Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Trump Warns Republicans: Win Midterms or ‘I’ll Get Impeached’ Again.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump warns that Democrats will likely attempt to impeach him again if Republicans do not retain Congress in the upcoming midterm elections.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, House Republicans, and House Democrats.

📍WHEN & WHERE: January 6, 2026, at a House Republican policy retreat.

💬KEY QUOTE: “You got to win the midterms, because if we don’t win the midterms, it’s just going to be—I mean, they’ll find a reason to impeach me.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: A Democrat-controlled Congress will likely use subpoena power and impeachment hearings to aid their Deep State allies in reasserting control within the federal bureaucracy and derail President Trump’s political agenda on Capitol Hill.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump, speaking at the House Republican policy retreat on Tuesday, emphasized the importance of retaining the party’s congressional majority in the 2026 midterm elections to prevent a likely third Democrat-led impeachment effort aimed at paralyzing his administration and halting his legislative agenda. “You got to win the midterms, because if we don’t win the midterms, it’s just going to be—I mean, they’ll find a reason to impeach me,” Trump said, before reiterating: “I’ll get impeached.”

The National Pulse’s Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam has warned that a potential Democrat-controlled Congress will use subpoena power and impeachment hearings to aid their Deep State allies in reasserting control within the federal bureaucracy. Notably, Kassam contends that congressional Democrat lawfare aimed at crippling the Trump administration will likely have global implications extending beyond the United States.

“If Republicans lose badly next year, the final two Trump years will be punctuated by subpoenas, impeachments, and other deep state shenanigans that would leave so much of the world teetering on the brink of domination by America’s adversaries,” Kassam wrote last November. Earlier in July, The National Pulse Editor-in-Chief noted that Democrats are likely to use issues like the Epstein Files as grounds for impeachment proceedings.

To win back key voters in the MAGA base, Kassam argues that the President “must quickly return to his own populist roots and campaign pledges, rather than entertaining the Big Pharma or Big Bank bosses, and floating non-starter ideas like 50-year mortgages.”

“The problem is, as with any administration, major corporate interests are getting the better of some of my friends who themselves know better. And they better figure out a way to navigate these treacherous waters, soon. The midterms are closer than you think,” Kassam warns.

Voter sentiment regarding the U.S. economy remains a challenge for the administration. Polling data indicates a significant number of voters continue to believe the country is heading in the wrong direction economically. Despite sagging approval ratings, the Trump White House insists that the economy and job market will take off over the coming months, bolstering voter support for Republican congressional candidates.

Meanwhile, House Democrats appear to be jettisoning their past support for the ouster of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in order to use President Trump’s authorization of a military operation resulting in the Marxist autocrat’s capture and arraignment on narco-terrorism charges in the U.S. as another potential avenue to justify impeachment hearings.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more

George Conway Finally Defects to Democrats, Announces Run for Congress.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: George Conway, a former Republican and fanatical Trump critic, announced his run for Congress as a Democrat in New York’s 12th congressional district.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: George Conway, the former husband of Kellyanne Conway, and various other candidates running for the seat.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Conway announced his campaign on January 6, aiming to represent New York’s 12th congressional district.

💬KEY QUOTE: “I fought Trump publicly in every way I could, and I paid a price.” – George Conway

🎯IMPACT: Conway joins a crowded field for the Manhattan seat, with at least nine candidates vying for the position.

IN FULL

George Conway, a Trump-hating lawyer best known for his fanatical opposition to President Donald J. Trump, announced Tuesday that he is running for Congress as a Democrat in New York’s 12th congressional district. The Manhattan-based seat is open following the planned retirement of longtime Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and has drawn a crowded field of candidates.

In a campaign announcement video, Conway framed his bid as a direct response to President Trump and the America First movement surrounding him. “I don’t like what [Trump] has done to our great country,” Conway said. “And now I’m running for Congress to take the fight directly back to him on your behalf, on the behalf of New Yorkers to whom I owe so much—to protect the fundamental rights and basic economic needs of all New Yorkers.”

