The Minneapolis Shooting: The Facts

"The Minneapolis ICE shooting story has been evolving the way these stories always do – but not in the direction that the Left would prefer."

American Thinker

. . . "yet another example of the Left’s willingness to lubricate their programs with the blood of their opponents, of innocents, and of their own.

Nekima Levy Armstrong is an attorney and civil rights
 activist who organized many of the protests after the
 death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020. She has
 also been active in documenting ICE operations in
the city.

ICE agent who shot Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis an Iraq War veteran, is believed to have worked as an ICE agent since at least 2013.   

. . . "ICE agents had conducted a traffic stop on Roberto Carlos Munoz, a serial illegal immigrant from Guatemala with a lengthy rap sheet, records show.

"Ross broke the back driver’s side window after Munoz refused to exit his vehicle when officers approached his car.    The suspect then sped away with Ross’ arm caught between the seat and the car frame — dragging him more than 100 yards, the Justice Department said at the time.He was hospitalized with “significant injuries to his arm and hand” requiring 33 stitches, but made a full recovery, according to the feds." . . .

 Court records detail prior incident involving ICE officer who shot and killed Minneapolis woman | CBC News

. . . "The officer needed more than 30 stitches after the June incident in Bloomington, Minn. The suspect in that incident was convicted of assault several weeks ago.

"Vice-President JD Vance and U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem spoke about the officer at length during a news conference on Thursday, doubling down on their account that the agent was defending himself when he shot Good.

"Local and state officials have repeatedly rejected the Trump administration's version of events, saying video evidence directly contradicts the notion that Good deliberately "weaponized" her vehicle to drive at the officer.

“ '[T]hat very ICE officer nearly had his life ended, dragged by a car six months ago," Vance said at the White House on Thursday. "So you think maybe he’s a little bit sensitive about somebody ramming him with an automobile?' " . . . 

ICE Agent Jonathan Ross sustained serious injuries during a June 2025 arrest attempt, including multiple large cuts and abrasions, and was treated with a tourniquet before hospitalization.

. . . "Jonathan Ross, an ICE officer involved in recent high-profile incidents, was severely injured during an arrest in Bloomington, Minnesota, in June 2025. Court records and affidavits describe that Ross suffered multiple large cuts and abrasions on his knee, elbow, and face as a result of the incident.

The injury occurred when Ross was physically dragged approximately 50 yards by a fleeing suspect in a vehicle while his arm remained caught inside the car. This dangerous situation caused significant trauma, requiring immediate medical attention. An FBI agent applied a tourniquet to control bleeding at the scene before Ross was transported to a hospital for further care.

These injuries highlight the risks law enforcement officers face during high-risk arrests, especially when suspects resist and attempt to evade capture by force. Ross’s injuries were serious enough to require emergent treatment but no further details on long-term impact have been publicly disclosed.

Ross’s career includes extensive government and military service, emphasizing his experience prior to this incident. His injury during the 2025 arrest has been cited in news coverage related to his role in subsequent events in Minneapolis.

Overall, the injuries sustained were significant physical trauma due to being dragged by a vehicle and reinforced with visible large cuts and abrasions on critical areas of his body, managed emergency onsite with a tourniquet application. This information is drawn from official court documents and credible news reports.

 BREAKING: Was just sent a video showing the moments before the shooting.
In it, you can clearly see Renee Good’s vehicle blocking ICE agents for over 3 minutes as she’s dancing to her own car horn.
Kinda ruins some narratives, doesn’t it? pic.twitter.com/aXtiTjAtF9

— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) January 10, 2026

For Gavin Newsom, selling California may be harder than selling himself

California Political Review  

"Conventional wisdom holds that California is an albatross for Newsom’s widely-anticipated White House bid — a state that is too progressive, too pricey, too polarizing to appeal to swing voters in battleground states."

"Gavin Newsom’s presidential hopes may hinge not only on how he sells his own image, but, as he implicitly made clear on Thursday, whether he can remake his home state’s as well. The latter may be the harder challenge.

"Conventional wisdom holds that California is an albatross for Newsom’s widely-anticipated White House bid — a state that is too progressive, too pricey, too polarizing to appeal to swing voters in battleground states.

"But Newsom sought to flip the script in his final State of the State address, unapologetically trumpeting California as a road map for the rest of the nation, naysayers be damned.

