Early this month, President Donald Trump was on a high after the U.S. military carried out a remarkable raid that captured dictator Nicolas Maduro.
However, just three weeks later, he has faced significant resistance on multiple fronts, challenging his economic, foreign relations, and immigration policies. The second deadly shooting in Minnesota by federal agents this weekend has sparked widespread outrage that could signal a turning point.
“It’s starting to seem like we’re in the middle of a historic hinge moment here,” said political scientist Lee Drutman, a senior fellow at the New America think tank.
Trump seemed to recognize his new situation, telling on Sunday night that the administration is “reviewing everything” regarding the shooting and indicated a willingness to eventually withdraw immigration officers from Minneapolis.
A retreat might suggest a weakening base after Trump had widespread support among Republicans for much of 2025, even as his aggressive tariffs shocked businesses and trading partners, including close U.S. allies.
But cracks appeared late in the year as November elections highlighted the affordability crisis and Congress ordered the release of the Epstein files with near-unanimous votes. Heavy redactions and the Justice Department’s failure to disclose all the records by the deadline increased the tension.
The conversation changed rapidly when Maduro was overthrown, and Trump basked in the U.S. military’s proficiency and his new ability to dictate matters in Venezuela, despite complaints that another foreign intervention deviated from his “America first” motto.
The Fed
Two weeks ago, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell issued an unprecedented video statement that revealed he was related to a renovation project at the central bank’s headquarters.
This capped a long-running feud between Powell and Trump, who has repeatedly demanded that rates be lower.
The as lawmakers sought to safeguard the Fed’s independence. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis vowed to block any nominations to the Fed, including for Powell’s replacement, until the case was resolved.
Other marked another departure from Trump’s earlier unanimous support. And after weeks of hinting that he would soon nominate a new Fed chair, Trump has yet to officially name anyone.
Still, the resounding success of the Venezuela operation continued to boost his confidence, and Trump threatened Iran while promising to assist protesters challenging the regime.
Greenland
But then the bravado extended to Greenland. After flirting with the idea of taking over the semi-autonomous Danish territory in his first term and last year, the insistence that the island belongs to the U.S. became more urgent after Venezuela.
Several European countries, all NATO allies, then deployed troops to Greenland, ostensibly to show Trump that they were willing to protect it from China and Russia, which he warned were major threats.
But that angered Trump, who against the NATO countries unless they supported his bid to take over Greenland. This triggered an existential crisis for the trans-Atlantic alliance as Trump had also refused to rule out using the military.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, furious rounds of diplomacy took place to prevent Trump from shattering the nearly 80-year-old defense pact. Republicans like Tillis also voiced support for NATO.
Canada and Europe remained firm in protecting Greenland’s sovereignty, contrasting with a less confrontational approach in last year’s tariff battles, which resulted in a lopsided U.S.-EU trade pact that heavily favors Trump.
On Wednesday, he backed off, saying he will not impose the NATO tariffs and claimed to have a “framework” of a deal that gives the U.S. full access to Greenland. He later said the U.S. is negotiating that host American military bases.
Minnesota
Fury had been building for weeks after Trump sent thousands of federal agents to the state to conduct his immigration crackdown.
Saturday’s shooting was the third in Minnesota this month and the second fatal one. It also followed days of reports about immigration officers detaining young children, arresting U.S. citizens, and forcibly entering homes without judicial warrants.
Video evidence clearly contradicted the Trump administration’s claim that Alex Pretti, a nurse at a veterans hospital, threatened the Border Patrol before being shot.
expressed their anger, and Minnesota-based CEOs. Democrats in Congress strengthened their opposition to an appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security. Meanwhile, more Republicans have started to with federal agents’ tactics and are calling for congressional hearings.
“I think the death of Americans, what we’re seeing on TV, is causing deep concerns about federal tactics and accountability,” Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt told CNN on Sunday. “Americans don’t like what they’re seeing right now.”
Phil Scott, the Republican governor of deep-blue Vermont, went further in his remarks. In a, he said Trump should pause the immigration operations to refocus on criminals. He also urged Congress and the courts to “restore constitutionality” if the president doesn’t act.
“It’s unacceptable for American citizens to be killed by federal agents for exercising their God-given and constitutional rights to protest their government,” he wrote. “At best, these federal immigration operations are a complete failure in coordinating acceptable public safety and law enforcement practices, training, and leadership. At worst, it’s a deliberate federal intimidation and incitement of American citizens that’s leading to the murder of Americans.”
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