Best Of

'US President Donald Trump says his administration is "reviewing everything" after the fatal shooting by immigration agents of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday.

In his comments to the Wall Street Journal, external, Trump also indicated that he would eventually withdraw agents from the city. But he did not give a time frame.

Protests continued in Minneapolis and other US cities on Sunday, as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz warned that America was at an "inflection point"...The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was directly asked twice whether the agent had done the right thing. He responded: "We're looking, we're reviewing everything and will come out with a determination."

He also told the newspaper: "I don't like any shooting. I don't like it." He added: "But I don't like it when somebody goes into a protest and he's got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also. That doesn't play good either."

The Trump administration is facing pressure from some prominent Republicans, who have joined opposition Democrats in calling for a wide-ranging investigation.'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr571qg4m61o

Thoughts and prayers for the fluffers here and elsewhere justifying every thuggish action of the ICEmen goons. Not that they'll be bothered, long practised as they are to pivoting to agreeing with whatever Big Don says.

'US President Donald Trump says his administration is "reviewing everything" after the fatal shooting by immigration agents of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday.

In his comments to the Wall Street Journal, external, Trump also indicated that he would eventually withdraw agents from the city. But he did not give a time frame.

Protests continued in Minneapolis and other US cities on Sunday, as Minnesota Governor Tim Walz warned that America was at an "inflection point"...The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump was directly asked twice whether the agent had done the right thing. He responded: "We're looking, we're reviewing everything and will come out with a determination."

He also told the newspaper: "I don't like any shooting. I don't like it." He added: "But I don't like it when somebody goes into a protest and he's got a very powerful, fully loaded gun with two magazines loaded up with bullets also. That doesn't play good either."

The Trump administration is facing pressure from some prominent Republicans, who have joined opposition Democrats in calling for a wide-ranging investigation.'
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr571qg4m61o

Looks like Trump is becoming the greatest opponent of the right to bear arms that America has ever seen.

Looks like Trump is becoming the greatest opponent of the right left to bear arms that America has ever seen.

The right to bear arms in the US has always meant the right of the right sort of person to bear arms. One of the biggest pushes on gun control laws came from the Right when the Black Panthers started showing up brandishing weapons, like the Mulford Act, signed into law by Ronald Reagan when Governor of California: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulford_Act

For a deeper dive, see https://journals.law.harvard.edu/jol/2022/05/23/scattershot-guns-gun-control-and-american-politics/

Mel Brooks (who praise be is still with us) on the right and wrong people bearing arms, and even worse, a badge.

https://youtu.be/q-VQGdHR3Vw?si=6FbpBV4l7C0fKQW2

Here's a thing, though.

Until very recently, "experience in one of the Great Offices" was pretty much the first line in the Person Spec to be a mid-term replacement PM.

On the basis, the shortlist ought to be Cooper, Lammy, Reeves, Mahmood, Rayner at a pinch. Not even Reeves can imagine that she has a chance, but it's striking that neither Cooper or Lammy are mentioned. Not necessarily shocking, but striking.

But paraphrasing a fictional Chief Whip, who is up to the job? You can never tell, unless you suck it and see.

Problem is all of them have been found either wanting (or in the case of Mahmood implementing things that are utterly toxic to the people likely to be voting)

Cooper I also wonder if she wants it - Ed couldn't keep his current very well paid job if she was PM..

For Kemi, Davey and Starmer, the biggest defence against being replaced is the paucity of obviously better replacements.

Which says a lot about the state of politics.

Burnham was/is a rather mild threat, as these things go.

I think you misunderstand the Lib Dems here. Davey is very much respected by his Parliamentary party, even while they are a little frustrated with the polls- he just led them to the most significant result for the party in over a century. Davey has a good working relationship with colleagues, notably Daisy Cooper, who is widely spoken of as his potential successor.