"It was the most robust preview yet of the governor’s likely 2028 strategy: Convince voters to back him not in spite of his California connections, but because of them.

“ 'We are a beacon,” he told state lawmakers and officials in his Capitol address. “The state is providing a different narrative — an operational model, a policy blueprint for others to follow.

”Newsom’s muscular pro-California rhetoric is an extension of the defiant posture he assumed last year as a social media provocateur and vanguard of the national redistricting fight. The “post first, apologize later (or never)” strategy propelled the governor to the heart of the political zeitgeist — and most early 2028 Democratic primary polls. 

"The speech demonstrated Newsom’s intention to rewrite the California crack-up narrative that dominates conservative cable news channels, social media and podcasts, all of which the governor voraciously consumes. He diagnosed the state’s skeptics as suffering from “California Derangement Syndrome,” an unsubtle echo of “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” the preferred way for President Donald Trump’s supporters to dismiss condemnation." . .  .

"The question for Newsom even before it comes to far-flung early primary states is whether his own residents agree. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, which regularly tracks sentiment, a majority of Californians have believed the state is on the wrong track for more than three years. In overwhelmingly blue California, the gloomy outlook cannot just be attributed to partisan Fox News viewers."   Full article here...

Gavin Newsom, ‘King of Fraud’  "During a Fox and Friends broadcast Thursday, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli branded California Gov. Gavin Newsom “the king of fraud.” He didn’t stop there. He declared, “There’s never been this much fraud in American history.”. . . 

Newsom’s strategy in his State of the State address of fraudulently claiming he achieved greatness in California may just be his interim plan while he remains in office. Once he leaves the governor’s office, he may rush past California’s disasters and hope voters never look too closely at the record he leaves behind.

Who Gets Canonized — And Who Gets Condemned?

The Left’s disparate reactions to Renee Nicole Good versus Ashli Babbitt’s deaths.  

If the person killed is politically useful, they are canonized as a victim regardless of their actions. If the person killed is politically inconvenient, their death is justified, mocked, or ignored — no matter the circumstances. That is not a commitment to justice. It is a commitment to power.

Below: How many anti-ICE rioters cheered for the Hamas murderers of the Bibas family ?

"On Jan. 6, 2021, a Capitol Police officer named Michael Byrd fatally shot Ashli Babbitt — an unarmed, married, 36-year-old U.S. Air Force veteran — as she attempted to climb through a broken window inside the U.S. Capitol.

"Democrats and the media hailed Byrd as a hero. He was later promoted. They offered no sympathy for Babbitt. She was not treated as a victim of a tragic or excessive use of force, but as a villain whose death was justified by her politics. Her military service, her lack of a weapon, and the circumstances of her death were dismissed. She was MAGA, and therefore disposable.

"Six years later, in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, 2026, an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old woman who repeatedly refused to comply with federal agents’ lawful commands. Good was using her SUV to block an ICE vehicle. The agent had his weapon drawn throughout the encounter. The fatal shooting occurred after Good hit the gas and accelerated toward the agent standing in her path.

"This time, Democrats and the media immediately declared the federal agent a criminal and Good an innocent victim.

"Both incidents were tragedies. A woman died in each.

"So why was a Capitol Police officer celebrated, and Ashli Babbitt demonized, while an ICE agent was vilified and Renee Nicole Good sanctified?

"The answer is moral relativism.

"The Left’s judgments are not based on facts, law, or consistent standards. They are based on political allegiance and the lies they tell themselves — and each other — about who deserves humanity and who does not. 

"Democrats have fully dehumanized anyone they disagree with.That reality became impossible to deny nearly four months ago, when Charlie Kirk was assassinated. Across the country, from elected officials to professors to college students, Democrats openly justified his murder. Some contextualized it. Others excused it. Many celebrated it outright.

"The response from the left hinged on one question: Was the victim one of us?" . . .

"A society that assigns human worth based on ideology does not prevent violence. It incentivizes it. And history shows exactly where that road leads. The Left’s refusal to apply one moral standard to all is not just hypocrisy.  It is dangerous. And it is getting people killed, including their own indoctrinated activists."   More...

UPDATE, 1/10: Renee Nicole Good’s wife, kids to get $1.5 million thanks to massive GoFundMe donation campaign

(RELATED: Charlie Kirk and the Shame of the ‘However’ Progressives)

(RELATED: Was the Minnesota ICE Shooting Justified?)

