2026 1-8 Matters of Democracy ICE Killing in MN; J6 Lost Cause; GOP Majority; Greenland; Oil

critical political, legal, and geopolitical developments from early January 2026. Key takeaways include the emergence of a new domestic flashpoint following the killing of a U.S. citizen by ICE agents in Minneapolis, which has led to escalating federal-state tensions. Concurrently, the Trump administration is engaged in an aggressive foreign policy, threatening a military invasion of Greenland that could fracture NATO, while its actions in Venezuela appear linked to financial benefits for a major political donor.

Domestically, the administration is actively promoting a revisionist history of the January 6, 2021 insurrection, framing rioters as "patriotic Americans" in a narrative likened to the "Lost Cause" mythology. In Congress, the Republican House majority has dwindled to a razor-thin, de facto margin of two votes, granting immense leverage to individual members and imperiling government funding negotiations.

There are also signs of institutional and political resistance to the administration. Federal grand juries are increasingly refusing to issue indictments in politically motivated cases, and a politically charged attempt by the Secretary of Defense to demote decorated veteran Captain Mark Kelly has backfired, elevating his national profile. In response to the political climate, Democratic strategists are advising 2026 midterm candidates to focus on economic affordability over direct attacks on the administration, a strategy being supported by early financial investments in state party infrastructure.