Trump's DOJ investigating Fed chairman

The U.S. Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation of Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell for allegedly lying to Congress, 

Trump’s Latest Regime Change Target | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

January 26, 2026 - "What does the Federal Reserve have in common with Venezuela and Greenland? It has been targeted by President Trump for regime change. 

Image generated by Grok (xAI), public domain.

"The Justice Department recently launched a criminal investigation into whether Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell lied to Congress about the costs of renovating the Federal Reserve’s offices. 

"Many believe this investigation was launched in order to support President Trump’s effort to replace Powell, who[m] he nominated to be Fed chairman in 2017, with a Fed chairman who will accommodate President Trump’s demands for lower interest rates.

"Almost all observers believe that President Trump’s desire to stack the Federal Reserve board with loyalists who will tailor monetary policy to his liking motivated the investigation of Federal Reserve Board Member Lisa Cook. President Trump is using allegations that Cook lied on a mortgage application as a justification to fire her.

"At a Supreme Court hearing on Lisa Cook’s case, the majority of justices — including some who have been supportive of President Trump’s attempt to exercise greater authority over federal agencies — seemed to oppose his firing of Cook. One reason for this would be viewing the Fed as different from federal agencies like the Federal Trade Commission because private banks play a role in the Fed’s governance. This indicates the Fed is a public-private hybrid.

"The criminal investigation into Chairman Powell and the attempt to fire Lisa Cook have caused investors, stock traders, and others to fear Trump is endangering the economy by compromising the Fed’s independence. This supposed threat to Fed autonomy has also caused some Republicans who are usually defenders of President Trump to criticize him.

"There is a long history of presidential attempts to influence monetary policy. President Richard Nixon, for example, pressured Fed Chairman Arthur Burns to lower rates.... Fed Chairman William Martin may not have liked Ike, but he caved to President Eisenhower’s demands that the Fed increase the money supply. President Bill Clinton persuaded Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan to support Clinton’s economic plans. The most extreme case of presidential pressure (at least until the Justice Department launched its criminal probe into Powell) was when President Lyndon Johnson shoved the Fed chairman against a wall because the Fed raised interest rates, causing trouble for Johnson’s Great Society at home and Vietnam War abroad. President Trump is thus not different from his predecessors; he is just more transparent.

"Opponents of Federal Reserve 'independence' have a point. Allowing a secretive central bank to control interest rates and the money supply is the reason the purchasing power of the dollar has vastly declined since 1971, when President Nixon severed the last link between the dollar and gold. Fed-produced fiat currency is also the cause of rising economic inequality and instability. 

"The beneficiaries of this system are the politicians and the corporatist interests living off the welfare-warfare state. 

"On the other hand, President Trump’s critics are correct that giving politicians power to set interest rates would be a recipe for disaster. 

"Instead of arguing over who should control the money supply and set rates, President Trump and Congress should work to audit and end the Fed."

Copyright © 2026 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/trumps-latest-regime-change-target/

Canadian gov't loses Emergencies Act appeal

A Federal Appeals Court has ruled that the Canadian government's use of the Emergencies Act to terminate the 2022 Freedom Convoy protests was unreasonable and violated Charter rights. 

Maksim Sokolov  Freedom Convoy protesters, Ottawa, Feb. 12, 2022. CC BY-SA, Wikimedia Commons.

Federal government loses Emergencies Act appeal, court says use during convoy protest was unreasonable | CBC News | Catharine Tunney:

January 16, 2026 - 'The Liberal government unreasonably invoked the Emergencies Act to clear the convoy protests that gridlocked the capital city and border points nearly four years ago,' the Federal Court of Appeal ruled on Friday.

"The court dismissed the government's appeal of a 2024 ruling which deemed former prime minister Justin Trudeau's decision to use the legislation [was] unlawful and infringed on protesters' Charter rights.... The Federal Court was initially asked to review the government's deeply divisive proclamation of a public order emergency by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), the Canadian Constitution Foundation and other groups. In that 2024 decision, Federal Court Justice Richard Mosley, since retired, said the government's decision lacked justification, transparency and intelligibility.

"The government appealed. During a hearing last February, its lawyers argued the court downplayed violence with 'hindsight bias on full display.' The government has long argued the protests posed a security threat and the measures it took under the Emergencies Act were targeted, proportional and temporary. 

