Anti-ICE activists’ attempts to frustrate federal immigration law enforcement in Minneapolis and elsewhere hit a snag on Wednesday.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota and three Minnesota-based law firms filed a lawsuit on Dec. 17 against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, alleging its agents violated the constitutional rights of several anti-ICE activists, including a Minnesota woman and a Somali-American who were both accused of attacking federal agents.

A federal judge who was nominated by former President Joe Biden ruled last week in favor of the radicals.

‘A liberal judge in Minnesota tried to handcuff ICE agents.’

U.S. District Judge Kate Menendez prohibited federal agents involved in Operation Metro Surge and related operations in the Gopher State from:

“retaliating against persons who are engaging in peaceful and unobstructive protest activity”; arresting such persons; “using pepper-spray or similar nonlethal munitions and crowd dispersal tools against persons who are engaging in peaceful and unobstructive protest activity”; and “stopping or detaining drivers and passengers in vehicles where there is no reasonable articulable suspicion that they are forcibly obstructing or interfering with Covered Federal Agents.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security promptly appealed the Biden judge’s ruling to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. On Wednesday, the appellate court granted the defendants an administrative stay of Menendez’s preliminary injunction.

Attorney General Pam Bondi appeared greatly pleased with the higher court’s ruling.

RELATED: Anti-ICE lunacy hits new low: Activist allegedly air-horns cops investigating school threat that had nothing to do with ICE

Photographer: Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images

“A liberal judge in Minnesota tried to handcuff ICE agents who are enforcing the Nation’s immigration laws and responding to obstructive and violent interference from agitators,” Bondi said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The 8th Circuit just granted an administrative stay HALTING these restrictions, which were designed to undermine federal law enforcement,” continued the attorney general. “This DOJ will protect federal law enforcement agents from criminals in the streets AND activist judges in the courtroom.”

Federal agents didn’t waste any time taking advantage of their restored abilities.

Hours after the ruling, Greg Bovino of U.S. Border Patrol was caught on tape warning a hostile crowd of anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis that gas was coming, then tossing a gas canister their way.

The Department of Homeland Security indicated that “Border Patrol agents who were in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area as part of a targeted enforcement operation were repeatedly harassed and blocked by hostile crowds while simply trying to take bathroom breaks.”

“At each gas station where the agents stopped to use the restroom, groups of agitators appeared, yelled at them, stalked them, and even tried to prevent law enforcement vehicles from leaving, creating unsafe conditions,” said the DHS. “At one stop, individuals in the crowd threw food at the agents. At their final gas station stop, someone spit on an agent. When an agent moved to detain the person who spit on him, the crowed tackled and attacked the agents while surrounding them. To safely clear the area agents had to use crowd control measures to disperse the hostile crowd.”

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President Donald Trump has recently intensified his push to acquire Greenland for U.S. national security reasons, refusing to rule out military force or economic coercion, including tariffs on Denmark and European allies. The U.S. will get control of Greenland “one way or the other,” he told reporters on Air Force One on January 11.

Yesterday at a White House news conference, when asked how far he would go to obtain the ice-covered island, he cryptically replied, “You’ll find out.”

His determination to acquire Greenland has sparked significant backlash, including strong rejections from Denmark’s and Greenland’s leaders. Many call it a power-grab that will strain NATO ties and potentially ignite a war.

But Glenn Beck says we have to be smart about the way we think about this. “If you know anything about Donald Trump, he’s been against war his whole life,” he says.

Trump’s latest moves, he argues, don’t indicate a desire for war; they indicate a desire to survive an inevitable one.

“What he’s acting like is a man who believes the world is dying anyway. The old world is dying and that it’s better to break it deliberately and … grab the wreckage than inherit it by surprise and have to be fighting for the scraps,” he explains, reminding that history repeatedly shows that “only the disruptors … have a chance of saving their nation.”

Glenn echoes Trump’s words that Denmark “cannot be responsible for the security of the northern hemisphere,” especially against the threat of Russia and China.

“The Danes and the EU are not going to be the ones that prevent war or protect the northern hemisphere. It must be the United States, so we must have control of Greenland,” he says, displaying a map of the country that highlights its strategic location in the Arctic.

