The Brief | Trump's Victory Lap Comes With Receipts (Literally)
Plus: The Vances' big news, Virginia Democrats want to go easy on rapists, and Gavin Newsom bombs at Davos.
Happy Wednesday. It’s the one-year anniversary of Trump’s second inauguration, and he celebrated the only way he knows how: a nearly two-hour press briefing where he dropped a Bible-length printout of accomplishments on the ground with an audible thud and declared that God is “very proud” of him.
Look, whether you love him or can’t stand him, you have to admire the showmanship.
Let’s get into it.
Trump Celebrates Year One With Mugshots and a Victory Tour
The President marked his first anniversary back in the Oval Office with a marathon press conference that clocked in at one hour and forty-five minutes. He opened by holding up a Bible-length printout of his administration’s 365 accomplishments—one for each day—and dropped it on the ground with an audible thud.
Then came the visual aid portion of the program. Trump held up poster after poster of criminal illegal immigrants arrested in Minnesota—murderers, rapists, child predators, gang members—before tossing that stack from the lectern too.
“Do you want to live with these people?” Trump asked reporters as he flipped through the “Worst of the Worst” gallery.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the numbers are staggering: over 670,000 deportations, roughly 1.9 million self-deportations, and 7,000 illegal immigrant gang members arrested since Inauguration Day. In Minnesota alone, ICE has made 10,000 arrests during Operation Metro Surge, including individuals convicted of homicide, rape, and child sexual assault.
Trump also noted he’d told his team to “lighten up” on non-criminal illegal immigrants. “We have a lot of heart for people,” he said. “They came in illegally, but they’re good people and they’re working now on farms and they’re working in luncheonettes and hotels.”
The economic pitch was equally aggressive: GDP growth projected at over 5% for Q4, $18 trillion in investment commitments, 401(k) accounts up $9 trillion, and what he claims are the “strongest borders of any country,” with “the possible exception of North Korea.”
When asked how far he’d go to acquire Greenland, Trump simply said: “You’ll find out.”
As for whether God approves? “I think God is very proud of the job I’ve done,” Trump told reporters. Bold claim. We’ll leave that between him and the Almighty.
Democrats in Disarray Over DHS Funding
While Trump was taking a victory lap, House Democrats were tearing themselves apart over whether to fund the very agency carrying out his immigration enforcement.
According to Axios, the party is split on the DHS funding bill following the January 7 shooting of anti-ICE protester Renee Good. Progressives like Reps. Pramila Jayapal, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ilhan Omar are opposing the bill, arguing it “simply does not meet the moment.”
But here’s the interesting part: it’s not just the Squad. Rep. Adam Gray, a centrist from California and member of the Blue Dog Coalition, told Axios he could vote against it because “these agencies are not in charge of themselves and Trump’s not king.”
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries is offering no guidance, saying only: “We’re having a conversation about it in the caucus meeting tomorrow.”
Speaker Mike Johnson is pressing forward with a six-bill minibus to avert a shutdown, and he’s giving Democrats a separate floor vote on the DHS portion specifically to force them on the record.
It’s a classic squeeze play. Democrats either fund the enforcement operations they’ve been decrying as fascism, or they vote against border security ahead of the midterms. There’s no good option here for them, and Johnson knows it.
Virginia’s “Centrist” Governor Pivots Left on Day One
Remember when we were told Abigail Spanberger was a moderate? The former CIA officer who would bring pragmatism back to Virginia politics?
In a flurry of executive orders, Governor Spanberger rescinded the state’s 287(g) agreement with ICE, the program that allowed cooperation between state and federal immigration authorities. She also launched housing affordability initiatives that critics warn could override local zoning policies.
But the real action is happening in the legislature. Virginia Delegate Rae Cousins has introduced a bill that would eliminate mandatory minimum sentences for rape, manslaughter, child pornography, and assaulting law enforcement.
You read that correctly. The 25-year mandatory minimum for rape? Gone. The 5-year minimum for creating child pornography of minors under 15? Eliminated.
House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore warned that Democrats plan to “Fairfax the rest of Virginia,” referring to the proposed gerrymandering that would create a 10-1 Democratic congressional majority in a purple state.
Del. Wren Williams put it bluntly: “Gov. Spanberger campaigned as a centrist pragmatist, but she was a progressive in moderate’s clothing from the start.”
Virginians voted for moderation. They’re getting something else entirely.
Meanwhile in Minneapolis: Vehicles Ramming Federal Agents
The situation in Minneapolis continues to escalate.
DHS officials announced Tuesday that Border Patrol and ICE agents have faced multiple vehicle ramming incidents in recent days. Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino confirmed two separate incidents—one Tuesday, one Monday—where suspects “decided it would be a good idea to ram Border Patrol agents and then take off.”
Both suspects were apprehended. A civilian vehicle was also struck.