(RELATED: The Price of Democrats’ Extremism)

US Army Announces It’s Scrapping One Piece of Female Uniform for Good

 Newsweek 

 "Secretary of War Pete Hegseth ordered new grooming and uniform requirements for the U.S. Army in September 2025."

Staff Sergeant Joanna Romero tries on a campaign hat at Fort Jackson

"The United States Army has announced the end of a piece of uniform used only by women.

"Until now, female drill sergeants in the U.S. Army had worn bush hats, with an upturned rim, while male drill sergeants wore flat-rimmed campaign hat.

"The female bush hat, modeled after the Australian bush hat, was introduced in 1972, when the first female drill sergeants enrolled in the drill sergeant program at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

"Now, more than 40 years later, male and female drill sergeants will all wear the same iconic campaign hat. Surveys found roughly 70 percent of drill sergeants responding expressed a desire to switch from the bush hat to the campaign one, according to the U.S. Army website.

The Marines had it right all along

"A survey also found that more than 60 percent of drill sergeants believed that the campaign hat worn by males had a more professional appearance compared to the bush hat.

"Sergeant Major Melissa Solomon, who was named Drill Sergeant of the Year in 2010, said: "When I served as the DSOY, the bush hat distinguished female drill sergeants that successfully completed the course and served honorably with their male counterparts.

" 'With deep respect to the bush hat history, I believe a change is necessary to mitigate product quality issues I witnessed firsthand as the Drill Sergeant Academy Deputy Commandant and reinforce uniformity during the critical transformation of a civilian into a Soldier." . . .

U.S. Army Standardizes Drill Sergeant Campaign Hats

Previous bush hat.

The “Enemies Within” Are Out of the Closet

Noisy Room   

"The current predicament for the communist rulers in Cuba is worth broadcasting to the world at large, but especially to American college students hooked on the idea that socialism might work in New York City."

"Now that Maduro is in custody, it is time to identify his supporters in the United States. They are easy to identify, since they have been agitating for the Maduro regime on American soil and in Venezuela. They are now in the streets protesting, and include:

• The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which “stands in solidarity” with the Maduro regime and counts NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani as a member.
• The ANSWER Coalition, a communist front.
• The People’s Forum, another communist front.
• The “World Beyond War” group, which includes Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Global Exchange and CODEPINK.
• The Party for Socialism and Liberation has announced an “Emergency Rally for Venezuela.”
• The Communist Party USA, which protested “the drive to war against Venezuela and the aggression against China,” and declared its intention to get Communist Cuba off the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.
• The Revolutionary Communists of America, a group that declares “America Needs a Revolution.”
• The Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism, which condemned “the far-right cabal in the White House for its unprovoked aggression against our Latin American neighbors.
• The Popular Resistance, which said “progressive governments in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)” have been “delegitimized and displaced,” threatening the so-called Pink Tide governments.
• Drop Site News, which ran an article declaring that “Venezuela’s communes are prepared to face Trump’s illegal naval blockade and U.S. plans for economic asphyxiation.”
• Common Dreams, a far-left “news” site, which quoted Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel as saying about the U.S. action, “This is state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people and against Our America.”
• The Revolutionary Communist Party has participated in “emergency protests” against the Trump Administration over its policy toward Venezuela.
• The Workers World Party, which reported on a delegation from the U.S. that traveled to Venezuela to attend the “People’s Assembly for Peace and Sovereignty in our Americas,” held in Caracas from December 9-11.

"The communist group said delegates at that assembly from the U.S. represented Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Students for a Democratic Society, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Struggle La Lucha, Workers World Party, and Palaver Collective.

Out of power, Democratic lawmakers take to the streets to rally opposition to Trump.

American Thinker   

The Left is now ordering their members to act up, to push the envelope with ICE and other forms of law enforcement.  These foot soldiers of the radical Left aren’t thinking of blowing whistles and throwing hands, and blocking the street with their cars, all by themselves; they are following the precise instructions of their activist leadership.  

. . .'"These protesters are the ones making these situations more dangerous, for all concerned.  These protesters can claim all they want that federal law enforcement is “bringing chaos,” but they know it’s a lie.  Leave them alone to do their job, and there would be no chaos. 