"But the appeal court's decision agreed with Mosley's finding that cabinet did not have reasonable grounds to believe that a threat to national security existed and fell short of the legal threshold needed to invoke the act."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/convoy-protest-emergencies-act-appeal-9.7046769

Trump embraces regime change in Venezuela

Making Imperialism Great Again? | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

January 12, 2026 - "It did not take long for President Trump to change the reason for sending the US military to 'arrest' Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The allegation that President Maduro ran a drug cartel was front and center in the months leading up to President Maduro’s 'arrest.' Afterwards, President Trump said the invasion was about Venezuela’s oil and announced plans for the US government to send American oil companies into Venezuela.

"About a week after the invasion, President Trump had a meeting with executives from American oil companies to discuss plans for Venezuela. Some of the companies’ executives at the meeting were less than enthusiastic about developing Venezuelan oil. One reason for this is that, since the Venezuelan government nationalized oil activities twenty years ago, fracking has made the US the world’s leading producer of oil and natural gas. Rebuilding the oil industry in Venezuela could cost as much as a billion dollars for an uncertain payoff. Among the complications, Venezuelan oil does not easily flow though pipelines unless it is cut with solvents, making it more expensive to transport.

"In his first press conference after the Venezuelan first couple was seized, President Trump said: 'We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition.' He later stated that Maduro’s successor Vice President Delcy Rodriguez would 'pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,' if she does not adequately fulfill the US government’s demands.

"Following the invasion of Venezuela, there have been suggestions that President Trump will direct the US military to invade other countries as well. For example, Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio said, 'if I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned.'

"To no one’ s surprise, Senator Lindsey Graham was delighted by the possibility that Venezuela was just the first of many regime change wars President Trump will wage. Senator Graham even got President Trump to autograph a Make Iran Great Again hat. Many Iranian victims of the Shah of Iran’s secret police might disagree with Senator Graham on whether having the CIA install another puppet government in Iran will make that country great.

"President Trump’s newfound love of regime change wars may be one reason why he is seeking to increase the military budget to 1.5 trillion dollars. President Trump claims that tariff revenue can fund the increase, but that is simply not possible. The majority of the increase in spending would come from other taxes, including the Federal Reserve’s regressive and hidden inflation tax.

"A recent poll by the Pew Research Center found that there is much less support for an 'activist' US foreign policy among Americans under 50 than among older Americans. This is the case among both Democrats and Republicans. In fact, the differing view on foreign policy among younger people was a major factor behind President Trump’s support from younger people in 2024. Continued betrayal by President Trump of his no more regime change wars pledge will cause the president and the Republicans to lose support among younger voters."

Copyright © 2026 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/making-imperialism-great-again/

Crown loses fight to seize Chris Barber's truck

An Ontario judge has dismissed the Crown's attempt to seize Chris Barber's truck, Big Red, for his part in the 2022 Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa.

Judge dismisses Crown’s attempt to forfeit Chris Barber’s truck | Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (news release):

December 19, 2025 - "The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms announces that the Ontario Court of Justice has dismissed the Crown’s application to forfeit the truck of peaceful Freedom Convoy organizer Chris Barber. Mr. Barber’s 2004 Kenworth long-haul truck, known as 'Big Red,' is his primary source of income for his family.

Barber and Big Red. Chris Barber / Justice Centre.

"The forfeiture application arose from Mr. Barber’s peaceful participation in the 2022 Freedom Convoy protest in Ottawa. 

"Despite evidence that police directed Mr. Barber where to park his truck and later instructed him to move it, the Crown sought to permanently seize the vehicle as alleged offence-related property. The court’s decision brings an end to the forfeiture proceedings for now.

"Chris Barber said, 'This truck is my livelihood. Trying to permanently seize it for peacefully protesting was wrong, and I’m relieved the court refused to allow that to happen.'

"Criminal defence lawyer Marwa Racha Younes welcomed the ruling. 'We find it was the right decision in the circumstances and are happy with the outcome,' she said.

"Mr. Barber continues to pursue appeals related to his criminal conviction and sentence stemming from the Freedom Convoy protest. The Justice Centre has provided funding for Mr. Barber’s legal defence since 2022, including the ongoing proceedings opposing the Crown’s attempt to seize his truck.