Conway is a former Republican who rose to national prominence as part of the anti-Trump movement within the GOP. Early in Trump’s first term, Conway was reportedly considered for the role of U.S. solicitor general, as his then-wife, Kellyanne Conway, served as a senior adviser in the White House. Over time, George Conway became increasingly critical of Trump, while Kellyanne Conway remained an ally of the president.

He later helped found the disgraced Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump political organization that gained attention for aggressive advertising campaigns targeting Trump and his allies. Conway has repeatedly emphasized his public opposition to Trump as a defining feature of his political identity. “I fought Trump publicly in every way I could, and I paid a price,” he said in the video. “I’ll never regret standing up to Trump.”

Conway has a history of making crass attacks against President Trump and his MAGA allies, for instance by likening Turning Point USA (TPUSA) founder Charlie Kirk to a “[N]azi stormtrooper” following his assassination last year. Conway has also had a hand in lawfare against Trump, including the bizarre E. Jean Carroll case, with Carroll specifically crediting Conway for convincing her to take up the case when her book was not selling.

The Democratic primary for the 12th district includes several high-profile contenders, among them Jack Schlossberg, the grandson of President John F. Kennedy, and New York State Assembly members Alex Bores and Micah Lasher. The district is considered safely Democratic, making the primary the decisive contest.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more

This Hotel Is Facing Consequences for Banning DHS Agents.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the U.S. subsidiary of Hilton Worldwide, has severed ties with a Minnesota hotel accused of canceling Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents’ reservations.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Everpeak Hospitality, Hampton Inn Lakeville Minneapolis, and DHS agents.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Minneapolis, Minnesota; with DHS revealing the reservation cancellation on Monday, January 5, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The independent hotel owner had assured us that they had fixed this problem and published a message confirming this. A recent video clearly raises concerns that they are not meeting our standards and values. As such, we are taking immediate action to remove this hotel from our systems.” — Hilton Hotels & Resorts

🎯IMPACT: Hilton terminated the hotel’s franchise after public backlash and video evidence indicating the hotel was continuing to bar DHS agents contrary to its public statements claiming otherwise.

IN FULL

Hotel giant Hilton has officially ended its relationship with a Minnesota hotel property accused of canceling reservations made by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents. The controversy began late Monday when DHS officials alleged the Hampton Inn Lakeville Minneapolis refused to honor room reservations made by federal agents, citing emails from hotel representatives explicitly stating, “We are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property.”

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), DHS accused Hilton—which has a franchise relationship with Everpeak Hospitality, the owner and operator of the Hampton Inn Lakeville Minneapolis—of engaging in a “coordinated campaign” to block DHS employees from booking rooms. “When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations,” the department said, adding: “This is UNACCEPTABLE. Why is Hilton Hotels siding with murderers and rapists to deliberately undermine and impede DHS law enforcement from their mission to enforce our nation’s immigration laws?”

Hilton Hotels & Resorts—the U.S. subsidiary of Hilton Worldwide—quickly tried to distance itself from the property, responding late Monday that the “hotel is independently owned and operated, and these actions were not reflective of Hilton values.” By Tuesday, Hilton announced it was severing ties with the franchise, stating, “The independent hotel owner had assured us that they had fixed this problem and published a message confirming this. A recent video clearly raises concerns that they are not meeting our standards and values. As such, we are taking immediate action to remove this hotel from our systems.”

While Everpeak Hospitality initially said the hotel’s decision to bar federal agents from its premises was “inconsistent” with company policies, and pledged to reach out to those impacted by the issue to reach a resolution, a video posted on Tuesday to social media by independent journalist Nick Sortor appeared to show hotel employees still enforcing the ban on DHS agents as of 10:50 PM on Monday.

“Hilton’s operator, Everpeak, STRAIGHT UP LIED in their statement yesterday which said they were ‘in touch’ with DHS to accommodate impacted agents, and ‘do not discriminate against any individuals or agencies,'” Sortor wrote, adding: “NONE of that was true. Even the FRONT DESK manager said he had spoken with the owner shortly before I walked in around 10:50 PM, and confirmed the ANTI-DHS POLICY REMAINED IN EFFECT.”