"It’s the protesters, getting in the way, blocking agents with their bodies or with their cars, alerting criminals that the police are after them, who make these situations volatile, increasing the odds of unnecessary injury or death, as just occurred in Minneapolis. 

"Watch the response by the Left in the days and weeks to come. 

"Clearly, the obvious reaction to today’s death should be for the Left to call on their members to stand down, to stop the harassment and provocation of ICE immediately.  To cool both the rhetoric and the action right away, to prevent further bloodshed. 

"But what are the odds of that?" . . . More...

Hakeem Jeffries Urged on Protests: Getting One Protestor Killed  

"That would be, among other things, to stop the calls for people to get shot. Stop the calls that there  “needs to be blood to grab the attention of the press and the public.” Stop it. Stop it, stop it, stop it. Now. And oh yes. An apology from Hakeem Jeffries would be appropriate."

 . . . "House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in January 2025, on the Trump agenda: “That’s not acceptable. We are going to fight it legislatively. We are going to fight it in the courts. We’re going to fight it in the streets.”

"Then there was this, as reported in Axios after interviewing Democrat lawmakers: “What we’re hearing: The grassroots wants more. ‘Some of them have suggested … what we really need to do is be willing to get shot’ when visiting ICE facilities or federal agencies, a third House Democrat told Axios.”

"And then there was this, also from Axios, after talking to House Democrats:

“Our own base is telling us that what we’re doing is not good enough … [that] there needs to be blood to grab the attention of the press and the public,” the lawmaker said.

“A fourth House Democrat said constituents have told them ‘civility isn’t working’ and to prepare for ‘violence … to fight to protect our democracy.’”

"And then there was this from NBC News: “Out of power, Democratic lawmakers take to the streets to rally opposition to Trump.”

"Stories like this litter the Internet." . . .

Exclusive Sneak Peek: The U.S. Army’s Game-Changing M1E3 Abrams Tank Revealed

 ARGUNNERS 

"Delivered by General Dynamics Land Systems (GLDS) in December 2025, the prototype is not a finalized version but rather a technology demonstrator designed to begin a comprehensive testing phase in early 2026. A public display is expected at the Detroit Auto Show shortly after testing begins."

. . . "A Shift in the Abrams Modernization Strategy

"The development of the M1E3 is part of the U.S. Army’s broader effort to accelerate the Abrams modernization program. This shift follows a decision made in September 2023 to move away from the incremental System Enhancement Packages (SEPs) previously planned for the M1A2 SEPv4. Instead, the Army has opted for a more comprehensive redesign aimed at future-proofing the Abrams series for the next generation of battlefield technologies.

"According to Army Recognition, four M1E3 prototypes are expected to be deployed within U.S. Army formations by 2026, marking a significant reduction from the previous timeline of roughly 65 months. This accelerated schedule reflects the Army’s push to gather real-world feedback from tank crews on crew layout, gun handling, and ergonomics." . . .

About the namesake of the tank, the Abrams:

Colonel Creighton Abrams at the Battle of the Bulge - Warfare History Network  

"Colonel Abrams himself had just become one of the heroes of the Battle of the Bulge, along with Brigadier General Anthony C. McAuliffe, deputy commander of the 101st Airborne Division, who had replied “Nuts!” to a German surrender ultimatum on December 22, General Patton, who had moved an entire corps 90 degrees to the left flank of the Bulge in one of the most brilliant maneuvers of World War II, and many other officers and enlisted men who distinguished themselves in the biggest winter campaign in U.S. Army history.

"Captain Abe Baum of the 4th Armored Division said of Abrams, “He was sincere, honest, didn’t speak down to people. In eight or 10 words, he could put more emphasis than someone who spoke for an hour. He led his troops. He didn’t have a headquarters out there in his lead tank. Instead, he was another gun in the tank.”

"Patton said, “I’m supposed to be the best tank commander in the Army, but I have one peer, Abe Abrams. He’s the world champion.”

Pictured: Col. Abrams lead tank, "Cobra King". 

Wealth tax threat prompts at least six billionaires to cut ties with California, as about 20 more mull exit: report

NY Post  

“We are watching a state commit economic suicide by trying to tax money that hasn’t even been made yet.” Advisers who work with the ultra-rich say the mobility of billionaires is precisely what makes the proposal risky." 