“'This decision is good news for all Canadians who cherish their Charter freedom to assemble peacefully,' said John Carpay, president of the Justice Centre. 'Asset forfeiture is an extraordinary power, and it must not be used to punish Canadians for participating in peaceful protest,' he added."

https://www.jccf.ca/judge-dismisses-crowns-attempt-to-forfeit-chris-barbers-truck/

Trump reclassifies cannabis as Schedule III drug

While President Trump's executive order reclassifying cannabis as a Schedule III controlled substanceis is a welcome step forward, those who support liberty must continue to press for repeal of all federal drug laws. 

Chmee2, Cannabis sativa plant. CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Trump Takes a Step Toward Liberty | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

December 29, 2025 - "President Trump recently signed an executive order changing marijuana’s Controlled Substances Act classification from Schedule I to Schedule III. Schedule I is supposed to include especially dangerous drugs that are likely to be abused and have no medical purpose. Whatever one thinks of the wisdom and morality of using marijuana, the fact is it is less addictive, and quite possibly safer, than alcohol. Many Americans who live in one of the 40 states that have legalized medicinal marijuana use it for a variety of ailments.

"Reclassifying marijuana does not repeal federal laws criminalizing its use. The reclassifying does, though, facilitate research into marijuana’s medical benefits. It also enables marijuana businesses that are legal under state laws to take ordinary deductions on their taxes.

"While President Trump’s executive order is a step forward, those who support advancing liberty must continue to press for repeal of all federal drug laws.

"The Constitution does not give the federal government any authority to outlaw marijuana or any other “illicit” substance. At least supporters of alcohol prohibition understood that a constitutional amendment was needed to impose a national ban on alcohol. 

"The war on drugs has been a primary excuse for violations of liberties including unconstitutional searches and seizures, 'no-knock raids,' bank reports to the federal government on those making large cash deposits, and draconian mandatory minimum sentences. The drug war has also been used to justify foreign interventions — such as President Trump’s current actions against Venezuela.

"Defenders of the drug war say it is necessary because the drug trade is controlled by violent criminals — even though this is the inevitable result of outlawing a product people wish to consume. The most important reason to end the drug war is that government has no moral right to stop adults from engaging in a peaceful (even if unwise) behavior like smoking marijuana. Laws prohibiting drug use have no place in a free society. These laws are rooted in the idea that our rights are merely gifts from the government conditioned on our “good “behavior. A government that can stop people from smoking marijuana is a government that can also mandate what vaccines we receive and how our children are educated.

"Of course, in a free society, an individual who uses drugs would be responsible for the consequences of his choices, and those who oppose drug use could exercise their right to try to persuade others to abstain from drug use.

"When I campaigned to return to Congress in 1996, both Republicans (in the primary) and Democrats (in the general election) focused on attacking my position on drugs. In response, I explained that the federal government has no authority to outlaw drugs and that the police state being built to stop drug use threatens all our liberty. The responsibility for combatting drug use belongs elsewhere, such as with churches and family members. I summed up my position as not pro-drug, but pro-liberty. In the end, I won that race. The people have been ahead of politicians in understanding the folly of the drug war.

"All of us who value liberty must oppose the drug war. We should speak out for replacing various mandates and punishments of the drug war with increased respect for individual rights. We should also be steadfast that the end goal be a complete ending of the federal government’s drug prohibition."

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.
https://ronpaulinstitute.org/trump-takes-a-step-toward-liberty/

Doug Ford #1 on taxpayers group's naughty list

Ontario premier Doug Ford topped the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) annual Naughty List this year for giving himself a $73,000 raise and for bringing back taxpayer-funded pensions for MPPs.

Taxpayers release Naughty and Nice List | Canadian Taxpayers' Federation (news release): 

December 8, 2025 - Ontario Premier Doug Ford tops the Taxpayer Naughty List for gifting politicians massive pay raises, bringing back taxpayer-funded pensions for politicians and making Ontario’s political welfare permanent.

Image courtesy Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

"'Ford took a pay raise that would make even Ebenezer Scrooge blush: A $73,000 hike in one year,' said Franco Terrazzano, CTF [Canadian Taxpayers Federation] Federal Director. 'But Ford isn’t the only one with coal in his stocking.

“'The Patron Saint of Children doesn’t like it when politicians saddle future generations with massive debt bills, so federal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne is on the Naughty List for borrowing tens of billions of dollars every year.

“'The Canada Revenue Agency left Santa on hold for nearly an hour then gave Mr. Claus the wrong tax information, so those bureaucrats are on the Naughty List.'

"Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree made the Taxpayer Naughty List for targeting law-abiding Canadian firearms owners instead of going after illegal guns and criminals.

"Quebec Premier François Legault is on the Naughty List for being the only premier to keep charging a consumer carbon tax.

"But it wasn’t all bad this year because lots of folks made the Taxpayer Nice List.

"Indigenous activist Hans McCarthy made the Taxpayer Nice List for winning a landmark court case to improve transparency for First Nations’ band members. And Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston also made the Nice List for cutting income taxes, sales taxes and small business taxes.

“'The Parliamentary Budget Officer topped the Nice List for giving taxpayers the gift of government transparency and calling Krampus on Ottawa’s creative budget accounting,' Terrazzano said. 'Alberta Premier Danielle Smith made Santa’s good books for saving taxpayers a ton of cookie dough during the teachers’ strike and getting kids back to school.'"

Taxpayer Naughty List:

• Ontario Premier Doug Ford
• Federal Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne
• The Canada Revenue Agency
• British Columbia Finance Minister Brenda Bailey
• Quebec Premier François Legault
• Federal Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree

Taxpayer Nice List:

• Parliamentary Budget Officer Jason Jacques
• Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe
• Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston
• Cape Breton gun owners
• Indigenous activist Hans McCarthy
• Alberta Premier Danielle Smith

https://www.taxpayer.com/newsroom/taxpayers-release-naughty-and-nice-list-en_ca-4198c029

US military budget tops $1 Trillion

U.S. Air Force planes at Pittsburgh Air Show, 2017. Wikimedia Commons.

A Christmas Gift to the War Machine | Ron Paul Institute | Ron Paul:

December 22, 2025 - "Late last week, Congress passed and President Trump signed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The bill marks the first time the US military budget officially passed the one trillion dollar [$1,000,000,000,000] mark. Of course, when you add in other military-related spending such as interest on the debt, veterans’ affairs, and military components of other government agencies, the true number is at least one and a half times that amount.

"To paraphrase the famous 1953 President Eisenhower speech, 'The Chance for Peace,' each of these dollars spent on military offense and the maintenance of the US global empire rather than on defense of our own nation is taken from the mouths of the hungry and off the backs of hardworking American families.

"Congress is so addicted to military spending that they appropriated even more money than President Trump requested, including an unconscionable $800 million for thoroughly corrupt Ukraine. Will Washington ever be called to answer for why Americans, who are seeing their standard of living eaten away by inflation and a declining economy, should continue to subsidize a criminal regime overseas whose ruling class enjoys the comfort of golden toilets?

"The Ukraine money also undermines President Trump’s claim to be a neutral mediator in the conflict. How can you be a peacemaker when you are sending nearly a billion dollars in weapons to one side to help kill the other side? It makes no sense.

"Congress even included measures in the bill that would prevent President Trump from bringing any US troops home from real 'forever wars' in Korea and Europe. For how many more decades must the American worker continue to subsidize a US military presence in countries completely unrelated to our own security? World War II ended 80 years ago and the Korean war some ten years later. Yet the American military empire remains, at an incalculable cost to Americans.

"Some fellow critics will say this is all about welfare for rich countries overseas, and that’s partly right. But more than that, it is welfare for the politically-connected US military-industrial complex at home. Imagine how many retired US military officers and former US officials-turned-lobbyists might be financially inconvenienced if we finally 'just marched home'?

"This week Western Christians will celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace, with the Orthodox celebrating a few days later. It is disheartening that so many Americans who call themselves Christians also hold fast to a view that we must bankrupt our country and impoverish our people by playing policeman to the world and arbiter of whose regime must be changed by Washington.

"Christians are among the biggest victims in these overseas operations, including in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza. Yet many American Christians turn a blind eye to the suffering and misery produced by neocon-led militarism overseas. They don’t care that unquestioning support for Israel, for example, has nearly erased Christianity from where it was born. 

"Imagine if Jesus were born in the Holy Land today.

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” That is the message of the Savior whose birth we Christians celebrate this week. Continuing to bankrupt our country and export misery overseas in the futile pursuit of a global military empire places us in opposition to this worthwhile advice. Let us all join together and work for a real peace in the New Year!

Copyright © 2025 The Ron Paul Institute. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit and a live link are given.

https://ronpaulinstitute.org/a-christmas-gift-to-the-war-machine/