Trump's Big Moves and Bold Words: A Look at Recent Events

In recent days, President Trump has been quite busy. He's taken control of yet another oil tanker linked to Venezuela, this time called the Motor Vessel Sagitta. The U. S. Southern Command said this happened smoothly, but they didn't mention if the Coast Guard was involved, like in past seizures. Meanwhile, Trump is also facing some pushback. Rep. James Comer turned down an offer from former President Bill Clinton to talk about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Comer wants an official record of the interview and insists Hillary Clinton should testify too. Trump's actions are causing some waves in the stock market. After he threatened to put new tariffs on eight European countries, stocks took a big dip. The S&P 500 fell by 2. 1%, its biggest drop since October. Tech stocks were hit the hardest. Trump said he'd charge a 10% import tax starting in February on goods from these nations. European markets also fell, while gold prices went up and long-term Treasury yields rose. On the international front, Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev met with U. S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Davos. He said the meetings were going well and more people are seeing Russia's point of view. But he didn't give any details about what was discussed. Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Dmitriev would meet with unspecified U. S. delegates in Davos. He mentioned that Dmitriev's main focus is on trade, economic, and investment cooperation, but he's also sharing information about the peace process in Ukraine. Trump has been quiet lately about his plans to retake the Panama Canal. He's complained that the U. S. , the canal's biggest user, is being overcharged and not treated fairly. But when asked if reclaiming the canal is still on the table, Trump didn't give a straight answer. In his press briefing, Trump took a moment to talk about religion. When asked if he thinks God is proud of him, he said he believes God is proud of the job he's done, including for religion. He mentioned that his administration is protecting many people, like Christians and Jewish people, who might not be protected by another president. Trump also talked about his plans for NATO and Greenland. He said he thinks they'll work something out that makes both sides happy. This is a shift from his text message to the Norwegian prime minister, where he said he no longer feels an obligation to think purely of peace. He repeated his position that the U. S. needs to take control of the territory for national security. French President Emmanuel Macron called for an emergency meeting in Paris with European leaders to address tensions with the U. S. over Trump's pursuit of Greenland and tariffs. Trump said he wouldn't attend the meeting, partly because Macron won't be leading his country for much longer. Earlier this week, Trump shared private texts from Macron and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on social media.Trump will use a key address in Davos on Wednesday to highlight his administration's accomplishments. He told reporters that he thinks other countries need to hear advice from him on energy and immigration. He also repeated his criticism of plans by Britain to lease a military base on the island of Diego Garcia in the Chagos Archipelago. He said he favors British ownership of the island, saying it's in a "reasonably important area of the globe" though not as critical as Greenland. Trump also talked about his idea for a Board of Peace to replace the United Nations. He said the U. N. hasn't been very helpful and he's a big fan of the potential of the Board of Peace. But he added that he believes the U. N. should continue because the potential is so great. In his briefing, Trump also talked about his relationship with foreign leaders. He said they "get a little bit rough" when he's not around but "when I'm around they treat me very nicely. " He called Macron "a friend of mine" but said both left-leaning leaders have "got to straighten out their countries. " Trump's Board of Peace was originally envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire plan. But the Trump administration's ambitions have grown into a more sprawling concept, with Trump extending invitations to dozens of nations and hinting it will soon broker global conflicts, like a pseudo-U. N. Security Council. Trump also shared a new story about signing an executive order to bring back mental institutions and insane asylums. He talked about walking to Little League practice with his mother and asking her about bars on windows of a psychiatric hospital in Queens. He said his mother told him that "very sick" people lived there. The president also talked about his administration's move to increase law enforcement in the nation's capital. He's been especially focused on immigration and deporting alleged criminals. Foreign policy talk has been scarce so far, even as tensions with Europe have escalated over his aggression toward Greenland. Federal prosecutors served six grand jury subpoenas to Minnesota officials as part of an investigation into whether they obstructed or impeded federal law enforcement during a sweeping immigration operation in Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The subpoenas, which seek records, were sent to the offices of Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her and officials in Ramsey and Hennepin counties. The president claimed that the immigrants his administration has removed from the U. S. make the Hells Angels "look like the sweetest people on Earth. " But he then paused to compliment the infamous motorcycle gang, saying he likes them because they voted for him and protected him. It's unclear whether the outlaw motorcycle gang has ever been contracted to provide security for Trump. Trump also talked about his administration's efforts to root out fraud, waste, and abuse in federal agencies. He said they've slashed tremendous numbers from federal payroll and that the fired workers are getting better jobs and higher pay. Later Tuesday, Trump heads to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum in Davos. The European leaders already in place have made it clear Trump's assertions about taking over Greenland are tops on their agenda.