Toobin joined Joana Coles of The Daily Beast on a new episode of "The Daily Beast Podcast" to discuss the Supreme Court's impact on the second Trump administration. The Court is expected to make several key rulings this term that could affect Trump's ability to implement his agenda, including a case over whether Trump can unilaterally impose tariffs without Congress's approval.
Toobin warned that Trump may have figured out a way to bypass the court if they issue a ruling he doesn't like, a move that could effectively end democracy in America.
"The Supreme Court in our country doesn't have any individual enforcement powers," Toobin said. "They don't have an army. They don't have a police force that can do anything except protect their members. So, they rely on the understanding in the other branches of government that the Supreme Court has the last word."
"I think Donald Trump is not going to directly defy the court, but this administration has figured out ways to get around court rulings, and in a way that I don't think it's entirely clear how he would react to an adverse decision, but we'll see," he continued.
CNN law enforcement reporter Whitney Wild was caught in the middle of a standoff between police and protesters in Minneapolis on Wednesday night after an immigration agent shot and wounded an immigrant during an arrest.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that a Venezuelan immigrant was shot in the leg after "violently" resisting arrest during a "targeted" traffic stop. DHS said the man fled the scene in his car, crashed into a parked vehicle, and took off on foot.
The event was broadcast on social media, which helped quickly attract a crowd of protesters to the neighborhood.
CNN cameras captured agents firing tear gas to disperse the crowd. Wild said she also heard flashbang grenades going off in the background.
"It's quite chaotic, andit's going more so," Wild said.
Wild said the crowd also appeared to be growing.
"They're surrounding these immigration officers and letting them know without any ambiguity that they do not like what they see and they want them to leave," Wild said. "This has been an ongoing scene throughout the city of Minneapolis."
After the shooting, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, a Democrat, called on Trump to take his immigration agents out of the state. Trump initially surged more than 2,000 agents into the state to address alleged social services fraud by the Somali community.
CNN reporter Harry Enten lost it on Wednesday night while discussing the results of a new CNN/SSRI poll on "The Source" with host Kaitlan Collins.
The new poll revealed that President Donald Trump's immigration forces have become increasingly unpopular during his second administration. Overall, the popularity of Immigration and Customs Enforcement has dropped by 17 points since Trump's first term, according to the poll. More than half of voters said ICE raids are making their communities less safe.
"I think this sort ofgives the game away!" Enten said animatedly. "ICEenforcement is making U.S.cities less safe."
Trump's approval rating on immigration has also cratered, according to the poll. Since March, Trump's approval rating on immigration has fallen by 16 points.
The poll was released at a time when Trump's immigration policies are facing increased scrutiny. Last week, ICE officer Jonathan Ross shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother in Minneapolis, which sparked protests nationwide.
President Donald Trump may soon prove one of America's founding fathers right, that a government that attacks the press is a "prologue to a tragedy or a farce," according to a new column.
Comedian and actor Michael Ian Black argued in a new piece for The Daily Beast on Wednesday that the Trump administration's raid on Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson's home should alarm every American. The FBI said that it seized Natanson's devices in relation to an investigation into a national security leak. These raids are typically protected under the Privacy Protection Act, Black noted, and the case doesn't appear to meet the exceptions of that law.
Instead, the Trump administration appears to be sending a very clear message to people who dare to speak out in protest, Black argued.
"Our interests have been betrayed. Our rights trampled. Our lives sacrificed," Black wrote. "To what end? Maybe you don’t care about a single reporter at a single, failing newspaper. But you should. The farce is upon us. The tragedy is underway."
Black also noted the conspicuous absence of Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos in the affair. Bezos's Blue Origin company has millions of dollars in government contracts, which could be influencing his decision on whether to speak out.
"Having already overhauled the Post’s opinion coverage—and its editorial priorities more broadly—to curry favor with the administration, he does not seem inclined to risk even a single dollar for the sake of our pesky First Amendment," Black wrote.
Donald Trump has had a stroke, a prominent clinical professor of medicine said, listing evidence he said he saw in the president's behavior.
"My impression is that President Trump has had a stroke, and I think there's several lines of evidence supporting that," said Professor Bruce Davidson, of Washington State University Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, in Spokane, Washington. "I think his stroke was on the left side of the brain, which controls the right side of the body."
Davidson was speaking to the Clinton aide turned Lincoln biographer Sidney Blumenthal and Princeton historian Sean Wilentz on their podcast, The Court of History.
