The White House said Thursday afternoon that President Donald Trump was joking when he told a newspaper the U.S. should cancel the midterm elections.
In an exclusive interview with Reuters, Trump reflected on the successes of his second term, saying, “When you think of it, we shouldn’t even have an election.”
The comment took many by surprise, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters the president was “simply joking.” Leavitt later brushed off The Independent’s question about whether the president thought it was “funny” to cancel elections.
Elsewhere Thursday, Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act, a rarely-used law allowing the president to deploy the military to quell civil disturbances, in Minnesota if state lawmakers didn’t stop protesters from “attacking” ICE officers.
He also met with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado for the first time. The two have had a somewhat chilly relationship since she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
Key Points
- Trump was 'simply joking' when he said midterms should be canceled
- White House Press Secretary declines to clarify Trump utilizing Insurrection Act
- Who is Maria Corina Machado?
- Trump threatens Minnesota with the Insurrection Act
- What is the Insurrection Act?
Live coverage ended
23:09 , Rachel DobkinLive coverage of the Trump administration has ended for the day.
Here are some details about the president’s meeting with Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado:
Venezuela opposition leader says she presented Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize
Welcome to The Independent's live blog
14:05 , Ariana BaioToday, we’re covering President Donald Trump as he meets with Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado in the early afternoon and the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers later on.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is also expected to brief the press mid-afternoon.
Trump threatens Minnesota protesters with Insurrection Act
14:10 , Ariana BaioThursday morning, the president threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota unless state lawmakers intervened in anti-ICE protests.
Trump asserted that protesters, whom he described as “professional agitators and insurrectionists,” were “attacking” ICE officers.
The Insurrection Act allows the president to utilize federal military troops or federalize National Guard troops in order to suppress uncontrollable protests or other civil disturbance situations.
It is not one piece of legislation; rather, it is the combination of a series of laws enacted by Congress between 1792 and 1871 that specifically address utilizing the military within the U.S.
The president claimed “many Presidents have done before,” however, the laws are rarely invoked. The last time it was used was 1992, when George H. W. Bush sent active-duty troops into Los Angeles after citywide unrest following the acquittal of four white officers in the alleged assault of Rodney King.
US seizes another oil tanker in the Caribbean
14:24 , Ariana BaioThe U.S. Coast Guard, in collaboration with the Departments of State, Justice and Defense, seized another oil tanker in the Caribbean Thursday morning that they claim had violated U.S. sanctions on Venezuela.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the tanker, named “Veronica,” had “previously passed through Venezuelan waters, and was operating in defiance of President Trump’s established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”
According to records, “Veronica” is flown under the Guyana flag.
Through #OpSouthernSpear, the Department of War is unwavering in its mission to crush illicit activity in the Western Hemisphere in partnership with @USCG through @DHSgov and @TheJusticeDept.
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 15, 2026
In another pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear,… pic.twitter.com/brxO9xXUu3
What is the Insurrection Act
14:30 , Ariana BaioPresident Donald Trump has occasionally threatened to invoke a centuries-old law that would authorize him to deploy the United States military to assist law enforcement in carrying out his domestic policies.
His latest threat is directed at Minnesota, where the heavy presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers has heightened tensions and led to unrest.
Read more here:
What is the Insurrection Act of 1807 and will Trump invoke it?
Gen Z has massively turned on Trump, poll finds
14:56 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump’s approval rating among Gen Z has dropped a massive 42 points in the past year, new polling has found.
Trump won over more young voters in the 2024 election than in his two previous runs for president, helping him return to the White House. But nearly a year into Trump’s second presidency, Gen Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, are turning on him.
On Wednesday, CNN Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten announced shocking results from new polling, which showed Trump’s net approval rating among Gen Z at negative 32 percentage points. That is a huge dip from his plus-10 net approval rating with young people in February 2025, shortly after the start of his second term.
Enten said Trump was “falling off that cliff” among Gen Z.
“My goodness gracious. This is, I said, a very swinging group and it has swung very much away from Donald John Trump,” the data guru said.
In Photos: Protesters clash with law enforcement in Minneapolis
15:10 , Ariana Baio
Republican lawmaker says 'last thing' to do is utilize Insurrection Act
15:24 , Ariana BaioRepublican Rep. Andrew Garbarino of New York told Fox Business Thursday morning that "the last thing we should do" is utilize the Insurrection Act after Trump threatened to do so in Minnesota.
