By Damian Paletta

Good morning. Feeling dizzy? You might have a case of "Washington Whiplash."

On Iran:

Jan. 13. President Trump tells Iranian protesters "help is on the way."

Jan. 16. Trump says he won't attack because the Iranian regime had canceled hangings of protesters.

On Greenland:

Jan. 17. Trump announces tariffs on goods from European countries that don't support his initiative to take over Greenland.

Jan. 21. Trump cancels Greenland-related tariffs.

On Minnesota:

Jan. 5. The White House sends 2,000 immigration-enforcement officials to Minnesota.

Jan. 26. Following two fatal shootings of civilians by federal officials in Minneapolis, Trump removes Greg Bovino and installs Tom Homan as lead immigration official in Minnesota -- and looks to de-escalate.

On the Shutdown:

Jan. 5. Democrats make it known that they won't force a government shutdown at the end of the month.

Jan. 25. Democrats threaten a shutdown if changes aren't made to the funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security.

Jan. 29. Trump endorses an apparent bipartisan deal in the Senate on a broad spending package that temporarily funds DHS.

January has been...quite a month. We have had numerous deadlines, standoffs and near-misses ( the Iran showdown is back, by the way). But for people who were trying to eat healthier or drink less this January and remove stress from their lives, well, Washington certainly didn't help.

This is an edition of the Politics newsletter, bringing you an expert guide to what's driving D.C. every day. If you're not subscribed, sign up here.

People and Policies I'm Watching

Kevin Warsh: The central-bank-insider-turned-critic is poised to be nominated as Fed chair on Friday by Trump, sources said. A onetime Wall Street banker at Morgan Stanley and adviser to former President George W. Bush, Warsh was once a proponent of free trade who in recent months has come to the defense of Trump's tariffs.

Canada-U.S. relations: Are things with our northern neighbor going south again? Trump said he would ground Canadian aircraft and apply tariffs on imports over Canada's refusal to certify U.S.-made Gulfstream jets. A n Alberta separatist group said it met with State Department officials, prompting Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to call on the Trump administration to respect his country's sovereignty.

Trump's Friday: The president is expected to sign executive orders at 1 a.m. ET and participate in a policy meeting at 2 p.m.

What I'm Following

Tulsi Gabbard has spent months investigating the 2020 election that Trump lost. The director of national intelligence was even on hand Wednesday as FBI agents searched an election office in Fulton County, Ga. The DNI typically focuses on ensuring the president has the best intelligence for national-security decisions, but Gabbard has been sidelined from some deliberations, including this month's Venezuela raid. Her leadership of the 2020 probe has kept her in Trump's good stead, officials said.

Tom Homan's vibe shift in Minnesota. The White House border czar, dispatched to reset the federal immigration-enforcement mission in Minneapolis, said he was working on a plan to draw down the law-enforcement presence. "I do not want to hear that everything that's been done here is perfect," he said, adding that the federal government could do more to make the operation "safer, more efficient, by the book."

A deal is taking shape to avert a partial government shutdown. Trump endorsed the agreement, under which the Senate would move quickly to pass five of the six spending bills that already have cleared the House -- funding most of the government for the rest of the fiscal year -- while passing a two-week extension for the Department of Homeland Security. Then there would be quick negotiations on proposed DHS restrictions.

What Else Is Happening

   -- Trump sued the IRS and the Treasury Department, alleging the agencies 
      didn't do enough to prevent an IRS contractor from leaking his tax 
      returns to the press in 2019. 
 
   -- Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a 2020 Democratic presidential candidate, 
      formally joined the Minnesota governor's race. 
 
   -- Mexican exports of oil to Cuba have slowed to a trickle as Trump cranked 
      up the pressure on Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum's government to 
      stop its support for the island's Communist regime. 

What I'm Reading

   -- Details Emerge in FBI Raid of Fulton County Election Office (Atlanta 
      Journal-Constitution) 
 
   -- Maine Leaders React With Caution as Susan Collins Says ICE Operation Has 
      Ended (Portland Press Herald) 
 
   -- Hawley Calls for Investigation into Minneapolis Shooting. Schmitt calls 
      for Enforcement. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch) 

This Week in Washington History

In 1973, the Vietnam War officially ended with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords. Approximately 2.7 million American men and women served in Vietnam, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and more than 58,000 Americans died.

About Me

I'm Damian Paletta, The Wall Street Journal's Washington coverage chief. I've covered Washington for 22 years as a reporter and editor. I've covered the White House, Congress, national security, the federal budget, economics and multiple market meltdowns.

WSJ Politics brings you an expert guide to what's driving D.C., every weekday morning. Send your feedback to politics@wsj.com (if you're reading this in your inbox, you can just hit reply). This edition was curated and edited in collaboration with Joe Haberstroh and Dick Streuly. Got a tip for us? Here's how to submit.

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 30, 2026 06:58 ET (11:58 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.