PUMP Newsletter

Trump Invites Colombian President to White House After Military Threat

Just days after threatening Colombia with a potential strike over drug trafficking, Trump extended to Colombian President Gustavo Petro to the White House after a one-hour phone call discussing drug trafficking, migration, energy, and Venezuela tensions. This followed Trump's January 4 threat of military action against Colombia, calling it very sick and accusing Petro, without evidence, of aiding cocaine trafficking to the US, after similar operations in Venezuela captured Maduro.

The US revoked Petro's visa in September 2025 and sanctioned Colombian officials, citing Petro's reckless actions like criticizing US policy at rallies. Petro, a former guerrilla, responded by vowing to take up arms if invaded, rallying protests in Bogota, and denying involvement while sharing anti-drug data with Trump.  The call, arranged by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Colombia's foreign minister, de-escalated immediate friction, with both calling it friendly and productive.

It highlights Trump's shift from threats to diplomacy in Latin America, but strains remain over Colombia's role in US anti-drug efforts and Petro's leftist policies.  No meeting date set, but it could stabilize ties with a key ally amid regional instability.

Trump Pushes for $1.5 Trillion Defense Budget Hike in 2027

Trump announced a proposal to raise the 2027 defense budget to $1.5 trillion, up from $901 billion in 2026, after talks with lawmakers and officials. He cited troubled and dangerous times like Venezuela operations, Middle East conflicts, Ukraine, and China threats, aiming to build a Dream Military with more troops, nuclear upgrades, and potential Greenland acquisition for Arctic strategy. Funding would come from tariff revenues (up to $288.5 billion in 2025 from $98.3 billion in 2024), allowing debt reduction and dividends for moderate-income Americans without tax hikes.  

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates it adds $5.8 trillion to debt over a decade. Some Republicans like Rep. Don Bacon support it for Navy and Air Force builds, targeting 4% of GDP, but deficit hawks and Democrats resist, demanding parity with non-defense spending. Congress must approve, likely facing cuts; defense stocks dipped initially. This fits Trump's history of boosts but could force trade-offs and escalate global arms races.

US Seizes Russian-Flagged Oil Tanker Amid Venezuela Tensions

US Navy and Coast Guard forces intercepted and seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Bella 1, which had been renamed Marinera to evade detection, in international waters of the North Atlantic, approximately 200 kilometers off the coast of Iceland following a tense two-week pursuit that began near Venezuelan waters. A second tanker, identified as part of the same smuggling operation, was simultaneously apprehended in the Caribbean Sea, with both vessels suspected of transporting Venezuelan crude oil in violation of expanded US sanctions imposed after the capture of Nicolas Maduro earlier that week.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova condemned the seizure as an act of maritime piracy that further strains US-Russia relations, warning of potential retaliatory measures against American shipping interests. In Caracas, Venezuelan official Jorge Rodriguez, acting as a de facto spokesperson post-Maduro, expressed willingness to negotiate an oil supply deal with the US to de-escalate, suggesting a possible opening for diplomatic talks. The seized oil, estimated at over 500,000 barrels, is being redirected to US refineries under forfeiture laws, potentially boosting domestic reserves but drawing criticism from environmental groups over increased fossil fuel reliance.

Trump Pulls US Out of 66 International Organizations

Trump signed a presidential memorandum, withdrawing the US from 66 international bodies deemed contrary to American interests, following a State Department review under Executive Order 14199. This includes 31 UN-affiliated groups like the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN Population Fund, and others on human rights, migration, and cultural heritage.

Non-UN entities cover areas like renewable energy (International Renewable Energy Agency), conservation (International Union for Conservation of Nature), trade (International Cotton Advisory Committee), and more obscure ones like the International Lead and Zinc Study Group.  The White House says this restores sovereignty and saves billions in taxpayer funds by ending support for wasteful, ineffective, or harmful agendas, including those on climate, DEI, and gender equity.

Critics, including environmental groups and allies like the EU, call it a strategic error that isolates the US on global issues like climate and health, potentially letting China expand influence.  Expect congressional pushback on funding cuts and legal challenges, as this builds on past exits like the Paris Accord and WHO. Review of more organizations is ongoing.

ICE Agent Fatally Shoots Woman in Minneapolis

During a targeted immigration enforcement raid in south Minneapolis on January 7, 2026, an ICE officer shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, a local resident and mother of two, while she was seated in her vehicle near the operation site on East 38th Street. According to official statements from ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, the incident unfolded when a group of bystanders allegedly interfered with agents attempting to detain undocumented individuals, and Good is claimed to have accelerated her car toward the officers, prompting one to fire in self-defense. However, eyewitness accounts and preliminary statements from Minneapolis police contradict this, suggesting Good was uninvolved and merely trying to leave the chaotic scene, with no evidence of intentional harm.

Body camera footage from the involved agents has been secured and is undergoing expedited review by the FBI and the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, amid demands for transparency from advocacy groups like the ACLU. Protests ignited almost immediately, starting with a candlelight vigil attended by over 100 community members at the shooting location, less than five miles from George Floyd Square, evoking memories of the 2020 unrest, and quickly spreading to organized rallies in New York City's Foley Square, San Antonio's Travis Park, and even outside ICE headquarters in Washington, D.C., where demonstrators chanted against Trump's deportation machine.

Trump Seeks $6.2 Million in Legal Fees from Georgia DA's Office

Trump is going after Fulton County DA Fani Willis for over $6 million in attorney fees tied to the dismissed 2020 election interference case, filing the claim yesterday. The filing invokes a new Georgia state law enacted in 2025, which permits defendants to recover costs in cases dismissed on grounds of prosecutorial misconduct or lack of merit, arguing that Willis' pursuit was politically motivated, baseless, and tainted by conflicts of interest, including her past relationship with a special prosecutor.

The requested amount breaks down to cover legal defense for Trump personally as well as co-defendants like Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows, encompassing billable hours, expert witnesses, and court filings accumulated over years of litigation. Willis' office has yet to file an official response, but sources close to her indicate they will contest the claim vigorously, potentially arguing that the dismissal was procedural rather than indicative of wrongdoing on their part. This development follows the Georgia Legislature's passage of the reimbursement bill, which critics say was tailored to benefit Trump amid his ongoing legal battles, and it keeps the spotlight on election integrity issues that have polarized the state since 2020.

If successful, the suit could set a precedent for similar claims in other jurisdictions, rallying Trump's base by framing it as vindication against witch hunts, while prolonging courtroom drama in Georgia and possibly straining the DA's budget, which is already under scrutiny for resource allocation in high-profile cases.

That’s all for today, thanks for reading!

We’ll see you tomorrow!

— The PUMP Team