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more

Fetterman Blasts Hypocritical Fellow Dems for Flip-Flopping on Capturing Maduro.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) is criticizing his fellow Democrats for inconsistent messaging regarding the Trump administration’s capture and arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, noting that former President Joe Biden placed a $25 million bounty on the Marxist autocrat.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sen. John Fetterman, former President Biden, Congressional Democrats, and President Donald J. Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Fetterman’s remarks on his party’s hypocrisy regarding Maduro’s arrest were made during a television interview on Monday, January 5, 2026.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Why have a bounty of $25 million if we didn’t want him gone? Why would you do these things if you weren’t willing to actually do something other than harsh language?” – Sen. John Fetterman

🎯IMPACT: Fetterman’s remarks highlight the blatant contradictions in Congressional Democrat criticism of President Trump’s decision to launch the U.S. military operation resulting in Maduro’s capture and arraignment in a U.S. federal court on narco-terrorism charges.

IN FULL

Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) is criticizing the hypocrisy of his fellow Democrats over their attacks on President Donald J. Trump’s authorization of a U.S. military operation last Saturday that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan dictator and accused narco-terrorist Nicolás Maduro. During a television interview on Monday, Fetterman noted that former President Joe Biden issued a $25 million reward for Maduro’s capture, questioning the bounty’s purpose if Democrats on Capitol Hill were not committed to any action beyond empty rhetoric.

“Democrats, years ago, wanted to eliminate him, and why have a bounty of $25 million if we didn’t want him gone? Why would you do these things if you weren’t willing to actually do something other than harsh language?” Fetterman said. “I’ve seen the speeches from—whether it’s Leader [Chuck] Schumer or… past tweets from President Biden, we all wanted this man gone, and now he is gone.”

“Democrats, we all used to describe him as a dictator or a tyrant or a terrible person, and it wasn’t less than a year ago [that] President Biden raised the bounty [to] $25 million, less than a year ago,” the Pennsylvania Democrat stressed.

In an opinion editorial published early Tuesday, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) called President Trump’s decision to capture Maduro an “unauthorized military attack on Venezuela,” declaring it “a sickening return to a day when the United States asserted the right to dominate the internal political affairs of all nations in the Western Hemisphere.”

A number of top contenders for the Democratic Party’s 2028 presidential nomination, including Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, have claimed Maduro‘s ouster is actually about U.S. oil interests and regime change rather than the Marxist dictator’s narco-terrorist operation flooding America with illegal drugs.

Image via Tom Wolf.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more

NYC Mayor Mamdani Appoints Communist Housing Tsar Who Wants to ‘Impoverish the White Middle Class.’

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Socialist New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) has announced the appointment of Cea Weaver as the director of the newly revitalized Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, sparking controversy over her past social media posts attacking white middle-class homeowners and calling for the government seizure of private property.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Cea Weaver, and Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Weaver’s appointment was announced on January 1, 2026, by Mamdani, with her deleted social media posts reemerging over the days that followed.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Impoverish the *white* middle class. Homeownership is racist / failed public policy.”  — Cea Weaver

🎯IMPACT: Weaver’s racially charged and politically radical past statements have raised questions about her suitability for the role and the direction of housing policy in New York City, and fit a pattern of Mamdani tapping far-left ideologues to serve in his administration.

IN FULL

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani‘s appointment of Cea Weaver as the director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants is drawing intense pushback after now-deleted social media posts authored by Weaver expressing anti-white and pro-communist views resurfaced following her nomination on January 1, 2026. Weaver, like Mamdani, is a member of the far-left Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and a long-time progressive housing activist with numerous public statements in support of Marxist collectivization policies. 

“Private property including and kind of ESPECIALLY homeownership is a weapon of white supremacy masquerading as ‘wealth building’ pubic policy,” Weaver wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter) in August 2019. Meanwhile, in a November 2018 social media post, she endorsed the adoption of government policies aimed at stripping the white-middle class of wealth, writing: “Impoverish the *white* middle class. Homeownership is racist / failed public policy.” 