Because it straddles the GIUK Gap (Greenland-Iceland-U.K.) between North America and Europe, Greenland is vital for monitoring Russian and Chinese submarines and missiles, providing early warning against attacks on the U.S., controlling access to emerging northern shipping routes, and securing the northern approaches to North America.

For these reasons, the United States has been expressing interest in controlling Greenland since the 1950s, says Glenn, but President Trump — in light of the swelling threat of China and Russia and the weakening of NATO — is actually trying to make it happen.

But this need for hemispheric control extends beyond Greenland.

Glenn suspects that Trump’s tariffs weren’t just economic tools but deliberate “stress tests” on allies and potential partners. By applying pressure equally, even on NATO members like Denmark or close neighbors like Canada, Trump forces the world to answer: Who stands with the West, and who is drifting toward adversaries like China?

Glenn plays recent clips of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney boasting about exporting massive LNG shipments to Asia — “By 2030, Canada will produce 50 million tons of LNG each year, all of which will be destined for Asian markets” — as an example of how tariffs have forced nations to show their true colors.

People might not like Trump’s tariffs or his push for Greenland, but they’re failing to see the big picture.

“The president sees war, and he’s preparing for it,” says Glenn.

To hear more of Glenn’s commentary and predictions, watch the video above.

Want more from Glenn Beck?

To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

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Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner and Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson (R) were scheduled to appear at Dallas Baptist University this morning, but their event was abruptly canceled after the school received unverified threats.

Dallas Baptist University was evacuated on Thursday morning, the Dallas Morning News reported.

‘Out of an abundance of caution, the University has made the decision to cancel classes for Thursday, January 22.’

Turner was scheduled to give remarks at 9:30 a.m. as a part of the HUD Center for Faith’s Opportunity Zones Summit. Opportunity Zones are “economically distressed communities,” nominated by America’s governors.

Johnson was also slated to speak about “public-private partnerships and uplifting underserved communities,” according to the Dallas Morning News.

“Emergency response: Out of an abundance of caution, the University has made the decision to cancel classes for Thursday, January 22,” a news release from the university reads. “The safety and well-being of our students, faculty, and staff remain our highest priority. Additional updates will be shared as appropriate as the situation continues to be monitored.”

RELATED: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem partners with HUD to end government-funded housing for illegal aliens: ‘The gravy train is over’

Eric Johnson. Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

“Dallas Baptist University has been made aware of several unverified threats involving the campus,” the university said in a statement to Blaze News.

“While there is no confirmed indication of immediate danger, University leadership is proactively assessing the situation and working closely with law enforcement officials to ensure the safety of our community,” the statement added.

The university stressed that the campus was evacuated “out of an extreme abundance of caution” so that it could “determine the legitimacy of these unverified threats.” Classes remain canceled for the remainder of the day.

No injuries have been reported.

RELATED: ‘Government is in the way’ of disaster recovery in North Carolina, California: HUD secretary to Glenn Beck

Scott Turner. Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Dallas Baptist University was founded in 1898 and is home to over 4,000 students.

“This event has been canceled due to a security concern on campus,” a HUD spokesperson told Blaze News.

The Dallas mayor’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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As the Trump administration celebrates one year in office, the Department of Homeland Security made a big announcement for its CBP Home App program in a bid to keep the deportation numbers high.

In a Wednesday press release, DHS announced that it will be increasing the self-deportation stipend the American taxpayer has been paying illegal aliens to self-deport.

‘Illegal aliens should take advantage of this gift and self-deport because if they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return.’

The stipend will increase from $1,000 to $2,600. DHS’ offer also covers the airline ticket price and forgiveness of any civil fines or penalties for failing to leave the country.

“Since January 2025, 2.2 million illegal aliens have voluntarily self-deported and tens of thousands have used the CBP Home program. To celebrate one year of this administration, the U.S. taxpayer is generously increasing the incentive to leave voluntarily for those in this country illegally — offering a $2,600 exit bonus,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

RELATED: Anti-ICE lunacy hits new low: Activist allegedly air-horns cops investigating school threat that had nothing to do with ICE

Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP via Getty Images

“Illegal aliens should take advantage of this gift and self-deport because if they don’t, we will find them, we will arrest them, and they will never return,” Noem continued.

