Rahm Emanuel calls for mandatory retirement age of 75 for people in public office
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a potential White House hopeful for 2028, said on Wednesday that he wants a mandatory retirement age of 75 for the president and people holding office in other branches of government. “You’re 75 years old: done,” Emanuel, a Democrat, said at a Center for American Progress event. “And that would be in the legislative branch, it’d be in the executive branch — including the Cabinet — and it’d also be in the Supreme Court, and all the federal courts.” Emanuel, 66, acknowledged that he would be affected by this proposal if he happens to be elected president in 2028 and seeks re-election, as he would be 73 at the start of a potential second term. WHITE HOUSE RACE UNDERWAY: WITH 2026 LOOMING, BOTH PARTIES ARE ALREADY PLAYING FOR 2028 “I know where I am in my age. Of course it would apply to me,” Emanuel told Politico. “You can’t say ‘here’s what I want to do to change Washington, one of the things I want to do’ — but I get an exemption because I bought it beforehand.” The proposal would make President Donald Trump, 79, ineligible to continue serving and would have prevented former President Joe Biden, now 83, from serving his term in the White House. In Congress, 17 senators and 45 House members are currently 75 or older and would be impacted by the standard. Supreme Court Justices Clarence Thomas, 77, and Samuel Alito, 75, would also be barred from continuing to serve on the bench, while Justices Sonia Sotomayor, 71, and John Roberts, 70, are nearing Emanuel’s mandatory retirement age. “You can’t serve in the armed forces, you can’t serve in private sector jobs,” Emanuel told reporters on Wednesday. “Go work on your golf swing, it’s not that good to begin with.” Emanuel, who served as ambassador to Japan under Biden and chief of staff under former President Barack Obama, is reigniting a topic that was hot during the last presidential election. Biden, then 81, and Trump, then 78, were both campaigning for a second term ahead of the 2024 election while facing questions surrounding repeated gaffes. Biden ultimately dropped out of the race amid pressure to end his campaign over his mental and physical fitness. Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley, who ran in the GOP primary in the last presidential election, proposed mandatory mental competency tests for politicians over the age of 75 during her campaign. AS CONGRESS GROWS OLDER, DEBATE HEATS UP OVER WHEN TO STEP ASIDE Emanuel, also a former House member, said he would push for legislation to set the limit instead of attempting a constitutional amendment. It is unclear whether that proposed legislation would be constitutional, and could be difficult to receive support in a Congress where the median age for senators is 64. He said the age limit would be part of a broader demand for “comprehensive ethics, lobbying [and] anti-corruption reform” across the federal government that he said would include a crackdown on lawmakers and judges accepting and stock trading. He wants the Democratic Party to push that proposal as part of a midterms message that also includes raising the minimum wage. “You have a president of the United States, in my view, that has expanded, deepened the swamp. Our job is to drain the swamp as Democrats,” Emanuel said. “There’s not a day that goes by that you don’t read a story about either his family, [Commerce Secretary Howard] Lutnick’s family or [Special Envoy Steve] Witkoff’s family making money.”
Top NATO official reveals details of stunning meeting with Trump that produced Greenland deal ‘framework’
After President Donald Trump announced a new Greenland “framework” had been agreed upon with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the NATO chief told Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier” the U.S. forcibly taking control of Greenland from Denmark was not discussed during meetings between him and Trump in Switzerland during the World Economic Forum. “That issue did not come up anymore in my conversations with Mr. President. He’s very much focused on what we need to do to make sure that that huge Arctic region, where change is taking place at the moment, where the Chinese and Russians are more and more active, how we can protect that,” Rutte said when pressed on the details of the reported “framework” that has been agreed upon. Trump said the agreement resulted in his decision not to impose tariffs scheduled to go into effect Feb. 1. “That was really the focus of our discussions,” Rutte insisted. TRUMP’S ‘SMALL ASK’ FOR GREENLAND WOULD BE THE REAL ESTATE DEAL OF A LIFETIME Trump announced the new “framework” for Greenland in a post on his social media site Truth Social Wednesday afternoon while at the World Economic Forum this week. “Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,” the president wrote. “Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st. Additional discussions are being held concerning The Golden Dome as it pertains to Greenland. Further information will be made available as discussions progress.” Trump noted that Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff will lead “the negotiations” and report directly to him. TRUMP TELLS DAVOS US ALONE CAN SECURE GREENLAND, INSISTS HE WON’T ‘USE FORCE’ “We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won’t do that,” Trump said earlier in the morning at the World Economic Forum. “Now everyone’s saying, ‘Oh, good.’ That’s probably the biggest statement I made because people thought I would use force. I don’t have to use force. I don’t want to use force. I won’t use force.” During the exclusive interview with Fox News, Rutte called Trump “totally right” about needing to shore up security in the Arctic region, noting that the chance of Russia or China becoming a threat in that region is increasing every day. The NATO Secretary General also praised Trump’s leadership in getting other NATO countries to pay more money for the alliance’s defenses. “I would argue tonight with you on this program he was the one who brought a whole of Europe and Canada up to this famous 5%,” Rutte insisted, “which is crucial for us to equalize our spending, but also protect ourselves. And this is the framework which you see in his post that we will work on.” Rutte also noted that increased volatility between NATO-aligned countries, Russia and China underscored the need to shore up security in the Arctic region. The NATO chief was asked whether he thought other countries were dealing with the Russians and the Chinese differently than they have in the past. “It’s not up to me to comment on what individual allies are doing in terms of their relationship with China,” Rutte responded. “I think collectively, as NATO, we have a position. The position is that we should not be naive. I can tell you’ll regret these huge investments the Chinese are making in the military. They are not there to organize parades in Beijing, and the military in Russia are not there to organize parades in Moscow. They are there to be used.”