"The threat of a steep new wealth tax in California has reportedly prompted at least six billionaires including Larry Page and Peter Thiel to cut their ties with the state — and as many as 20 others could be heading for the exits. 

"The half-dozen billionaires made their moves before New Year’s Day — the cutoff date to avoid a potential one-time tax of 5% on fortunes exceeding $1 billion — which California residents will vote on in November, according to Bloomberg News.

"David Lesperance, a tax adviser who specializes in relocating ultra-wealthy clients out of high-tax jurisdictions, told the outlet he personally helped four billionaires end their California residency before the proposal’s Jan. 1 cutoff date.

"The threat of a steep new wealth tax in California has reportedly prompted at least six billionaires including Larry Page and Peter Thiel to cut their ties with the state — and as many as 20 others could be heading for the exits.

"The half-dozen billionaires made their moves before New Year’s Day — the cutoff date to avoid a potential one-time tax of 5% on fortunes exceeding $1 billion — which California residents will vote on in November, according to Bloomberg News.

"David Lesperance, a tax adviser who specializes in relocating ultra-wealthy clients out of high-tax jurisdictions, told the outlet he personally helped four billionaires end their California residency before the proposal’s Jan. 1 cutoff date." . . .  More...

Freshman Rep goes full BEAST MODE during questioning over Somali scam…

Revolver News

"He forced the witnesses to admit how long Minnesota officials knew about the fraud, whether Governor Walz was aware, and whether political loyalty played a role in the cover-up."

"A freshman congressman out of Texas just walked into Washington and lit a match. While most new reps spend their first term learning where the cameras are and how to sound important on cable news, Brandon Gill came in like a freaking house on fire and put his name on the map, thanks to one hearing. This guy, the youngest in Congress, just unleashed a series of rapid-fire questions that exposed exactly how deep and dirty the Minnesota Somali fraud actually goes.  

"The whole thing unfolded during the opening of the House Oversight investigation into what may be one of the biggest taxpayer fraud operations in modern history. Billions that were meant to feed children, care for autistic kids, house the disabled, and fund Medicaid were allegedly used to buy luxury homes, flashy cars, and lavish vacations for Somali pirates. Also, there are credible reports and evidence that show a lot of that money was routed overseas to fund terrorism. And according to Oversight Chairman James Comer, state leadership in Minnesota knew it was happening and did nothing about it." . . .

Oversight:

House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) delivered opening remarks at today’s hearing on “Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota: Part I.” In his opening statement, Chairman Comer emphasized that criminals in Minnesota have stolen an estimated $9 billion dollars—taxpayer funds intended to feed children, provide services to autistic children, house low-income and disabled Americans, and provide healthcare to vulnerable Medicaid recipients. He pointed out how Americans’ tax dollars were stolen by fraudsters to buy luxury homes, flashy cars, extravagant vacations, and, reportedly, even funneled to terrorist networks overseas. While Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and state Democrats failed to act despite repeated warnings, Chairman Comer stressed that the American people demand accountability—including jail time for those responsible—and insisted that Congress must evaluate legislative solutions to ensure this never happens again.  . . .

More...

Renee Nicole Good was Minneapolis ‘ICE Watch’ ‘warrior’ who trained to resist feds before shooting

 NY Post

But first: NBC News Analysis Destroys the Left’s Narrative on the ICE Shooting

MINNEAPOLIS — Renee Nicole Good, the mom who was killed by a federal agent after veering her car toward him, was an anti-ICE “warrior” and was part of a group of activists who worked to “document and resist” the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota, The Post can reveal.

"Good, who moved to the city last year, linked up with the anti-ICE activists through her 6-year-old son’s woke charter school, which boasts that it puts “social justice first” and “involving kids in political and social activism,” multiple local sources said.

“ 'She was a warrior. She died doing what was right,” a mother named Leesa, whose child attends the same school, told The Post at a growing vigil where Good was killed Wednesday. 

"But they decided to leave the country after President Trump was re-elected in 2024, and moved to Canada for several months before settling in Minneapolis, a former Missouri neighbor told KMBC. 

“A neighbor who, you know, is not a terrorist. Not an extremist. That was just a mom who loved her kids, loved her spouse,” another neighbor, Joan Rose, told the outlet." . . . More...  