Now 79, Trump is the oldest president ever to assume office. Speculation over his health has been a persistent feature of his second term. Physical slips have been noted, as have occurrences in which Trump has appeared to sleep during daytime events. Slurred speech and difficulty forming sentences have been widely remarked upon.
Trump regularly claims to be in excellent mental and physical health — claims backed up by White House statements.
OnThe Court of History, Davidson was asked what formed his belief about the president's health.
He said, "I think the stroke was six months ago or more, earlier in 2025. There's video of him shuffling his feet, which is not what we'd seen him [doing], striding on the golf course … previously. We've seen him holding his right hand in his left, cradling. And earlier in the year, in 2025, he was garbling words, which he didn't do previously, and which he's improved upon more recently. And he's also had marked episodes that have been noticed of daytime, excessive sleepiness, — medical term, hypersomnolence — which is characteristic of many patients after they've had a stroke. … Most recently, there was video of him walking down the stairs from Air Force One, holding the banister with his left hand, although he's right-handed, and all of this is consistent with having had a stroke on the left side of his brain. A stroke is an area of infarction. It's an area of dead tissue."
Davidson also described behavior he said he thought showed Trump's psychological reaction to surviving a stroke.
"People who … have a stroke, it's a very serious, concerning, life-threatening, upsetting, scary thing, and people react in different ways," Davidson said. "Some people respond with humility, grateful to be alive and viewing life as precious. Others become, as they improve, positively euphoric, that, 'I was at the cliff of death, and now I'm back,' and and some view it as, 'That was my chance to die, and I didn't, and now I'm going to do everything I wanted to do, because the next one may be fatal."
The accelerating pace of Trump's policy announcements, military orders, demands for the prosecution of enemies, and attacks on political opponents has been noted around the world.
Referring to Trump's regular claims about his own health, Davidson said: "Another piece of evidence in favor of him having had a stroke is his telling us that he's taking a whole aspirin tablet, 325 milligrams daily."
Trump said that this month, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, about his health. Saying the aspirin had caused widely noted bruising on his hand, Trump told the Journal: "They say aspirin is good for thinning out the blood, and I don't want thick blood pouring through my heart. I want nice, thin blood pouring through my heart. Does that make sense?"
To Davidson, it did not.
"The instruction to take one full aspirin, 325 milligrams daily, is solely, only for prevention of recurrent repeat stroke after partial 50 percent or more blockage, occlusion of a large vessel in the brain," the doctor said. "It's not recommended for anything for the heart, and we were told that President Trump's chest CT scan was unremarkable, was fine."
Trump recently said he had an MRI, then said it was in fact a CT scan.
Davidson told Blumenthal and Wilentz: "A CT scan of the chest takes three or four minutes, and when you add the abdomen, that's another three or four minutes. An MRI is what we use to most carefully image the brain. You can image the brain pretty well with a CT scan, and that's emergency imaging of the brain, because it's more available, but an MRI gives you far more detail, and an MRI takes a minimum of 20 minutes, and they put this over your head, and it's extremely noisy, it's a banging sound, and they put headphones to block the sounds. So there is no mistaking an MRI for CT. And when President Trump said he had an MRI, he undoubtedly did. Now we do MRIs of the spine, of bone and joints. But that's not what he was talking about when he talked about cognitive testing. So I think it's, it's certainly clear that did not sound like a misspeaking, that he had an MRI of his brain and he had CT, surveillance, CAT scans of his chest and abdomen."
Blumenthal and Wilentz noted that presidents have suffered strokes in office — Woodrow Wilson's was hidden from the public, while Franklin D. Roosevelt died.
Trump has also regularly boasted about passing basic cognitive tests, adding to widespread speculation that the president could be suffering from dementia. Davidson did not think so.
"He doesn't, to me, behave demented," he said, adding: "It seems to me that with thoseNew York Times questions recently and press conferences, he grasps the question and appropriately responds — or inappropriately, depending on your views — but he certainly handles the gist of the question. So I do not see dementia, for which I'm glad, but it is common after strokes for people to behave, as some people say, more like they were beforehand. So if President Trump had a brash personality, I think everyone would say, long ago, he appears to have become even more so."
Davidson said there would be no current reason to invoke the 25th Amendment because Trump appears functionally capable, at least from a superficial perspective. He emphasized that many people recover from strokes while retaining their judgment and ability to perform complex work, though such recovery typically requires support from trusted advisors, whether family or colleagues.
"I think there could be a way for President Trump to thread the needle," he said.