DHS explained in the press release that an enforced deportation costs a little over $18,000. With the new offer, the burden on the U.S. taxpayer for a voluntary self-deportation is substantially lessened, dropping to just over $5,000.

The department also claimed that the Trump administration finished its first year with over 675,000 deportations, though more specific breakdowns of the data have been difficult to obtain.

“Those illegal aliens who don’t take advantage of this special offer today have only one alternative: They will be arrested, deported, and they will never be able to return to the United States,” DHS said. “The smart and simple thing to do is to start planning your trip home through CBP Home today.”

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House Republicans have opened an investigation into Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) after reviewing recent financial disclosure filings that show a sharp increase in her household’s reported wealth, according to multiple media reports.

The inquiry is being led by Republicans on the House Oversight Committee, who say they are examining whether Omar and her husband, Tim Mynett, properly disclosed income and business interests as required by federal ethics laws. The review is in its early stages, and no formal allegations of wrongdoing have been announced.

‘There are a lot of questions as to how her husband accumulated so much wealth over the past two years.’

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said the panel intends to pursue answers through congressional oversight channels.

“We’re going to get answers, whether it’s through the Ethics Committee or the Oversight Committee, one of the two,” Comer said.

RELATED: Ilhan Omar blurts out profanity to describe United States amid ICE mission in Minneapolis — and backlash is fierce

Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

Omar, a Democrat who represents much of Minneapolis, reported significantly higher asset valuations in her most recent annual disclosure compared with previous years. The filings list increased valuations tied largely to Mynett’s business holdings, including consulting and investment ventures.

Comer questioned the plausibility of the reported increase, saying it raised immediate red flags.

“There are a lot of questions as to how her husband accumulated so much wealth over the past two years,” Comer said. “It’s not possible. It’s not. I’m a money guy. It’s not possible.”

Republicans say the size and timing of the reported increase warrant closer scrutiny. Oversight Committee members have indicated they may seek additional documentation to better understand how the assets were valued and whether the disclosures complied with House ethics rules.

Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), the House majority whip, said the issue goes beyond routine disclosure review and merits formal examination.

RELATED: First Muslim Texas lawmakers push Islamic values

Scott Heins/Getty Images

“The explosion of wealth, plus the fact that convicted fraudsters helped fund Omar’s campaign, is worth an investigation by the Ethics Committee at the very least,” Emmer said.

The investigation comes amid heightened political attention on financial transparency in Congress and broader scrutiny of fraud cases in Minnesota, though Omar has not been charged or accused of involvement in those cases.

Omar has dismissed the investigation as politically motivated and has denied any wrongdoing. She has previously said her financial disclosures are accurate and that her husband’s business activities are lawful.

A congressional investigation does not itself imply misconduct. Lawmakers frequently review disclosures and request clarifications as part of routine oversight. The House Oversight Committee has not released a timeline for potential hearings or subpoenas.

Democrats have criticized the probe as partisan, arguing that Republicans are targeting a prominent progressive lawmaker. Republicans counter that the inquiry is about transparency and accountability.

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The House Oversight Committee issued deposition subpoenas on Aug. 5 to failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton requiring their testimony “related to horrific crimes perpetrated by Jeffrey Epstein.”

Evidently the Clintons didn’t feel that they should be held to the same standard to which Democrats previously held President Donald Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon and current trade adviser Peter Navarro, who were both jailed for defying subpoenas issued by the Jan. 6 committee.

‘The Clintons were legally required to appear and instead responded to our good-faith negotiations with defiance.’

After repeated warnings that the Clintons risked criminal exposure by failing to comply with the subpoenas, the committee advanced two resolutions on Wednesday recommending that the House of Representatives find them in contempt of Congress.

The resolution finding Hillary Clinton in contempt passed in a 28-15 vote. The three Democratic lawmakers who joined Republicans in supporting the resolution were Reps. Summer Lee (Pa.), Melanie Stansbury (N.M.), and Rashida Tlaib (Mich.).

The resolution finding Bill Clinton in contempt passed in a 34-8 vote with the help of Lee, Stansbury, Tlaib, and six other Democrats: Maxwell Frost (Fla.), Raja Krishnamoorthi (Ill.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.), Stephen Lynch (Mass.), Emily Randall (Wash.), and Lateefah Simon (Calif.).