What would probably cause Ed to leave office early is if the health of his wife and or son were to take a turn for the worse. For the time being there is no more than normal anti leader muttering in the party and little enough amongst the MPs. He has solved some major internal problems, got 72 MPs elected and is on the brink of further local government gains. If he chose to stand down before the next election, he would not go until long after the locals this year- once again subject to the health of his family. I have been with Ed in public and there is no doubt that people like him- relatable, intelligent and a good guy... Not what we can say of every party leader in our country.
When the time does come, the Lib Dems have a clutch of very bright young new MPs- quite a contrast to the Tory benches indeed I was slightly surprised myself to see how much dead wood the Conservatives still have in the House (Sir David Davis is 77, the young Turk Sir Bernard Jenkin is 66)- and there are some very high quality people on the Lib Dem benches: Al Pinkerton, Calum Miller, Daisy Cooper to pick some names at random.

🤔

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/18/liberal-democrat-mps-frustrated-ed-davey-leader

Reads like one slightly frustrated MP having a bit of a whinge and to fill column space, the Guardian has blown it up into a leadership crisis as newspapers are wont.

This is one of Taz's hobby horses.

🙄

Cicero claims Davey is universally adored by his parliamentary party. The article clearly shows he isn’t.

Here's a thing, though.

Until very recently, "experience in one of the Great Offices" was pretty much the first line in the Person Spec to be a mid-term replacement PM.

On the basis, the shortlist ought to be Cooper, Lammy, Reeves, Mahmood, Rayner at a pinch. Not even Reeves can imagine that she has a chance, but it's striking that neither Cooper or Lammy are mentioned. Not necessarily shocking, but striking.

But paraphrasing a fictional Chief Whip, who is up to the job? You can never tell, unless you suck it and see.

Problem is all of them have been found either wanting (or in the case of Mahmood implementing things that are utterly toxic to the people likely to be voting)

Cooper I also wonder if she wants it - Ed couldn't keep his current very well paid job if she was PM..

For Kemi, Davey and Starmer, the biggest defence against being replaced is the paucity of obviously better replacements.

Which says a lot about the state of politics.

Burnham was/is a rather mild threat, as these things go.

I think you misunderstand the Lib Dems here. Davey is very much respected by his Parliamentary party, even while they are a little frustrated with the polls- he just led them to the most significant result for the party in over a century. Davey has a good working relationship with colleagues, notably Daisy Cooper, who is widely spoken of as his potential successor.

What would probably cause Ed to leave office early is if the health of his wife and or son were to take a turn for the worse. For the time being there is no more than normal anti leader muttering in the party and little enough amongst the MPs. He has solved some major internal problems, got 72 MPs elected and is on the brink of further local government gains. If he chose to stand down before the next election, he would not go until long after the locals this year- once again subject to the health of his family. I have been with Ed in public and there is no doubt that people like him- relatable, intelligent and a good guy... Not what we can say of every party leader in our country.
When the time does come, the Lib Dems have a clutch of very bright young new MPs- quite a contrast to the Tory benches indeed I was slightly surprised myself to see how much dead wood the Conservatives still have in the House (Sir David Davis is 77, the young Turk Sir Bernard Jenkin is 66)- and there are some very high quality people on the Lib Dem benches: Al Pinkerton, Calum Miller, Daisy Cooper to pick some names at random.

🤔

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jan/18/liberal-democrat-mps-frustrated-ed-davey-leader

The LDs will be gaining seats in May so Davey is safe.

It is Labour and the Tories who will be losing them and which of Starmer or Badenoch sees their party lose more councillors, councils, MSPs and MSs is the one likely to be facing the leadership challenge

Yes, here in Birmingham the tricky bit is deciding which wards to focus our campaigning on. Labour is desperately unpopular, primarily because of the ongoing and seemingly intractable bin strike, while Reform will be splitting the right-wing vote. So we're hoping to take seats from both Labour and the Conservatives. Oh, and most of the membership in Brum seem to think Davey is doing a reasonable job.