Davidson suggested Trump could navigate this situation by acknowledging a stroke without losing cognitive function, thus avoiding the need for temporary replacement. In this scenario, with proper support from advisors whom he heeds, along with attention to diet, medication, exercise, and intellectual engagement, Trump could continue serving as president despite the health event.
"There is no need to get all exercised about that issue. But I think it'd be good for the public to be informed. That's just the nature of my view of the way I was trained in elementary and junior high school about democracy," he said.
A MAGA firebrand ripped Bari Weiss's rebrand of CBS News during a new broadcast of her podcast on Wednesday, according to a report.
Megyn Kelly, host of the right-wing podcast "The Megyn Kelly Show," trashed the new CBS News during her latest episode, The Daily Mail reported, going so far as to directly attack the new host of "CBS Evening News," Tony Dokoupil. Kelly's comments come at a time when CBS News has taken a rightward turn, prompting many longtime viewers to leave.
Kelly did not mince words when she spoke about Dokoupil, who she said is only in his role because of Weiss's sexual orientation.
"I figured it out. Bari is an out lesbian, and she's in a marriage to another woman, and they have kids, and so on. This is a lesbian's idea of what women want. Like, he's sweet, he's soft, this is what this is going to sell," Kelly said.
She also compared Dokoupil to another popular daytime host, Oprah Winfrey.
"CBS Evening News is officially launched with its new anchor, 'T'Oprah' Dokoupil," Kelly said. "That's what I call him, because he's crying and constantly trying to therapize us through the news."
She also chided him for "patronizing" his audience.
"'Get up and down on the news and stop trying to handhold your audience like they're a bunch of babies who need you to stroke them through every update," Kelly said.
President Donald Trump's beloved ballroom project has been delayed by yet another one of the president's unfulfilled promises, according to a new report.
Last year, Trump removed all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts, an agency that reviews ballroom plans before construction begins. Trump said at the time that he would install loyalists to make the approval process easier, but he has not yet filled those positions, The New York Times reported on Wednesday.
In turn, the commission postponed its review of the Trump ballroom project for another week to give the president more time to appoint the commissioners.
Trump began the ballroom project last October when he abruptly tore down the East Wing of the White House. Initially, Trump said the ballroom would be a small addition to the White House.
The project's cost has ballooned. Trump initially projected the ballroom would cost around $200 million, with construction costs covered by donations from private companies and investors. Recently, he has projected the project to cost between $350 million and $400 million.
Trump has also locked horns with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, whom he has accused of mismanaging the $2.5 billion central bank headquarters renovation project.
President Donald Trump's efforts to "make America great again" have actually helped another country become recognized as a global superpower, according to a new survey.
The Guardian reported on Wednesday that a survey conducted by the European Council of Foreign Relations revealed Trump's leadership has made the U.S. more distant from its European allies and helped raise the tide for China. Nearly all of the 21 countries surveyed expected China's influence to grow over the next decade, according to the survey.
"Amid increasingly favourable views of China, the status of the US as an ally has declined across almost all the countries surveyed, with India the only one where a majority still feels the US is an ally, sharing the country’s values and interests," the report reads in part.
The results come at a time of great global instability. The war between Ukraine and Russia has grinded on for more than four years. There are also wars in the Middle East, and Trump recently approved an operation to arrest and deport Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and force him to stand trial for narco-terrorism and weapons charges.
The survey's authors also warned that the results suggest the "old order" is over.
"Political leaders in Europe should no longer ask themselves whether their own citizens grasp the radical nature of the current geopolitical changes. They do,” the authors said in a joint statement, adding that Europeans see the old order is over.
Senate Republicans voted to kill a bill on Wednesday that would have limited President Donald Trump's war powers, according to a new report.
Trump had been pressuring Republicans to kill the bill, and Sens. Todd Young (R-IN) and Josh Hawley (R-MO) flipped their votes on Wednesday, Andrew Desiderio of Punchbowl News reported. Vice President JD Vance was the tie-breaking vote.
Young said in a statement that he flipped his vote after securing a promise from Trump that he would ask Congress for permission on a major strike against Venezuela in advance of such an operation.
The House of Representatives initially passed the bill following Trump's invasion of Venezuela, where U.S. military troops arrested dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and whisked them away to New York to stand trial for narco-terrorism and weapons charges.
One of President Donald Trump's most "out of touch" Cabinet secretaries floated a new affordable meal idea on Wednesday for families who are struggling with the cost of groceries.
For just $3, Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said on Fox Business that a person can buy "a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla, and one other thing." She said the USDA came up with the meal plan after running "more than 1,000 simulations."
