Trump admin desperation explodes with criminal probes
The David Pakman Show - January 12, 2026
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In a healthy political system, there is usually a point where behavior becomes so extreme that allies hesitate and supporters stop defending it. What we see now is the opposite. Under Donald Trump, the more indefensible the conduct, the more unconditional the loyalty demanded. Questions of law, morality, or evidence are dismissed, and hesitation is treated as betrayal.
The criminal probe into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell follows this same logic. It is not really about misstatements or a building renovation. It is about Trump’s anger over not getting the interest rate cuts he wants. Powell has said plainly that this is retaliation for the Fed refusing to bend to political pressure, threatening the independence of monetary policy. Trump wants low rates to boost markets while also claiming the economy is already the best ever.
Newly released video recorded by the ICE agent who killed Renee Good raises serious doubts about claims of self-defense. The footage shows a calm interaction where Good says, “I’m not mad at you,” before officers escalate by surrounding the vehicle and shouting commands. When the car begins to move, the agent fires three shots, even though multiple angles suggest he was not in the car’s path.
Another moment highlights Donald Trump abruptly walking away from a White House meeting with major oil executives to stare out a window at construction debris. This is not just odd behavior but part of a pattern of distraction and disengagement during serious policy discussions.
Over the weekend, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem addressed the killing of Renee Good in which she avoided direct answers to basic questions. Noem labeled Good a “domestic terrorist” without substantiating the claim and treated the case as resolved.
Trump’s remarks aboard Air Force One reinforced concerns about confusion and moral drift. Instead of addressing whether deadly force was justified, he fixated on “disrespect” toward law enforcement, implicitly suggesting disrespect warrants lethal consequences. The pattern points to a president defaulting to grievance and authoritarian instinct rather than serious governance.
Congressman Jake Auchincloss went on Fox News and forcefully pushed back on Peter Doocy’s attempt to blame Renee Good for her own killing. He made clear that this was victim blaming and argued that when an armed ICE officer confronts a citizen who has committed no crime, the responsibility for restraint lies with law enforcement.
Finally, Josh Shapiro, Governor of Pennsylvania, joins us to discuss the killing of Renee Good, and how to resist Trump and his ICE agents.
On today’s bonus show:
Vivek Ramaswamy leaves social media after receiving racist messages, ICE shortens academy training to 47 days, the Pentagon moves to cut Mark Kelly’s pension, and much more...
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Cut ICE training? They're obviously already not trained properly (at least not legally and appropriately). I guess it doesn't take long to "train" when they don't bother with what is legal and/or should be done. Just today there was video of an improper entry into a home in Minnesota. It crossed my mind to wonder if contacting the actual police department could be of any assistance.
And according to Chris Murphy, the 47 days of training are an homage to the current regime. What the serious hell??