In a July 2018 post, Mamdani’s new director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants stated, “There is no such thing as a ‘good’ gentrifier, only people who are actively working on projects to dismantle white supremacy and capitalism and people who aren’t.” A month earlier, Weaver had called for the government seizure of private property. 

Especially troubling is a 2017 post where Weaver calls on voters to elect more communists to government, and for white men to be barred from public office. She added in another social media missive that, “this country built wealth for white people through genocide, slavery, stolen land & labor. white supremacy built the north and the south.” 

As late as 2022, Weaver was still publicly calling for economic collectivization, stating in a podcast interview, “I think the reality is that for centuries we’ve really treated property as an individualized good and not a collective good. And transitioning to treating it as a collective good and towards a model of shared equity will require that we think about it differently and it will mean that families—especially white families, but some POC families who are homeowners as well—are going to have a different relationship to property than the one that we currently have.”

Weaver is just one of several controversial appointees announced by Mamdani since winning last November’s New York City mayoral race. In December, Catherine Almonte Da Costa—tapped by Mamdani to serve as his Director of Appointments—was forced to resign before ever formally taking the position after anti-Semitic social media posts she had made resurfaced.

Additionally, his choice of Mysonne Linen, a 49-year-old former armed robber, to advise his administration on criminal justice policy has drawn significant public criticism, along with his naming of Ramzi Kassem—known for his legal advocacy on behalf of accused Islamist terrorists—as New York City’s chief counsel. 

Image via NYC Mayor’s Office.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more

Trump Says California ‘More Corrupt Than Minnesota’ Amid Federal Fraud Investigation.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: President Donald J. Trump announced that a fraud investigation into California has begun, citing corruption under Governor Gavin Newsom (D).

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: President Trump, Gov. Newsom, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D).

📍WHEN & WHERE: Trump made the announcement on Truth Social on Tuesday morning, with the investigation involving multiple Democrat-led states.

💬KEY QUOTE: “California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s possible??? The Fraud Investigation of California has begun.” – Donald Trump

🎯IMPACT: The Trump administration is moving to freeze $10 billion in welfare funding from five Democratic-led states over fraud concerns.

IN FULL

President Donald J. Trump has announced that his administration has launched an investigation into allegations of fraud in California, contending that the state, under Governor Gavin Newsom (D), is “more corrupt than Minnesota.” In a Tuesday post on Truth Social, President Trump stated, “California, under Governor Gavin Newscum, is more corrupt than Minnesota, if that’s possible??? The Fraud Investigation of California has begun.”

On Monday, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) abandoned his reelection bid amid a growing scandal involving widespread fraud linked to the Somali community and rising pressure from fellow Democrats. Federal prosecutors have estimated that over $9 billion in taxpayer dollars may have been stolen through social services fraud in the state.

Newsom is widely considered one of the more prominent contenders for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, and he has tried to position himself as a partisan foil to President Trump over the last year. While the California governor scored a key victory in November of last year with the adoption of Proposition 50—a constitutional amendment passed by voters that temporarily suspends the state’s redistricting commission, allowing the legislature to redraw district lines—Newsom has also faced several political setbacks involving public corruption and illegal immigration.

Late last year, Dana Williamson, who served as Newsom‘s chief of staff until December 2024, was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and charged with public corruption. The charges, part of a federal indictment, accuse Williamson and her co-conspirators of engaging in a scheme involving wire and bank fraud. Additionally, the Newsom administration was forced to admit it had unlawfully issued commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to an estimated 17,000 illegal immigrants, and subsequently moved to revoke the permits after facing pressure from the Trump White House.