“I think that should be the last thing that we do. We should try to get these governors to realize what they’re doing is wrong,” Garbarino said.
The lawmaker said Congress was investigating whether the governors were instructing police officers “not to help” the ongoing situation.
“If we get that answer and they are doing that, maybe the only thing they can do is the Insurrection Act. But hopefully, that is not the case,” he added.
“Having troops on the ground is not the best thing to do.”
Noem reiterates ICE officers are defending themselves in Minnesota
15:36 , Ariana BaioWhen asked if ICE officers are going “too far” in Minnesota, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told reporters at the White House this morning that ICE officers in Minnesota are defending themselves.
“Our ICE agents are following the law and running their operations according to training. Last night what we saw was three individuals weaponize shovels and brooms and attack an ICE officer that had to defend himself,” Noem said.
We’re hopeful that we don’t see that again, that protesters and violent rioters will be held accountable for the actions they’re taking.”
Noem denies ICE may be violating 4th Amendment
15:43 , Ariana BaioNoem denied allegations that ICE officers may be violating people’s 4th Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure, saying officers were doing “everything correctly.”
Some have accused ICE of violating the 4th Amendment by asking for people’s “papers” even without reasonable suspicion.
However, Noem said officers were following protocol.
Agriculture secretary mocked over saying chicken and one piece of broccoli is enough
16:00 , Rachel DobkinAgriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has been mocked online over a “depression meal” she suggested for Americans after the Trump administration turned the food pyramid upside down.
“We've run over 1,000 simulations. It can cost around $3 a meal for a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, corn tortilla and one other thing. And so, there is a way to do this that actually will save the average American consumer money,” Rollins told News Nation.
Read more from Rachel Dobkin:
Trump’s agriculture secretary mocked over ‘depression meal’ for Americans
Noem warns Walz to ‘work’ with administration for more peaceful streets
16:15 , Ariana BaioHomeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem warned Minnesota Governor Tim Walz that the streets of Minneapolis will not be more peaceful if he and his team don’t offer to work with the administration on its immigration enforcement agenda.
When asked if Trump's invocation of the Insurrection Act would lead to more deadly killings, Noem responded, “If anything doesn't change with Governor Walz, I don't anticipate the streets getting any safer or more peaceful.”
“Governor Walz and his leadership team need to come to us and find out how we can work together, like we have in many other states,” Noem said.
Ilhan Omar says Trump is 'wannabe dictator' in response to Insurrection Act threats
16:19 , Eric Garcia, Ariana BaioMinnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar told The Independent that Trump’s threats to invoke the Insurrection Act were the actions of a “wannabe dictator.”
“He's a wannabe dictator who's trying to crawl, to draw as much power as he can,” Omar said.
“The irony of it is that they came to terrorize the Somali community, but it is our Latino neighbors that are being terrorized. It's our Asian neighbors that are being terrorized, and it's everyday people on the streets that are being terrorized by federal law enforcement.”
“It feels like it's a state-sanctioned violence. And this shouldn't be happening in the United States of America.”
Venezuelan opposition leader will meet with Senators
16:30 , Ariana BaioAfter having lunch with President Donald Trump, Maria Corina Machado, the opposition leader of Venezuela, is expected to go to Capitol Hill to meet with Senators, NewsNation reported.
Who is Maria Corina Machado?
16:55 , Ariana BaioPresident Donald Trump is meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado at the White House today – the two’s first meeting since the U.S. captured deposed leader Nicolás Maduro.
Here’s what to know about Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, ahead of their closed-door meeting.
Read more here:
Maria Corina Machado: The Nobel Peace Prize winner in hiding who beat Trump
Immigration agents drove around Minneapolis asking people for papers: NPR
17:05 , Ariana BaioEarlier this week, NPR reported that journalists witnessed immigration law enforcement driving around Minneapolis and questioning people about their immigration status, seemingly arbitrarily.
One man was charging his electric vehicle when immigration agents asked him if he was a green card holder and to provide documentation.
The man, a permanent resident, was able to provide documentation to prove his status.
Yet immigration officials, including Secretary Kristi Noem, assert that officers do not question people without specific objectives.