Appeals court hands Trump administration ‘victory’ in Minnesota ICE force restrictions case
A federal appeals court on Wednesday temporarily lifted restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents’ use of force against protesters in Minnesota, handing a short-term win to President Donald Trump’s administration as it challenges a lower-court ruling. The 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals issued an unsigned order placing an administrative stay on limits imposed by a district judge after protesters filed suit. The move pauses those restrictions while the appeals court considers the government’s request to block the injunction during the appeal. The ruling comes as federal immigration enforcement tactics face growing legal scrutiny nationwide. Attorney General Pam Bondi praised the court’s decision, calling it a “victory.” FEDERAL PROSECUTORS OPEN INVESTIGATION INTO WALZ, FREY OVER ALLEGED IMPEDING OF LAW ENFORCEMENT “A liberal judge in Minnesota tried to handcuff ICE agents who are enforcing the Nation’s immigration laws and responding to obstructive and violent interference from agitators,” Bondi said on X. “The 8th Circuit just granted an administrative stay HALTING these restrictions, which were designed to undermine federal law enforcement. “This DOJ will protect federal law enforcement agents from criminals in the streets AND activist judges in the courtroom.” The Associated Press reported that ICE is operating under an internal memo asserting broader authority to use force during arrests, including entering homes with administrative warrants rather than warrants signed by a judge. DOJ LAUNCHES CIVIL RIGHTS INVESTIGATION AFTER MINNESOTA AGITATORS STORM CHURCH In a Jan. 16 ruling, U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez issued the preliminary injunction at the center of the appeal, siding with protesters and legal observers who sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE over their treatment during immigration enforcement operations. ACTING ICE DIRECTOR DEFENDS AGENCY’S FOCUS ON TARGETING CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS, DETAILS THREAT TO AGENTS Menendez found the plaintiffs were likely to succeed on claims that federal agents violated their First and Fourth Amendment rights during protests and observation of ICE activity tied to Operation Metro Surge in the Twin Cities. The judge cited a pattern of confrontations in which ICE agents allegedly used pepper spray, pointed weapons, made arrests and conducted traffic stops against individuals who were peacefully observing or protesting immigration enforcement. Menendez’s ruling temporarily barred agents from using force or making arrests against peaceful protesters and observers absent probable cause, prompting the Trump administration to seek emergency relief from the 8th Circuit. The decision on Wednesday put a pause on those restrictions as the appeal moves forward. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Somali-born activist praises Trump’s stark warning at Davos speech: ‘Priority No. 1’
After President Donald Trump took to the World Economic Forum stage in Davos to declare that Western civilization must defend itself from an existential attack, Somali-born activist and author Ayaan Hirsi Ali said “Trump is right.” Trump shocked other politicians and leaders gathered in Switzerland Tuesday night by declaring, “The West cannot mass import foreign cultures.” “The situation in Minnesota reminds us that the West cannot mass import foreign cultures which have failed to ever build a successful society of their own,” he said. “We’re taking people from Somalia, and Somalia is a failed [state]. It’s not a nation, got no government, got no police, got no military, got no nothing. “The explosion of prosperity, in conclusion, and progress that built the West did not come from our tax cuts. It ultimately came from our very special culture. This is the precious inheritance that America and Europe have in common. TRUMP CITES MINNESOTA FRAUD CASES TO WARN AGAINST MIGRATION FROM ‘FAILED’ SOCIETIES “We share it, we share it. But we have to keep it strong. We have to become stronger, more successful and more prosperous than ever. We have to defend that culture and rediscover the spirit that lifted the West from the depths of the Dark Ages to the pinnacle of human achievement.” In response, Hirsi Ali told Fox News Digital Trump is communicating a critical truth. “I don’t think it’s an important thing. I think it is the most important thing,” she said. “Trump is right … and I can’t think of a better and more powerful platform than that of the president of the United States to say, ‘Hey, you guys wake up.’” As a child in Somalia, Hirsi Ali was subjected to a severe form of female genital mutilation. Later in life, she fled the country to escape a forced marriage and served as a Dutch lawmaker. She is now based in the U.S. and uses her platform to advocate for women’s rights, critique Islam and voice support for Western greatness. “I think every American and every European should know that what the president is trying to say is that what made America and Europe great is there’s this unique culture. If we don’t understand that culture and if we do not defend it, we risk losing it,” she said. “The economy is very important. Military is very important. All these other aspects of government are extremely important, but more important than all of that is our value system. And it’s our heritage. And it is our national identity.” Regarding Trump’s critique of the Somali immigrant population’s