UPDATE: Jimmy Kimmel dons shirt that back’s Minneapolis mayor’s call for ICE to ‘get the f— out’ of city following shooting

"Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel backed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s profanity-laced tirade against ICE after a woman was shot and killed by one of the agency’s officers on Wednesday.

"During Wednesday’s episode of “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” he voiced his support for the Democratic mayor’s response to the shooting and held up a shirt referencing the mayor’s call for ICE to “get the f— out” of Minneapolis.

"Renee Nicole Good, 37, was fatally shot on Wednesday during an ICE operation in south Minneapolis Wednesday. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), agents were attempting to make arrests when Good tried to use her vehicle as a weapon against officers, prompting a federal agent to fire in self-defense." . . .

Scott Jennings Nails It: Democrats Radicalized Their Base — and Minneapolis Is Paying the Price

Amy Curtis 

"Everything that we see happening in Minneapolis, including yesterday and going forward, is the direct result of Democrats radicalizing their voter base for the better part of a decade. . . an authoritarian threat to democracy, and an existential threat to our freedoms."

What happens when a political party spends a YEAR radicalizing their base against ICE agents with increasingly unhinged rhetoric?
Tragically, I fear we're learning exactly what happens right now in Minneapolis. pic.twitter.com/FHTqJbGFaK

— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) January 8, 2026

fighting and disagreements aside, it's terrible. You don't want people to die in law enforcement situations or otherwise."

" 'But it strikes me that we are undergoing an epidemic of political vigilantism right now. Why are people showing up in vehicles, in convoys, not just in Minneapolis but all over the country, in an effort to obstruct lawful federal law enforcement activities?" Jennings asked.

" 'This is not an isolated incident. We have had hundreds of car rammings against ICE agents all over the country. According to DHS, this lady in this car today, along with other vehicles, had been tracking ICE agents around," Jennings continued." Why are people believing they can drive their car into a federal law enforcement situation and that is an appropriate thing to do?"

" 'I understand they don't like the fact that these agents are enforcing existing immigration law," Jennings said. "But that's not how we change laws in the country. If you don't like a law, you talk with the politicians. You don't drive your car into the middle of a building or a law enforcement situation that's being occupied by the people who are simply there to enforce the law."

" 'If I don't like how much the IRS is charging me in taxes, I don't drive my car into the Treasury Department to try and run somebody over," Jennings added. "I call my Congressman. Political vigilantism is being encouraged by Democratic officials like the Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, Peggy Flanagan, who earlier this year told people to 'put your bodies on the line' and Tim Walz calling these guys Gestapo all year. What do you think happens when you radicalize a base of people about this?"

"Jennings is right, of course, which is why Democrats like Peggy Flanagan, Tim Walz, Jacob Frey, and Zohran Mamdani have decided to blame ICE for this shooting, calling it a "murder" and continuing to fanning the flames of unrest." . . .

Maduro Now Polling As Most Popular Democrat

 Babylon Bee Parody

"U.S. — The 2028 presidential race took a surprising turn this week following the events that took place in Venezuela, as the latest round of polling showed that deposed dictator Nicolas Maduro had taken the early primary lead as the most popular Democrat.

"A poll of likely Democratic voters taken in the first week of January 2026 showed a dramatic shift in support from other popular candidates to Maduro, now that he has been relieved of his position as leader of the Venezuelan government and arrived in the United States.

" 'The voters obviously love him," said one pollster. "Honestly, it shouldn't surprise anyone. He has everything Democrats want in a politician: suppression of freedom, unbridled corruption, and straight-up socialism. Now that he's residing in the U.S., he's a shoo-in for the nomination. There's already a campaign office set up for him, and ‘Maduro 2028' signs are being printed as we speak."

"Democratic voters were quick to voice their support for Maduro. "He represents everything we stand for," said one progressive American. "We've been waiting for a really good candidate like this ever since Obama left office. Maduro is like Obama on steroids. Oppression of dissent, killing opponents, torture chambers… this is the guy we need."

"CNN political analyst James Carville had already given Maduro his endorsement and all but named him the uncrowned Democratic frontrunner. "I wish he were a little bit more to the left, but I'll take him," Carville said on the air.

"At publishing time, the Democratic Party had decided to continue its tradition of foregoing an actual primary and had named Maduro as its candidate."