The Trump administration moved to freeze $10 billion in welfare funding on Monday for five Democratic-led states—California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, and New York—due to concerns over fraud. Programs affected include the Child Care Development Fund (CCDF), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, and the Social Services Block Grant program.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more

Failure to Cut Refugee Funding Could Derail Major Appropriations Package.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Congress faces a tight deadline to pass nine appropriations bills for fiscal year 2026, with signs of further delays due to disagreements over refugee assistance funding.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: U.S. Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

📍WHEN & WHERE: The appropriations bills must be passed by February 1, 2026, to avoid a partial government shutdown.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The funding is still three times higher than it was prior to Joe Biden’s presidency,” complain GOP Senators Mike Lee and Rand Paul.

🎯IMPACT: Failure to pass the bills could lead to a partial government shutdown.

IN FULL

As Congress reconvenes next week, members will face a tight window of under a month to approve the nine remaining appropriations bills that fund federal agencies for fiscal year 2026. The cutoff date to enact these measures is February 1, 2026, to prevent a partial government shutdown.

Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) have committed to opposing the Labor and Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill because it contains $5.69 billion for refugee assistance programs. Although this amount is below the $6.3 billion provided in fiscal years 2024 and 2025, it is still substantially above the levels seen before the Biden government.

In fiscal year 2021, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) received $1.91 billion for refugee programs. After Joe Biden assumed office, that figure rose sharply to $4.8 billion in fiscal year 2022 and $6.42 billion in fiscal years 2023 and 2024. With no full fiscal year 2025 budget enacted, ACF has continued operating on more than $6 billion per year under a series of Continuing Resolutions (CRs).

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) intends to schedule a vote soon after the return on a five-bill minibus package that includes the contentious Labor-HHS measure. The package also funds the departments and agencies handling Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Defense, Commerce, Justice, Science, and Interior.

Should lawmakers miss the February 1 deadline, a partial government shutdown could occur. The primary obstacle continues to be the dispute over refugee assistance funding.

Image by Ted Eytan.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more

Mamdani’s Democratic Socialists Demand Trump Release Maduro, Return Him to Power.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) released a statement condemning the U.S. capture of Venezuela’s Marxist dictator, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, calling it an “illegal war” and demanding they be returned to power.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Nicolás Maduro, Cilia Flores, U.S. President Donald J. Trump, the U.S. military, and the Democratic Socialists of America, along with prominent DSA figures like New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The military operation occurred on Saturday in Venezuela. Maduro and his wife are currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The United States military is the strongest and most fearsome military on the planet. By far. With capabilities and skills our enemies can scarcely begin to imagine,” warned President Trump during a press conference on the operation.

🎯IMPACT: Nicolás Maduro faces narcotics charges in a U.S. court. The DSA and left-wing leaders are criticizing the operation, calling it an act of “imperialism” and “regime change.”

IN FULL

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a quasi-political party that operates within the Democratic Party and includes New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is condemning the U.S. military’s capture of Venezuela’s Marxist dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The DSA described the operation as an “illegal war” and accused the Trump administration of engaging in “imperialist” actions to control Venezuela’s oil resources.

Maduro, a far-left autocrat who came to power in 2013, is accused of collaborating with cartels and drug smugglers to distribute cocaine into the United States. The charges against him include drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. Trump had previously vowed to crack down on the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S., implementing measures such as tariffs on China for fentanyl and Caribbean boat strikes targeting suspected traffickers from Venezuela.

The DSA, however, rejected the claims linking Maduro to drug trafficking, claiming, “There is no substantiated evidence that high-level members of the Venezuelan government are ‘narco-terrorists.'” The group is demanding the immediate return of Maduro and Flores to Venezuela and is calling for an end to U.S. military operations in the region. Newly elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a DSA member, has also voiced his opposition to the operation, citing “regime change” and “violations of international law.”

“I called the President and spoke with him directly to register my opposition to this act and to make clear that it was an opposition based on being opposed to a pursuit of regime change, to the violation of federal international law and a desire to see that be consistent each and every day,” Mamdani said on Saturday, adding: “I registered my opposition, I made it clear and we left it at that.”

Maduro and Flores are currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and are expected to appear in court on Monday.

