Thursday, January 8, 2026

ICE shooting roils political waters

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On Politics

Thu Jan 8 2026

Bart Jansen | White House correspondent

Hello, readers! Welcome to Thursday's edition of On Politics. I'm Bart Jansen, a White House reporter for USA TODAY, filling in for Kathryn Palmer. Here's what to know today.

Minnesota ICE shooting roils political waters

The political debate continues to boil over an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer fatally shooting a Minneapolis woman during a clash over President Donald Trump's enforcement crackdown in the region.

Renee Nicole Good , 37, was shot in the head on Jan. 7 in a confrontation captured on video. Lawmakers have called for the arrest of the officer involved in the shooting, and state and local officials have demanded that ICE leave the city immediately.

A man protests against the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January 8, 2026.

Tim Evans, REUTERS

The Trump administration has asserted that the agent fired in self-defense, as local leaders dispute the administration's account of what led to the shooting.

"These people are going to try to arrest our law enforcement for doing their jobs," Vice President JD Vance said Jan. 8 on social media.

A politics roundup:

•	Experts call the U.S. military capture of Nicolas Maduro illegal. Here's why.
•	The Senate rebuked Trump. voted to halt further military action in Venezuela without authorization from Congress.
•	Trump withdraws United States from 66 international organizations and treaties.
•	Here is what's different about the new food pyramid from the Department of Health and Human Services.
•	New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's proposal for universal child care gets endorsement from Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Republicans skeptical Trump will use military against Greenland

Republicans in Congress are treading lightly in dealing with Trump's offer to buy Greenland, a resource-rich Danish territory that is important for national security for Arctic shipping lanes.

Some say it could be a good thing. But Trump's reluctance to rule out taking military action to annex the world's largest non-continental island has frustrated many members of the president's own party.

"We need to not threaten a peaceful nation that's an ally where we have a military base already," said Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma.

President Donald Trump stands next to Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, at a dinner for lawmakers on the newly renovated Rose Garden patio, at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 5, 2025.

Brian Snyder, REUTERS

Trump wants $6 million in legal fees from Georgia county

Trump's lawyers asked Fulton County, Georgia, to reimburse the president $6.2 million for the cost of defending an election racketeering case alleging he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The charges were dropped in November after state courts removed Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from the case for having a romantic relationship with another prosecutor.

Georgia had passed a bill in May allowing defendants to recoup their legal fees when charges are dropped.

Here is the spot to ask USA TODAY reporters questions about what is going on in the world of politics.

Gabby Giffords returns to House 15 years after assassination attempt

Former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords speaks at the gun violence prevention rally at the Capitol Wednesday, Mar. 15, 2023. Giffords was shot in the head at a rally in Tuscon, Arizona years ago and remains partially paralyzed and is now a gun violence prevention advocate.

The former Arizona representative is set to witness the introduction of a joint resolution honoring the 15-year anniversary of the assassination attempt against her.

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