“By voting to hold the Clintons in contempt, the Committee sent a clear message: No one is above the law, and justice must be applied equally — regardless of position, pedigree, or prestige,” Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) said in the wake of the votes. “The Clintons were legally required to appear and instead responded to our good-faith negotiations with defiance, delay, and obstruction.”

RELATED: Ghislaine Maxwell scheduled to testify before House Oversight Committee

Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell. Photo by Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images.

The Clintons’ lawyers, apparently aware that the other shoe was about to drop, proposed that Comer travel to New York for a conversation with Bill Clinton where “no official transcript would be recorded and other Members of Congress would be barred from participating,” Comer indicated on Tuesday.

Comer noted both that the “Clintons’ latest demands make clear they believe their last name entitles them to special treatment” and that the proposal for a transcript-free interview was unworkable because “Clinton has a documented history of parsing language to evade questions, responded falsely under oath, and was impeached and suspended from the practice of law as a result.”

Angel Urena, deputy chief of staff to Bill Clinton, denied Comer’s framing and stated hours ahead of the votes that “we have offered to help, we have helped, and to this very moment we are ready to help. But the Republicans REFUSE to say yes.”

Urena suggested that the dealbreaker was ultimately lawmakers’ alleged refusal to “keep their questions about the Epstein investigation to questions about Jeffrey Epstein.”

House GOP leaders are reportedly not expected to vote on whether to refer the contempt findings to the Department of Justice for potential prosecution until lawmakers return in February. The Washington Post suggested that the delay will afford the Clintons time to talk their way out of hot water and into an arrangement with the committee.

Democrats have a history of evading consequence for defying congressional subpoenas.

Eric Holder, former President Barack Obama’s attorney general, was held in contempt of Congress in a decisive 255-67 vote in 2012 for refusing to turn over documents related to the Fast and Furious scandal.

The Obama Justice Department rewarded Holder for keeping Obama’s documents from the American people’s elected representatives by refusing to prosecute.

In 2024, House Republicans voted to hold former Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for defying subpoenas for audio recordings of former President Joe Biden’s interview with special counsel Robert Hur.

The Biden Department of Justice revealed on June 14, 2024, that it would not bother prosecuting the Democratic official.

House Republicans talked a big game in early 2024 about possible repercussions after Hunter Biden defied a congressional subpoena. Biden managed to get out unscathed as lawmakers dropped their proposed contempt resolution to give the pardoned felon’s attorneys more time.

Republican allies have not been so lucky.

After the Democrat-controlled House voted 229-202 in 2021 to hold him in contempt of Congress, the Biden DOJ energetically prosecuted Steve Bannon, securing a conviction and recommending that he serve at least six months in prison and pay a $200,000 fine. He ultimately served four.

Navarro received a similar treatment and ended up serving a four-month prison sentence as well.

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A felon who had spent time behind bars for kidnapping and other crimes tried to abduct a Florida woman who was walking her dog in the area of 18th Place East in Bradenton on New Year’s Day, WFLA-TV reported, citing the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

The woman managed to run away from the suspect’s car and made it to her home — and then warned her husband about what happened, the station said.

‘Chalk one up for the good guys!’

Detectives said the husband went outside and confronted the suspect, who behaved “in a threatening manner” toward the couple, WFLA reported.

But when the suspect began approaching, the husband shot the suspect once in the driveway, the station said.

The sheriff’s office told WFLA the entire incident occurred in a matter of minutes.

Deputies responded to the shooting at 12:27 a.m., and the suspect — 36-year-old Nicholas Palomo — died at the scene despite efforts to save him, the station said.

RELATED: Crook forces way into home, stabs resident amid fight. But victim’s wife grabs gun, opens fire — and permanently ends threat.

Mugshot of Nicholas Palomo from 2023Image source: Manatee County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office

More from WFLA:

After collecting further evidence in the shooting, investigators determined that Palomo did not know the couple, classifying the shooting as a “random incident.”

Detectives also found that Palomo previously caused a disturbance at a Circle K before the shooting. It is believed he may have been under the influence of narcotics.

An autopsy found Palomo died of a single gunshot to the chest, and toxicology testing is being done to determine what drugs were in his system at the time.