Rollins, who Forbes estimated has a net worth of around $15 million, made the comments at a time when grocery prices continue to climb. According to the latest inflation report, food costs were up 3.1% year-over-year in December 2025, with prices for staples like fish, poultry, and eggs rising by 3.9%.
"They hate so much of America. They just hate them," Fred Wellman, a Democratic candidate for office in Missouri, posted on X.
"RFK Jr is telling everyone to eat steak. People dragged him because they can’t afford steak. So Rollins rolls out an amazing $3 meal deal," Ron Filipkowski, editor in chief of MeidasTouch, posted on X.
"How about you run one simulation where you survive on $10/day for food, Brooke Rollins?" Andrew Lawrence, deputy director of rapid response at Media Matters, posted on Bluesky.
"Bruh, you can’t even get a McDouble for $3 these days," journalist Nick Calandra posted on Bluesky.
Brooke Rollins: "We've run over 1,000 simulations. It can cost around $3 a meal for a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, corn tortilla, and one other thing. So there is a way to do this that actually will save the average American consumer money." pic.twitter.com/hL7TTz7PRk — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 14, 2026
A columnist took Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon and owner of The Washington Post, to task on Wednesday for remaining silent on a big scandal involving President Donald Trump.
The FBI announced on Wednesday that it had raided the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, seizing all of her devices as part of the process. The raid was allegedly tied to a national security leak.
Jonathan Chait, a staff writer for The Atlantic, argued in a new column that journalists are generally protected under the First Amendment in cases like this. However, the raid by Trump's FBI "may portend something more ominous" that requires Bezos' response, Chait argued.
"The question that has hung over the Post since Bezos’s heel turn has been whether he is still willing to protect the paper from a president who yearns to subdue it," Chait wrote. "He could answer the question by speaking out forcefully in defense of his journalists and their right to report on the government without intimidation. Or he could continue to remain silent, which, in its own way, is also an answer."
Chait noted that Trump has consistently railed against papers like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, which have run stories critical of his administration, and argued they are operating illegally.
Chait also pointed out that Bezos has sent Trump a series of "compliant signals," such as rearranging the Post's editorial board and spiking the paper's presidential endorsement ahead of the 2024 election.
Trump may also have a point of leverage over Bezos in the matter, Chait argued. Both Amazon and Blue Origin rely on government contracts for revenue, which could be jeopardized if Bezos is too critical of Trump.
A group of political experts warned Wednesday that President Donald Trump's reaction to an auto worker at a factory this week could have repercussions ahead of the midterms.
Trump was visiting a Ford factory in Dearborn, Michigan when worker TJ Sabula reportedly yelled "pedophile protector" at the president who was walking in the warehouse above a group of workers. Sabula has since been suspended from his job at the factory.
In a video capturing the moment, Trump mouthed back — twice — "F--- you!" He pointed his finger at Sabula below him, then he switched to giving his middle finger directed at him.
During a live broadcast Wednesday with CNN anchor Kasie Hunt, former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned Trump that his expletive response, and finger, could have a backlash on Republicans already weary ahead of the upcoming midterms this November.
"Let's talk politics. Don't flip off an auto worker in Michigan with the midterms coming," de Blasio said.
Alyssa Farah Griffin, former Press Secretary of the Department of Defense, also had a similar sentiment, adding "that will definitely appear in Democratic ads."
More Democrats are coming forward and saying President Donald Trump's administration is investigating them for participating in a recent social media campaign telling soldiers they do not have to follow illegal orders.
Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) and Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) have recently said they are under investigation by the Trump administration. Their announcement follows the Defense Department's decision to move forward with its investigation into Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) for participating in the same video.
The DOD recently moved to decrease Kelly's retirement pay. In turn, Kelly filed a civil lawsuit against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for violating his constitutional rights.
“Donald Trump called for my arrest, prosecution, and execution — all because I said something he didn’t like,” Crow said in a statement to The Denver Post on Wednesday. “Now he’s pressuring his political appointees to harass me for daring to speak up and hold him accountable. I won’t be intimidated and will keep fighting to uphold my oath to the Constitution and defend our country.”
Slotkin also revealed on Wednesday that Jeanine Pirro, the former Fox News host turned U.S. Attorney in Washington, D.C., had reached out to her asking for an interview.
"This is the president’s playbook," Slotkin said in a video on X. "Truth doesn’t matter. Facts don’t matter. And anyone who disagrees with him becomes an enemy. And he then weaponizes the federal government against them. It’s legal intimidation and physical intimidation meant to get you to shut up.”
