Before we get into today’s news, we sent our man into the trenches to watch the new Melania Trump film so you wouldn’t have to — and his review is nothing short of brilliant.
“It’s genuinely really bad, guys,” he reports from the frontlines. “The only way it was really bearable was I sort of wrote a running commentary of just everything wrong with it.” From a two-minute hat scene to Trump kissing Melania “like she’s a FedEx package,” Chris captured every excruciating moment. His verdict? “Zero out of five, n out of 100, five turds up.” Watch his full review above or on our YouTube Channel. Chris braved Melania so democracy could live another day.
Readers like you make Raw America possible. We’re not bankrolled by billionaires — which means we can tell the truth without worrying about whose feelings we hurt. If that matters to you, consider supporting our work. We genuinely can’t keep doing this without you.
Now let’s get into today’s news.
The MAGA Half-Time Show Nobody Asked For
The Super Bowl controversy has officially reached peak absurdity. Trump and his supporters are melting down over Bad Bunny performing at the Super Bowl half-time show. The offense? Someone might sing in Spanish at an American sporting event — the horror! In response, Turning Point USA has organized their own alternative performance. The result? A lineup that one music critic described as “absolute bottom of the barrel.”
Kid Rock is headlining the alternative event. Yes, that Kid Rock. Joining him are Brantley Gilbert, Lee Brice, and Gabby Barrett. If you’re wondering who these people are, you’re not alone. You’d have to wind the clock back to 2011 to find when Gilbert and Brice were relevant. The announcement landed with all the energy of a wet firecracker, with even conservative radio hosts expressing disappointment.
Meanwhile, Bad Bunny used his Grammy Awards platform Sunday to deliver another sharp rebuke to the Trump regime. He declared “ICE out” and called for love over hate.
Tulsi Gabbard Turns the FBI Into Trump’s Personal Goon Squad
The day after FBI agents raided an elections office in Fulton County, Georgia, last week, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard did something that should terrify anyone who cares about the rule of law. According to The New York Times, she arranged a call between the agents on the scene and President Trump.
Consider that — the FBI conducted a raid based on Trump’s thoroughly debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election being rigged against him in Georgia, and then Gabbard personally connected the agents to the president so he could thank them and ask questions.
This isn’t law enforcement. This is weaponizing federal agencies to pursue the president’s personal vendettas. Gabbard called Trump on her cell phone after the search. He didn’t pick up initially but called back later to speak to the agents on speakerphone. The optics are insane. We’re watching in real time as Trump transforms America’s intelligence and law enforcement apparatus into his own personal enforcement arm — and Gabbard is happily playing the role of fixer, making sure dear leader gets his updates and can personally thank the agents doing his bidding.
Body Cameras for ICE? A Republican Says Maybe
In what might qualify as actual news, Republican Senator Ron Johnson suggested something unexpected — he wouldn’t oppose ICE agents wearing body cameras during immigration patrols. This represents a potential opening in the standoff over Department of Homeland Security funding that Democrats have been blocking over concerns about ICE conduct.
The debate erupted after fatal shootings during ICE operations in Minneapolis, where agents killed Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Since then, Democrats have refused to fund DHS without reforms — including body cameras, an end to roving patrols, and requirements for judicial warrants before home entries. They also want prohibitions on agents wearing masks and proper identification requirements.
Johnson told CNN he doesn’t “have a problem” with body cameras. But he rejected the warrant requirement, calling it a “sneaky way” to derail Trump’s immigration agenda. He claimed agents are “on hair-trigger alert,” alleging they’ve been shot at and had their cars rammed by protesters. Still, he conceded that body cameras might actually help illuminate such situations.
Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries have been pushing what they call “commonsense changes.” Jeffries described current ICE operations as “masked thugs, in many instances unleashing brutality on law-abiding American citizens.” The Senate passed a two-week extension for homeland security funding last Friday, but the House is expected to continue demanding reforms.
Melania Loves the Bidens (Unlike Her Husband)
In perhaps the strangest development of the week, First Lady Melania Trump appeared on Fox News to promote her new film — and ended up lavishing praise on Joe and Jill Biden. Describing their interactions on inauguration day, she called it “a very cordial relationship” and added that the Bidens were “very nice.” This stands in stark contrast to her husband, who has called Biden “vicious” and “crooked” and argued Biden didn’t deserve sympathy after his cancer diagnosis.
“Melania,” which chronicles the 20 days leading up to Trump’s inauguration, is the subject of Raw America’s YouTube video today. It’s directed by Brett Ratner — who previously took a break from Hollywood after facing allegations of rape and sexual misconduct. Ratner also recently appeared in the Justice Department’s latest release of Epstein files.
If you enjoy YouTube, please drop by the Raw America channel, which delivers hard-hitting analyses of the day’s top news every day.
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