Here are the top political events that occurred at the White House in January.
The U.S. & Venezuela Conflict
- On Jan. 3, Trump ordered U.S. forces to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on drug trafficking charges and being “a threat to U.S. security.” Trump also expressed the desire to control Venezuela’s oil industry, saying that the country “stole” oil from the U.S., per Time.
- Maduro’s first court hearing took place beside Flores on Jan. 5. They both pleaded not guilty and are being detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, NY.
- On Jan. 5, following Maduro’s removal, Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as the acting President of Venezuela.
ICE Occupation in Minnesota
- In December 2025, the Trump administration deployed ICE agents to Minneapolis, Minnesota, as part of “Operation Metro Surge.” This operation largely began after allegations of fraud involving the city’s Somali residents.
- In response to the fraud allegations, the Trump administration froze all federal funds to Minnesota child care centers.
- On Jan. 7, U.S. citizen Renee Good was shot and killed during an encounter with an ICE officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Despite Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office ruling Good’s death as a homicide, the DOJ still decided not to pursue a criminal investigation into the shooting.
- On Jan. 20, five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was detained by ICE agents after coming home from pre-school with his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias. Columbia Heights Public Schools superintendent Zena Stenvik told HuffPost that Ramos was ill and was “very concerned about his well-being in the [Texas detention] facility.” Ramos and Arias have since been released and are now back home in Minnesota.
- Anti-ICE protesters gathered in downtown Minneapolis on Jan. 23. Residents called off work, and businesses closed in solidarity with the broader protest.
- The next day, on Jan. 24, U.S. citizen Alex Pretti was killed by an ICE officer. Homeland Security’s Kristi Noem and Border Patrol’s Gregory Bovino faced profuse backlash following their comments about Pretti’s death. Trump relieved both officials of their duties in Minneapolis.
- On Jan. 27, when asked about Pretti’s death by a PBS News reporter, Trump replied, “You can’t have guns. You can’t walk in with guns,” placing him at odds with Second Amendment supporters and some Republicans.
- As of Jan. 28, the two border patrol agents who fired their guns at Pretti have been put on administrative leave in Minnesota.
Watch the Minnesota ICE Occupation Round-Up here.
Nobel Peace Prize Timeline
- In a statement released on Jan. 9, the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute commented that a prize “cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others.”
- On Jan. 15, Venezuela’s opposition leader, María Corina Machado, presented Donald Trump with her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize medal during a meeting at the White House.
- In a press release issued on Jan. 16, the Nobel Foundation explained, “a laureate cannot share the prize with others, nor transfer it once it has been announced.”
- On Jan. 18, according to PBS, President Trump sent a text message to Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, reportedly tying Trump’s failure to win the Nobel Peace Prize to occupying Greenland. At the beginning of the text, Trump said: “Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace…”
Trump Wants to Occupy Greenland
- On Jan. 14, Trump posted, “The United States needs Greenland for National Security” on Truth Social. However, according to a YouGov poll, most Americans aren’t in favor of seizing the Danish region.
- The island possesses critical minerals like nickel, zinc, copper, and graphite– all used in the making of modern technology. In such industries that use these minerals, China is considered a near-monopoly power, according to USA Today. However, Trump denies wanting Greenland for its minerals.
- In response, Greenland has repeatedly denounced Trump’s desire to take over the self-governing region. Several NATO members, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark, and the United Kingdom, signed a Jan. 6 statement advocating Greenland’s right to remain free of U.S. control.
Trump’s ‘Great Healthcare Plan’
- On Jan. 15, in response to the expiration of ACA subsidies, Trump and Republican constituents announced they were developing a plan to replace Obamacare called ‘The Great Healthcare Plan.’
- Trump’s ‘Great Healthcare Plan’ is said to lower prescription drug prices, lower insurance premiums, and hold big insurance companies accountable.
Don Lemon Under Fire for Reporting on Minnesota Protest
- On Jan. 18, journalist Don Lemon live-streamed a protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. The demonstration involved anti-ICE activists disrupting a church service to protest pastor David Easterwood, who serves as the director of the ICE St. Paul field office.
- The next day, on Jan. 19, the DOJ stated plans to seek federal charges against Lemon and the protestors linked to the St. Paul church protest.
- On Jan. 22, a federal magistrate judge rejected the DOJ’s attempt to bring charges against Lemon for reporting on the protest.
- As of Jan. 30, Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort were arrested by federal agents for reporting on the Cities Church protest. Besides Lemon and Fort, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota, Trahern Jeen Crews, and community organizer Jamael Lundy were also arrested.
- Lemon was charged with conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshippers.
- According to an update from The Don Lemon Show, Lemon, Fort, Crews, and Lundy were all released without bond. His next court appearance is scheduled on Feb. 9 in Minneapolis.
Watch the breakdown here.
Nicki Minaj Visits the White House
- On Jan. 28, Nicki Minaj attended the U.S. Treasury Department’s Trump Accounts Summit to advocate for Trump’s “Trump Account,” a savings tool for children in the U.S.
- Later, at the White House, Minaj greeted and shook hands with “Auto Workers for Trump,” a group of auto workers who support Trump’s policies.
- Following the visit, Minaj received a “Gold Card” from Trump, a $1 million program allowing immigrants to obtain permanent U.S. residency.
Trump Sues the IRS
- According to Bloomberg, on Jan. 29, Trump sued the IRS and the U.S. Treasury for $10 billion over an unauthorized disclosure of his tax returns.
- The lawsuit revisits an incident before the 2020 election, when The New York Times published a report on Trump’s records based on leaked IRS data.
- The publication isn’t accused of any wrongdoing.
DOJ Releases More Epstein Files
- On Jan. 30, the DOJ released three million pages of the Epstein Files, which included over 2,000 videos and 180,000 photos, according to PBS. The documents include references to Trump, Elon Musk, Steve Bannon, Bill Clinton, and other notable figures.
Melania Movie
- In preparation for the Jan. 30 release of Melania Trump’s documentary, Melania, Trump has been promoting it on his social media accounts. However, according to multiple sources, the documentary is expected to gross significantly lower than the film’s $40 million budget.
- The first lady will still earn approximately $28 million from the venture, according to The Economic Times.
- About two-thirds of the Melania crew members requested that their names be omitted from the film credits, according to a Rolling Stone report. Multiple anonymous sources cited chaos on set, which they said was further exacerbated by the film’s director, Brett Ratner.