Walz calls on Trump to 'turn the temperature down'
17:15 , Ariana BaioIn response to President Donald Trump’s threat to invoke the Insurrection Act, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called on the president to “turn the temperature down” and for Minnesota protesters to continue peacefully.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) January 15, 2026
Maria Corina Machado arrives at White House
17:22 , Ariana BaioVenezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has arrived at the White House for a closed-door lunch with President Donald Trump – the two’s first meeting.
You can’t give Nobel Peace Prize to someone else, committee tells winner Machado before Trump meeting
17:50 , Tara CobhamThe organizers of the Nobel Peace Prize have told winner María Corina Machado it “cannot be revoked, shared or transferred” after she suggested giving Donald Trump her 2025 award.
The institute said in a statement the decision to award a Nobel Prize is “final and stands for all time”, citing the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, which do not allow appeals.
Machado’s win in October was reported to have sparked resentment for Trump, who has long expressed interest in winning the prize and has at times linked it to diplomatic achievements, even though she has been effusive in her support and dedicated her win to him.
Of the potential offer, Trump said: “I’ve heard that she wants to do that. That could be a great honor.”
Live: White House briefing as Trump threatens to use Insurrection Act against Minnesota
18:00 , Independent VideoWhite House indicates reporters can be punished for leaking information
18:29 , Ariana BaioWhen asked about the government’s recent search and seizure of a Washington Post reporter’s home, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said anyone who leaks information that could put military personnel at risk will be held accountable – potentially including reporters.
“The administration is not going to tolerate leaks… that put the nation’s integrity and national security at risk,” Leavitt said.
When asked to clarify how the administration interprets the Pentagon Papers case, Leavitt declined.
Leavitt declines to clarify Trump utilizing Insurrection Act
18:33 , Ariana BaioLeavitt declined to give details about when or how President Donald Trump could utilize the Insurrection Act in Minnesota, claiming it was a question for him.
“That's only a question frankly the president can answer,” Leavitt said in response to a question.
“The president's post spoke loud and clear to Democrats across this country, elected officials who are using their platforms to encourage,” she added.
Watch: Leavitt says 'only' president can answer questions about invoking Insurrection Act
18:52 , Independent VideoTrump was 'simply joking' when he said midterms should be canceled
18:58 , Ariana BaioAsked about a quote the president gave to Reuters in which he indicated the midterm elections should be canceled, Leavitt said he was only joking.
“I was in that interview, it was a closed door interivew,” Leavitt began.
"The president was simply joking. He was saying, 'We're doing such a great job. We're doing everything. The American people thought’ Maybe we should just keep rolling,” Leavitt added.
“But he was speaking facetiously.”
ACLU sues DHS to stop random racial profiling and warrantless ICE arrests
19:00 , Alex Woodward, Ariana BaioThe American Civil Liberties Union is suing the Department of Homeland Security and officials to stop “unlawful” immigration stops that have led to the detention of a U.S. citizen in Minnesota, among others.
Among the plaintiffs is Mubashir Khalif Hussen, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen who was thrown into an ICE SUV and then shackled and fingerprinted inside a detention center in Minneapolis before agents looked at his passport and let him go.
“At no time did any officer ask me whether I was a citizen or if I had any immigration status,” he said in a statement. “They did not ask for any identifying information, nor did they ask about my ties to the community, how long I had lived in the Twin Cities, my family in Minnesota, or anything else about my circumstances.”
Watch: Karoline Leavitt blows up on reporter that says Renee Good was unlawfully killed
19:20 , Independent VideoDeputy ICE director announces run for Congress
20:00 , Ariana BaioMadison Sheahan, the now-outgoing deputy director for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, announced Thursday she will leave the agency to run for Congress representing Ohio’s 9th district.
Sheahan, who served in ICE for roughly 10 months, called herself a “Trump conservative” who wants to protect American jobs, paychecks and values.
Before her stint in ICE, Sheahan served as the secretary for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for 14 months. From 2021 to 2024, she worked as the political director for former South Dakota governor Kristi Noem.
Sheahan, 28, had previously been criticized for her lack of experience in law enforcement but defended herself to Intelligencer, saying “At the end of the day, what really makes anybody qualified for any job?”