The State Attorney’s Office classified the shooting as self-defense, justifying the homeowner’s actions, the station said.

As you can imagine, commenters under WFLA’s Facebook post about the incident gave the husband hearty kudos.

“Husband of the year!” one commenter declared.”I got his next beer,” another user promised.”Chalk one up for the good guys!” another commenter exclaimed.”Hero husband,” another user stated.”The south don’t play games,” another commenter wrote.

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Radicals from Racial Justice Network, Black Lives Matter Minnesota, and BLM Twin Cities assembled on Sunday for a so-called “ICE Out Action,” then stormed a Christian church in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Thursday morning that at her direction, Homeland Security Investigations and FBI agents arrested Nekima Levy Armstrong, the founder of the Racial Justice Network and former president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP, who claimed responsibility for the disruption.

The AG indicated that Chauntyll Louisa Allen, a radical lesbian who has led BLM Twin Cities and worked for the Saint Paul School Board since 2020, was also arrested.

“Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,” wrote Bondi.

‘President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship.’

FBI Director Kash Patel indicated that both Armstrong and Allen were arrested for alleged violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinics Entrances Act.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon indicated in the immediate aftermath of the radicals’ incursion into Cities Church, which apparently has a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-affiliated pastor, that her office was looking into potential FACE Act violations “by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers.”

RELATED: ‘You are on notice!’ Don Lemon backs anti-ICE radicals who stormed Saint Paul church — but DOJ vows reckoning

Photo by Jason Alpert-Wisnia/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images

“We don’t want to prejudge, but I think it is fair to say that I saw multiple federal criminal incidents yesterday, and there will be charges,” Dhillon told Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck Monday. “It’s only a question of when we can get a judge to sign off on arrest warrants and exactly what the charges would be.”

The law prohibits the use of force, threat of force, or physical obstruction to injure, intimidate, or interfere with any person lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise their First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.

Violations can result in prison time and hefty fines as well as civil lawsuits.

Footage of the church-storming appears to show the mob led by Armstrong blocking the altar, yelling Renee Good’s name, and pressing parishioners individually to answer whether they support ICE. One pair of visibly upset churchgoers can be seen in the video comforting one another while the radicals angrily condemn members of law enforcement.

In one video of the mob action, Armstrong apparently yells, “Someone who claims to worship God, teaching people in this church about God, is out there overseeing ICE agents. Think about what we experienced. The murder of Renee Good at the hands of ICE. A Venezuelan national shot by ICE.”

Armstrong references a pair of individuals who were shot while allegedly attacking federal agents, then yells, “How dare you claim to be a pastor of God? … You are involved in evil in our community,” video appears to show.

“President Trump will not tolerate the intimidation and harassment of Christians in their sacred places of worship,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Sunday. “The Department of Justice has launched a full investigation into the despicable incident that took place earlier today at a church in Minnesota.”

Bondi suggested that there are more arrests to come.

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Many Americans have watched Peter Jackson’s movie trilogy “The Lord of the Rings.” And many have read J.R.R. Tolkien’s books. Some can quote whole passages and trace Tolkien’s deliberate references to the life of Christ and the horror of modern war.

Maybe House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) live in that camp. If not, they should.

The Republicans’ plan cannot be ‘use federal power while we have it, then trust the next guys.’

A crucial scene comes early in the saga. The council debates what to do with the One Ring, the ultimate source of power. Boromir makes an understandable, dangerous suggestion — a perfect expression of fallen man’s temptation: “Give Gondor the weapon of the enemy. Let us use it against him.”

Aragorn stops him with two sentences rooted in humility and truth: “You cannot wield it. None of us can.”

That is the lesson Republicans must learn now, while they still hold majorities.

Dismantle the machine, don’t borrow it

Many supporters of President Trump want Congress to act boldly. They also want something more important: They want Republicans to roll back the reach and scope of the federal government while they can. If the GOP refuses, Democrats will inherit the same machinery and use it without restraint. Not someday. Soon.

If you think I exaggerate by calling Democrats the enemy or warning that we are doomed, consider a recent message from the second-highest-ranking elected congressional Democrat in the country, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York. Jeffries posted a video of White House adviser Stephen Miller on X.com and wrote: “Donald Trump will leave office long before the five-year statute of limitations expires. You are hereby put on notice.”