Image by Personisinsterest.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more

Hegseth Seeks Censure, Review of Sen. Kelly’s Rank and Pay for ‘Seditious Video.’

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a formal censure and directed a review of Democrat Senator Mark Kelly’s retirement rank and pay, alleging his “seditious statements” undermined military operations.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The announcement was made six weeks after Kelly and other Democrat lawmakers released a controversial video.

💬KEY QUOTE: “As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice.” – Pete Hegseth

🎯IMPACT: The review could result in a downgrade of Kelly’s retirement rank and pay, and the censure will be placed in his permanent military personnel file.

IN FULL

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced that Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) will receive a formal censure letter, and a review of his retirement rank and pay has been ordered. The investigation stems from allegations that Kelly made “seditious statements” undermining military operations. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan has been tasked with providing a recommendation within 45 days.

“Six weeks ago, Senator Mark Kelly—and five other members of Congress—released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline,” Hegseth said in a statement. He emphasized that Kelly, as a retired Navy Captain receiving a military pension, remains accountable to military justice. “The Department of War—and the American people—expect justice,” he added.

The review could result in Kelly’s retirement rank being downgraded, which would also reduce his retirement pay. The censure letter will outline the “totality of Captain Kelly’s reckless misconduct,” according to Hegseth. Such letters are formal warnings and can justify reductions in rank, pay, or benefits. Hegseth stated, “This Censure is a necessary process step, and will be placed in Captain Kelly’s official and permanent military personnel file.”

The department clarified that Kelly’s current status as a U.S. senator does not exempt him from accountability. Further violations could lead to additional actions. Kelly has 30 days to respond to the censure, which is based on public statements he made from June through December 2025, where he allegedly characterized lawful military operations as illegal and encouraged service members to defy lawful orders.

The controversy began after Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers, all with military or intelligence backgrounds, released a video addressing service members. The video, titled “Don’t Give Up the Ship,” urged military members to “refuse unlawful orders.”

The group of Democrat lawmakers had previously worked to limit President Donald J. Trump’s ability to deploy National Guard members or conduct military actions without congressional approval. However, those details were not included in the video.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more

Tim Walz Abandons Reelection Bid Amid Somali Fraud Scandal.

PULSE POINTS

WHAT HAPPENED: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) announced he is dropping his reelection bid.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Gov. Tim Walz, fellow Democrats, and potential GOP challengers.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Announcement made on Monday in Minnesota, ahead of the 2026 midterms.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The reversal marks a major shake-up in Minnesota politics.” – Axios Report

🎯IMPACT: The decision opens the field for new Democratic candidates and increases the GOP’s chances in the upcoming elections.

IN FULL

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (D) has abandoned his campaign for reelection. The announcement was made on Monday, amid a growing scandal involving widespread fraud linked to the Somali community and rising pressure from fellow Democrats.

The decision marks a significant shift in the North Star State’s political landscape as the 2026 midterm elections approach, and reverses the failed 2024 vice presidential candidate’s September announcement that he would run for a third gubernatorial term.

Minnesota has seen Democratic victories in every statewide office since 2006, but Walz’s perceived weaknesses have attracted potential Republican challengers, such as state House Speaker Lisa Demuth. Notably, state government whistleblowers have reported that the Walz administration was aware of Somali fraud in the state years ago, but quashed attempts to expose it and threatened retaliation against officials who pushed the issue.

“Tim Walz is 100% responsible for massive fraud in Minnesota. We let Tim Walz know of fraud early on, hoping for a partnership in stopping fraud but no, we got the opposite response,” over 400 Minnesota Department of Human Services workers revealed in a December statement. “Tim Walz systematically retaliated against whistleblowers using monitoring, threats, repression, and did his best to discredit fraud reports. Instead of partnership, we got the full weight of retaliation by Tim Walz,” they added.

Attention now turns to who will enter the race for the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party nomination to replace Walz, with figures including U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), state Attorney General Keith Ellison (D-MN), and state Secretary of State Steve Simon (D-MN) regarded as possible contenders.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.

show less
show more