Machado greets supporters on Capitol Hill
20:19 , Ariana Baio
Stephen Miller says arresting protesters is ‘national security priority’
20:30 , Ariana BaioStephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy, told Real America’s Voice that arresting “insurrectionists” was “a national security priority” – borrowing language from the president that misrepresents protesters as “insurrectionists.”
In Minnesota right now, the insurrectionists have come out of hiding,” Miller said.
“They're confronting our officers on the street. They're being arrested. This is a national security priority. More arrests of insurrectionists are being made every day, and each of them provide us an opportunity to learn more about the network from a law enforcement and national security standpoint."
Machado may give press conference after meeting with Senators
20:45 , Ariana BaioMachado is on Capitol Hill meeting with Senators from both parties, but may give a press conference after the meets, according to reports.
Watch: Noem Defends ICE Asking People For ID Papers Without Reasonable Suspicion
21:00 , Independent VideoFBI offers $100k reward for information on vandalized car
21:15 , Ariana BaioThe FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information on the individuals who vandalized an FBI vehicle in Minneapolis, FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday.
The vehicle was vandalized and broken into allegedly by demonstrators in Minnesota during anti-ICE protests.
Please see below for information on the FBI’s reward of up to $100,000 related to last night’s vandalism and theft of government property in Minneapolis.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) January 15, 2026
If you harm law enforcement or destroy / steal federal property this @FBI will not hesitate to pursue you, find you, and… pic.twitter.com/3ZGf6Vntyd
Trump hosts Florida Panthers to White House
21:23 , Ariana BaioPresident Donald Trump is hosting the Stanley Cup winners, the Florida Panthers, at the White House.
Trump boasts about his military power while standing in front of 'good-looking people'
21:40 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump boasted about his military power while standing in front of the Florida Panthers, whom he called “good-looking people.”
“Good-looking people,” Trump said of the 2025 Stanley Cup winners. He then joked, “I hate them.”
“You hate standing here with all this power behind you,” Trump said. “But I got power too, it’s called the United States military.”
Trump gifted number 47 hockey jersey
21:51 , Rachel DobkinPresident Donald Trump was gifted a red hockey jersey with the number 47 on it, two rings and a golden hockey stick from the Florida Panthers, who won the 2025 Stanley Cup, during a visit to the White House.
Venezuela opposition leader says she presented Trump with Nobel Peace Prize medal
22:10 , Rachel DobkinWatch: Trump gifted hockey jersey and golden stick from Florida Panthers
22:20 , Rachel DobkinThe Stanley Cup Champion @FlaPanthers present @POTUS with rings, a stick, and a 47 jersey at the White House 🏒🔥 pic.twitter.com/2fLn1h9OX7
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 15, 2026
Republican says he would ‘lean toward’ impeaching Trump if he invades Greenland
22:30 , Katie HawkinsonA GOP lawmaker said he’d consider supporting an impeachment of President Donald Trump if he launches a U.S. invasion of Greenland and called his push to acquire the territory “utter buffoonery,” according to a new report.
Representative Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska who is not seeking reelection, told the Omaha World-Herald this week that he would strongly consider supporting a Greenland-related impeachment of Trump.
Read more here:
Republican says he would ‘lean toward’ impeaching Trump if he invades Greenland
Florida Panthers show up at White House in Trump's signature red tie
22:40 , Rachel Dobkinthe Florida Panthers are at the White House and ... are they trying to dress like Trump too? pic.twitter.com/QcKQ6ysYCd
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 15, 2026
Schumer meets with Trump to discuss infrastructure, healthcare and ICE raids
22:50 , Rachel DobkinSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer met with President Donald Trump to discuss infrastructure, healthcare and ICE raids, according to the New York Democrat’s office.
Schumer’s office said Trump requested the meeting to talk about his administration's withholding of federal dollars to fund the Gateway tunnel project between New York and New Jersey.
“In the meeting, Leader Schumer emphasized the urgent need to promptly release the already-secured funds for the Gateway Program — the most important infrastructure project in the nation employing thousands of workers and vital to New York and the entire Northeast economy,” Schumer’s office said.
His office also said Schumer urged Trump to push Senate Republicans to support a three-year extension on Affordable Care Act subsidies and to “pull back” immigration agents from cities.
