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Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado greeted supporters outside Capitol Hill after having lunch with Trump
Ariana Baio Thursday 15 January 2026 20:45 GMT- Bookmark
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CloseWhite House asked what would motivate Trump to invoke Insurrection Act
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President Donald Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely-used law allowing the president to deploy the military to quell civil disturbances, in Minnesota if state lawmakers didn’t stop protesters from “attacking” ICE officers.
Thursday morning, the president accused Democratic lawmakers of allowing “professional agitators” and “insurrectionists” to attack immigration law enforcement. The president and his administration have accused protesters of being everyday citizens voicing opposition to ICE’s aggressive tactics.
Other White House officials echoed the president’s rhetoric. Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff for policy, told Real America’s Voice that arresting “insurrectionists” was “a national security priority.”
Elsewhere Thursday, the president met with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado for the first time. The two have had a somewhat chilly relationship since she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
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Key Points
- White House Press Secretary declines to clarify Trump utilizing Insurrection Act
- Who is Maria Corina Machado?
- You can’t give Nobel Peace Prize to someone else, committee tells winner Machado before Trump meeting
- Trump threatens Minnesota with the Insurrection Act
- What is the Insurrection Act?
Machado may give press conference after meeting with Senators
Machado is on Capitol Hill meeting with Senators from both parties, but may give a press conference after the meets, according to reports.
Ariana Baio15 January 2026 20:45Stephen Miller says arresting protesters is ‘national security priority’
Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, told Real America’s Voice that arresting “insurrectionists” was “a national security priority” – borrowing language from the president that misrepresents protesters as “insurrectionists.”
In Minnesota right now, the insurrectionists have come out of hiding,” Miller said.
“They're confronting our officers on the street. They're being arrested. This is a national security priority. More arrests of insurrectionists are being made every day, and each of them provide us an opportunity to learn more about the network from a law enforcement and national security standpoint."
Ariana Baio15 January 2026 20:30Machado greets supporters on Capitol Hill
Machado waves to supporters outside the White House (Getty Images)
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is hugged by supporters (REUTERS)Ariana Baio15 January 2026 20:19Deputy ICE director announces run for Congress
Madison Sheahan, the now-outgoing deputy director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, announced Thursday she will leave the agency to run for Congress representing Ohio’s 9th district.
Sheahan, who served in ICE for roughly 10 months, called herself a “Trump conservative” who wants to protect American jobs, paychecks and values.
Before her stint in ICE, Sheahan served as the secretary for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for 14 months. From 2021 to 2024, she worked as the political director for former South Dakota governor Kristi Noem.
Sheahan, 28, had previously been criticized for her lack of experience in law enforcement but defended herself to Intelligencer, saying “At the end of the day, what really makes anybody qualified for any job?”
Ariana Baio15 January 2026 20:00Watch: Karoline Leavitt blows up on reporter that says Renee Good was unlawfully killed
Karoline Leavitt blows up on reporter that says Renee Good was unlawfully killedIndependent Video15 January 2026 19:20ACLU sues DHS to stop random racial profiling and warrantless ICE arrests
The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Department of Homeland Security and officials to stop “unlawful” immigration stops that have led to the detention of a U.S. citizen in Minnesota, among others.
Among the plaintiffs is Mubashir Khalif Hussen, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen who was thrown into an ICE SUV and then shackled and fingerprinted inside a detention center in Minneapolis before agents looked at his passport and let him go.
“At no time did any officer ask me whether I was a citizen or if I had any immigration status,” he said in a statement. “They did not ask for any identifying information, nor did they ask about my ties to the community, how long I had lived in the Twin Cities, my family in Minnesota, or anything else about my circumstances.”
Alex Woodward, Ariana Baio15 January 2026 19:00Trump was 'simply joking' when he said midterms should be canceled
Asked about a quote the president gave to Reuters in which he indicated the midterm elections should be canceled, Leavitt said he was only joking.
“I was in that interview, it was a closed door interivew,” Leavitt began.
"The president was simply joking. He was saying, 'We're doing such a great job. We're doing everything. The American people thought’ Maybe we should just keep rolling,” Leavitt added.
“But he was speaking facetiously.”
Ariana Baio15 January 2026 18:58Watch: Leavitt says 'only' president can answer questions about invoking Insurrection Act
White House asked what would motivate Trump to invoke Insurrection ActIndependent Video15 January 2026 18:52Leavitt declines to clarify Trump utilizing Insurrection Act
Leavitt declined to give details about when or how President Donald Trump could utilize the Insurrection Act in Minnesota, claiming it was a question for him.
“That's only a question frankly the president can answer,” Leavitt said in response to a question.
“The president's post spoke loud and clear to Democrats across this country, elected officials who are using their platforms to encourage,” she added.
Ariana Baio15 January 2026 18:33White House indicates reporters can be punished for leaking information
When asked about the government’s recent search and seizure of a Washington Post reporter’s home, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said anyone who leaks information that could put military personnel at risk will be held accountable – potentially including reporters.
“The administration is not going to tolerate leaks… that put the nation’s integrity and national security at risk,” Leavitt said.
When asked to clarify how the administration interprets the Pentagon Papers case, Leavitt declined.
Ariana Baio15 January 2026 18:29Newer1 / 3OlderMore about
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