involvement in the massive Minnesota fraud scheme, Hirsi Ali said, “I wholeheartedly agree with the president.” TRUMP SAYS MEDIA FOCUSES TOO MUCH ON MINNESOTA ICE COVERAGE, NOT ENOUGH ON CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS “The president is right when he says Somalia hasn’t even made it into a nation,” she said. “Every attempt at building something, making something out of Somalia has always failed because of the clan code, because of Islam, because of Marxism. We’ve had all the bad ideologies, and, as Somalis, we’ve run away with them.” Further, Hirsi Ali said the situation in Minnesota exposes a “subversive agenda in the United States to transform it and to Islamize it using American institutions and the American vocabulary of civil rights.” “You see that the Somalis exploit and extract the benefit system,” she said. “They tell everyone, ‘If you expose this, investigate it, object to it, stop it, you’re racist. You’re an Islamophobe. You are a bigot. “If we keep on doing what we are doing, getting huge numbers of people from the Third World to come and establish themselves in the United States and European countries and depend on welfare benefits, that is to take and take and never contribute, then we’re setting ourselves up not only for failure. We’re committing a cultural and national and political suicide.” To combat this, Hirsi Ali said European nations must follow the Trump administration’s example in sealing their borders. She said the U.S. and Europe must also address their broad welfare systems, which she said are “just too expensive.” In Minnesota, Hirsi Ali advocated a hardline stance on the Somali immigrant population to assimilate into American culture. TRUMP UNLOADS ON BIDEN POLICIES FROM DAVOS, WARNS EUROPE TO DROP THE OLD PLAYBOOK “We’ve got to force them either to assimilate, or we’ve got to give them that choice and say, ‘If you don’t want to assimilate into American society, then you will be denaturalized,’” she said. “This isn’t just like, ‘Oh yeah, it’s another day in politics. It’s existential.’” Hirsi Ali called Trump’s Davos speech a “breakthrough” in getting European leaders to understand that defending Western civilization must be “priority No. 1.” “JD Vance put it this way: [It’s] not what are we fighting against, but what are we fighting for? What are we fighting to preserve? If you can’t answer that question, then I think you are lost. And the European leaders are lost. And I think he’s trying to help them find their way,” she said.
Only one House Democrat joined GOP to repeal ‘short-circuiting’ Biden-era regulation
Only one House Democrat joined Republicans on Wednesday in a vote to repeal a Biden-era regulation on public lands in Minnesota. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Pete Stauber, R-Minn., passed in a 214-208 vote. Rep. Jarred Golden, D-Maine, voted in favor of the legislation while one Republican, Don Bacon, R-Neb., voted against it. The public lands bill is the most recent in a string of regulations Republicans have undone in the 119th Congress — accounting for at least 10 such measures in 2025. ZELDIN OVERHAULS BIDEN-ERA WATER RULE TO END ‘WEAPONIZATION’ THAT LED ‘PUDDLES’ TO TRIGGER PRICY PERMITS In this case, lawmakers voted to reopen the door to mineral development on federal lands in the North Star State. “The resolution before us today does not mandate projects, mining sites, firms, or schedules — it simply reverses the Biden administration’s unilateral short-circuiting of the normal permitting process,” House Natural Resource Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., said on the House floor. “It’s a step towards the mineral abundance that the American people deserve and that Washington, [D.C.] has denied them for too long,” Westerman added. Stauber, the sponsor, framed access to Minnesota’s deposits as a part of larger national interests. “America’s national security depends on securing our own critical minerals — not just relying on imports from adversaries,” Stauber said in a post to X. “We must unleash domestic production, including in Minnesota’s Iron Range, to power our military, energy grid and future [technology.]” TRUMP ADMIN IMPLODES LITERAL BIDEN ROADBLOCK WITH POTENTIAL TO UNLEASH MAJOR MINING WINDFALL According to the Minnesota government website, the state has rich deposits of gold, silver, zinc, copper, nickel, titanium and other precious metals. Democrats opposed to the measure argued that it would open up Minnesota’s land to development, casting aside safeguards for environmental protections. That was the position of Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee. “The Boundary Waters have been under threat for years,” Huffman said, referring to the area near the northern tip of the state. “They draw more visitors than any other wilderness in the country. Millions of Americans have paddled, fished, swum and found pristine solace in [its] forests. It supports a billion-dollar outdoor economy.” In addition to pollution concerns, Huffman noted that the bill would allow mining access to groups with longstanding interests in the area — some of which, he warned, might not be aligned with national interests. “Twin Metals, a mining company with close ties to China, has been lobbying for years to set up a mine just outside the wilderness area,” Huffman said. “There’s no guarantee that the precious minerals produced from this mine would stay in the U.S. at all.” Having passed the House, the measure now heads to the Senate for the upper chamber’s consideration.
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