release the doggone files’“, The Hill, January 17, 2026.
Republican Rep. Thomas Massie, co-author of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, calls the GOP’s Clinton subpoena “theater” and says “there are billionaires in there they want to protect.” Notes 2 million+ documents remain unreleased.
Daysia Tolentino, “Trump DOJ Files Bonkers Motion to Keep Epstein Files Sealed“, Daily Beast, January 17, 2026.
Documents DOJ’s motion to block independent oversight of Epstein file releases. Notes the Jan. 3 deadline to explain redactions was missed—the same day Trump executed the Venezuela attack.
Ramon Antonio Vargas, “US House candidate buys nazis.us domain to redirect visitors to homeland security“, The Guardian, January 17, 2026.
Florida congressional candidate Mark Davis bought nazis.us and redirected it to dhs.gov. DHS claims they blocked it; as of Saturday night, it still works. Davis: “If establishment figures won’t fight Nazis, then a nobody fucking will.”