Bovino didn’t mince words about local leadership: “Leaders like Tim Walz or Mayor Frey have relied on heated rhetoric and accusations that distract from the facts. The facts are that federal agents are arresting murderers, rapists, child predators, cartel-connected criminals.”
The Justice Department has also launched a civil rights investigation into protesters who stormed a Minneapolis church service on Sunday, disrupting worship.
Operation Metro Surge has netted 3,000 criminal arrests in six weeks. But the resistance—enabled by local politicians who’ve compared federal agents to an “occupying force”—shows no signs of backing down.
ICYMI
Lighter News: Baby Vance on the Way
In actual happy news, Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance announced they’re expecting their fourth child, a boy, due in July.
The little one will join Ewan (8), Vivek (5), and Mirabel (3), making history as the first child born to a sitting vice presidential couple.
“The most pro-family administration in history!” the White House posted on X.
The announcement comes after months of ridiculous internet speculation about the state of the Vances’ marriage, including a doctored photo that made the rounds last month. Vance has handled the gossip with characteristic dry humor, writing on X: “I always wear an undershirt when I go out in public to have a fight loudly with my wife.”
Congratulations to the Vances. America could use more good news.
The Beckham Family Meltdown Is Giving Harry and Meghan 2.0
I confess, celebrity drama is not usually my beat. But I have been following this story for months. I’ve Googled “what did the Beckhams do?” I watched the Netflix documentary. And I found David and Victoria genuinely endearing, two working-class kids who built an empire through talent, hustle, and yes, a lot of image management. They earned what they have.
I cannot say the same for their eldest son.
Brooklyn Beckham, 26, has publicly severed ties with his famous parents in a six-part Instagram manifesto that The Washington Post is calling the biggest British family feud since “Megxit.”
The allegations are dramatic: Victoria allegedly “hijacked” his first dance with wife Nicola Peltz Beckham at their 2022 wedding, “dancing very inappropriately” on him in front of 500 guests. His parents allegedly tried to pressure him into signing away the rights to his name before the wedding. Family members allegedly told him Nicola was “not blood” and “not family” the night before the ceremony.
“Brand Beckham comes first,” Brooklyn wrote. “Family ‘love’ is decided by how much you post on social media.”
He’s instructed his parents to contact him only through his lawyers. He’s blocked his parents and brothers on social media.
But here’s where it gets interesting. Sources close to David and Victoria are calling the allegations “total nonsense” and suggesting Brooklyn was “turned against” his family by people connected to Nicola. Victoria is reportedly “devastated.” Meanwhile, David told CNBC at Davos that his children have “made mistakes” on social media. “You have to sometimes let them make those mistakes as well.”
That’s a dad trying very hard not to torch his own kid publicly. Whatever you think about the Beckhams, that’s restraint.
Here’s my take: Brooklyn Beckham has never “launched.” He tried soccer, bailed. Photography, bailed. Modeling, bailed. Now he makes hot sauce. The dude has been a prince since birth, raised by parents who came from humble beginnings and probably overcompensated by giving him everything they never had.
And now he’s married to a billionaire heiress, which means he still doesn’t have to work.
You know who this couple reminds me of? Harry and Meghan. Privileged kid from a famous family marries into even more wealth, becomes increasingly alienated from his roots, and suddenly has a lot of grievances to air publicly while offering no actual evidence beyond his feelings.
The “family first” tattoo Nicola posted on Instagram hours before Brooklyn’s statement? * eyeroll *
I predict this won’t end well for Brooklyn and Nicola. These public scorched-earth campaigns rarely do. And when the dust settles, David and Victoria—who survived tabloid scandals for 25 years—will still be standing.
Brooklyn will be making hot sauce.
One silver lining for the rest of us? The meme game has been immaculate. Since the “inappropriate dancing” allegations dropped, my feed has been absolutely flooded with AI-generated videos of Victoria dancing at the wedding. Breakdancing Victoria is my personal favorite. It’s the one good thing to come out of this mess.
When the news starts to feel chaotic or off, I break it down in my Between the Lines series.
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Quick Rundown
Dow plunges 870 points as Trump’s tariff threats over Greenland roil global markets. The S&P 500 is now in negative territory for 2026.
Gavin Newsom bombs at Davos. The California governor called European leaders “pathetic” for not standing up to Trump on Greenland, saying he should have brought “kneepads for all the world leaders.” Critics called it a “troll act” that made him look parochial rather than presidential.
Erika Kirk demands a speedy trial for Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating her husband, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. “The Constitution doesn’t guarantee defendants the right to cause undue delay,” her attorney wrote.
Prince Harry back in U.K. court for his case against Associated Newspapers, accusing tabloids of illegal snooping. The trial is expected to last nine weeks.
Trump is in Davos for the World Economic Forum, fresh off threatening 200% tariffs on French wine. When asked how far he’d go on Greenland: “You’ll find out.”