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On Politics

Tue Jan 27 2026

Kathryn Palmer | Politics Reporter

@KathrynPlmr

Hello readers. Kathryn Palmer here. Welcome to Tuesday's On Politics. I've been enjoying a very icicle-y view out of my window today, though the ice-covered sidewalks in my neighborhood have been a lot less fun post-storm. Here's today's top politics stories.

Amid impeachment threats, Kristi Noem backed by Trump

After Alex Pretti's killing at the hands of Border Patrol agents, a growing number of Democrats are calling for the impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. While the odds of her removal remain low in the GOP-controlled Congress, the criticism underscores the serious nature of the ongoing political crisis rocking the administration since the fatal shooting in Minnesota last weekend. Pretti's death, and federal officials' response, has prompted both a groundswell of activism from Democrats and rare Republican criticism of the White House. But in remarks to reporters today, President Donald Trump said Noem would not be leaving her position.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem holds a news conference in Washington, DC, on Jan. 24, 2026.

Nathan Howard/Reuters

A politics roundup:

•	A judge has ordered the ICE director to explain due process violations of detained immigrants
•	Trump is headed to Iowa to talk about affordability as fears of an "ag crisis" loom
•	Will the controversial ICE raids drive a wedge in these 2026 midterm races?
•	Melania Trump calls for peace in Minneapolis in rare political statement

Top Trump immigration enforcer to leave Minneapolis

Amid growing outrage both on the ground in the Twin Cities and on Capitol Hill, Greg Bovino, chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, is reportedly leaving Minnesota less than a week after Pretti's death, according to multiple media reports. Bovino is one of the architects of the administration's aggressive immigration crackdown and has become a public face of an increasingly militarized approach to immigration enforcement over the past year. The future of Bovino's tenure with the Border Patrol remains unclear, however, and Department of Homeland Security officials have pushed back on reports that he was being reassigned and would later retire from the agency.

Trump wants his face on a $1 coin. Will it happen?

The Treasury Department is preparing to stamp the president's face on a $1 coin commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. But that's not all − quarters honoring national heroes from the abolitionist, suffragette and civil rights eras have been scrapped and will be replaced by those celebrating the nation's early White pioneers and revolutionaries. Congressional Democrats are criticizing the move, which they say shouldn't valorize a living president and should reflect the full scope of American history. Some lawmakers are also questioning whether the Trump coin and replaced quarter designs are even legal. More about the controversial plans and mock-ups of the coins is in the full story, here.

Thank you for reading! More stories are below. You can reach out to me at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @ KathrynPlmr.