Jeffries did not allege a crime. He did not explain what Miller did wrong. He did not argue facts or law. He issued a threat: We will punish you later because we can.

That is what Republicans keep forgetting. The federal government’s power does not idle in neutral. It exists to be used. If it remains in place, someone will use it — and progressives have already shown what they want to do with it.

Which raises the central point: Nobody can safely wield that power. Not congressional Republicans. Not any administration. The correct move is not to grab the weapon and promise better behavior. The correct move is to destroy the weapon.

Fraud stories shine a bright light

Start with something as basic as fraud.

Look at the unraveling of the Somali day-care scandal in Minnesota and the billions of stolen tax dollars. That story grew so large that it helped end Minnesota Democrat Gov. Tim Walz’s re-election ambitions. Yet the government did not uncover it.

Not the Government Accountability Office. Not the Congressional Budget Office. Not the Office of Management and Budget. Not House or Senate oversight committees. Not the IRS. Not the Small Business Administration. Not the armies of full-time staffers inside federal agencies reporting up to inspectors general whose job description exists for this very purpose.

All that government power — and it did nothing.

RELATED: America now looks like a marriage headed for divorce — with no exit

mathisworks via iStock/Getty Images

The scandal came to light because of the tenacity of a 23-year-old guy with a camera. If the federal machine can miss fraud on that scale, imagine what else it misses.

Fraud saturates the system. Estimates run as high as $500 billion — roughly 7% of the $6.8 trillion federal budget. That budget still reflects COVID-era spending levels. In 2019, Washington spent $4.45 trillion. Why did we never return to pre-COVID levels?

Because money is power. And like Boromir, too many people convince themselves they can wield it.

Ethics are not enough

Energy policy shows the same temptation in real time.

My nonprofit organization, Power the Future, sent another letter to House and Senate oversight committees and to Attorney General Pam Bondi urging investigations into Biden’s energy secretary, Jennifer Granholm. In the final days of the Biden administration, Granholm awarded $100 billion in green-energy grants — more than the previous 15 years combined. Many recipients had previously supported her political campaigns.

Green money poured out of Washington through the misnamed Inflation Reduction Act, which allocated $60 billion for “environmental justice” — a phrase so deliberately amorphous that it has no fixed meaning. Team Biden spent $1 trillion “going green,” a statistic Vice President Kamala Harris bragged about during her lone 2024 debate with Donald Trump.

That entire structure still stands.

Nothing prevents the current energy secretary, Chris Wright, from spending billions on his favorite projects except his ethics. I believe Wright has ethics in abundance. We should feel grateful. But one man’s ethics do not qualify as a system of government.

The next secretary could be worse than Granholm. If the power remains, someone will use it.

RELATED: Nuke the filibuster or brace for the next impeachment campaign

Viktoriia Melnyk via iStock/Getty Images

Empty the arsenal

Just as in Tolkien’s masterpiece, our enemies do not wait quietly. They scheme. They train. They amass armies of lawyers, activists, operatives, and bureaucrats. They build institutional pipelines that outlast elections. They do not go home after losing once. They plan the return.

Republicans need to plan as well — and their plan cannot be “use federal power while we have it, then trust the next guys.”

One party will not hold Washington forever. When conservatives lose power, they should make sure the left inherits a reduced federal government: weaker, narrower, stripped of the patronage systems and enforcement tools that now function as political weapons.

That is why it is incumbent upon congressional Republicans to do everything in their power — everything — to destroy the Ring.

America’s founders envisioned a weak federal government for this reason. In America’s 250th year, Congress should act like it understands the danger of concentrated power. If Republicans keep the machinery intact, they will regret it. If the Ring finds its next master, it will not spare the people who once held it.

​Opinion & analysis, Politics, Corruption, Minnesota fraud, Somali fraud, Tim walz, Government accountability office, Jacob frey, Theft, Tolkien, Lord of the rings, Sauron, Aragorn, Boromir, Mike johnson, John thune, Congress, Day care, Scandal, Investigation, Hakeem jeffries, Donald trump, Stephen miller, Social media, Weaponized justice, Office of management and budget, Jennifer granholm, Energy, Climate change, Climate justice, Power