The Patriot Post® · Monday Executive News Summary
Dolly Parton Day: Most Americans know that Monday, January 19, 2026, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and are enjoying a day off from work. Some may remember that once upon a time, this day was celebrated as Robert E. Lee’s birthday. Perhaps very few know that in the state of Tennessee, it is Dolly Parton Day, as the music legend turns 80. Instead of taking the day off, your Patriot Post team is still working 9 to 5. Dolly is a true Tennessee Patriot, recently narrating the “Tennessee: The Original Frontier” video kicking off America’s 250th celebrations in the Volunteer State. Dolly does a lot for her home state, including through her namesake amusement park, Dollywood, which was voted the #1 park in America in 2025 by TripAdvisor. Governor Bill Lee’s dedication of the day to Parton seems appropriate.
Trump’s Greenland push now includes tariffs: Donald Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland as a U.S. territory have thus far been frustrated, as its European owner, Denmark, has repeatedly rebuffed the president. Furthermore, several NATO nations have sent small contingents of military personnel to Greenland in a show of solidarity with Denmark’s resistance. Ratcheting up the pressure, Trump on Saturday threatened to impose 10% tariffs on several European nations that oppose his Greenland acquisition. Those nations include Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, and the UK. While Trump’s rationale for acquiring Greenland is sound, his approach has thus far proven ineffective and appears to be creating a rift between the U.S. and our NATO allies.
Nobel Foundation: “You can’t do that!” Nothing exposes the obvious anti-Trump bias of the Nobel Foundation more than its recent declaration against Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado after she gave her Nobel Peace Prize to President Trump. On Sunday, the Foundation released a statement noting the prize is “awarded to those who ‘have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind’” and “can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed.” The Foundation further observed that the history of recipients cannot be changed: “Even if the medal or diploma later comes into someone else’s possession, this does not alter who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. … The decision is final and applies for all time.” Machado, in giving her award to Trump, explained that it was in “recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.”
Trump’s Gaza plan: President Trump’s bold peace plan for Gaza is entering its second stage, and letters have been sent to potential member states of the “Board of Peace,” inviting their leaders to sign on. A draft charter suggests that member states will serve for no more than three years after the charter is adopted unless they contribute more than $1 billion to the project. Member states will have voting privileges, but as the chairman, Trump will have sole authority to approve or reject proposals. The presidents of Turkey, Egypt, and Argentina have been invited to join; the Argentinian president, Javier Milei, has already accepted. Meanwhile, some cold water is being thrown on the plan, as the possibility of an International Stabilization Force to disarm Hamas seems unlikely. Arab states have signaled their unwillingness to challenge Hamas, leaving Israel as the only likely option.
DOJ vs. Walz, Frey: The two Democrat leaders at the forefront opposing the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement in Minnesota, Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, are now the focus of a DOJ investigation. Both are being investigated for conspiring to impede federal law enforcement officers from doing their job in the state. Following the death of anti-ICE agitator Renee Good, both Walz and Frey have stoked anti-ICE sentiments to the point where President Trump has considered invoking the Insurrection Act. Walz responded by framing the investigation as just the latest instance of lawfare from the Trump administration. Meanwhile, in response to an anti-ICE group’s lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Katherine Menendez on Friday issued an order that limits federal officers’ use of pepper spray and authority to arrest.
More investigations after ICE shooting: The situation Renee and Becca Good put themselves in that tragically led to Renee’s death after striking an ICE officer with her vehicle is being thoroughly investigated. NBC News is eager to explain that Becca is the subject of an intense investigation despite official sources, including Becca’s own lawyers, denying any evidence of that fact. The Department of Homeland Security is conducting an internal review into the actions of the agent who defended himself from Renee. Pursuant to standard protocol, he has been placed on administrative leave. Some sources do indicate that Becca is included in the investigations of the events that day, as she was riding in the vehicle with Renee minutes before the fatal event.
Anti-ICE leftists attack church during service: Worshipers at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, found their service disrupted by leftist protesters on Sunday due to an alleged connection between one of their pastors and ICE. Demonstrators organized by the Racial Justice Network entered the sanctuary shouting “Justice for Renee Good.” The radicals had learned that one of the pastors at the church shared a name with the acting director of ICE’s St. Paul field office; no news sources have been able to verify whether the pastor is the same person as the ICE agent. Leftists, including Minneapolis Mayor Frey, of course, supported the invasion of a house of worship. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon did not take the same approach, promising that this event would be investigated due to potential violations of the FACE Act by the rioters.
70% of detained illegals have violent criminal connections: While many Democrats have called ICE officers the “Gestapo,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem noted that the vast majority of those in ICE custody are criminals. Noem observed that 70% of detainees have either been convicted or charged with a violent crime. “They need to be brought to justice, and we’re going to keep doing that, no matter how much you guys keep lying and don’t tell the public the truth,” Noem stated on CBS’s “Face the Nation.” Host Margaret Brennan disputed Noem, claiming that according to CBS News’s analysis of DHS data, roughly 47% of detainees were criminals, to which Noem responded, “We’ll get you the correct numbers so you can use them in the future.” The fact remains that all those who have been detained are in the country illegally. They have no right to reside in the U.S.
Headlines
Spanberger scraps Youngkin’s ICE cooperation order on first day in office (Washington Examiner)
Senators request fraud probe of Minneapolis charity favored by Ilhan Omar (Washington Times)
Swalwell can’t run for governor in California because he doesn’t live there: court filing (NY Post)
Iran accused of killing 16,500 in sweeping “genocide” crackdown (Fox News)
Humor: Trump challenges Danish PM to ping-pong match, winner gets Greenland (Babylon Bee)
The Executive News Summary is compiled daily by Jordan Candler, Thomas Gallatin, Sterling Henry, and Sophie Starkova. For the archive, click here.