What We’re Watching - 1/29/26
The Main Point: Across recent headlines, a common thread is emerging: growing pressure on the Constitutional guardrails that are meant to constrain executive power. Together, they reflect a broader pattern in which extraordinary measures risk becoming normalized — and long-standing checks and balances are tested.
Our aim in this section is to help partners look beyond the volume of news to identify the shifts that matter most for democratic principles, norms, and institutions.
Key Developments:
Renewed focus on the Insurrection Act and civic tension in Minnesota: President Trump’s public statements last week suggesting potential invocation of the Insurrection Act in Minnesota came amid intense public debate and protest over federal immigration enforcement actions, including large demonstrations and economic actions by community groups, labor leaders, clergy, and others in response to recent federal enforcement operations. We recently published an explainer on the Insurrection Act to provide historical and legal context, and messaging guidance on recent violence in Minnesota, as these conversations continue.
Pressure on institutional independence: Public attacks and retaliatory investigations involving Federal Reserve officials – including scrutiny of Chair Jerome Powell and Governor Lisa Cook – raise questions about political interference in institutions designed to operate independently of partisan influence.
International incidents show constitutional guardrails under strain: Recent U.S. actions involving Venezuela – including military operations, the detention of President Nicolás Maduro, and the seizure of Venezuelan-linked oil tankers – have renewed debate about the scope of presidential war powers and Congress’s constitutional role in authorizing force. Separately, renewed U.S. pressure and rhetoric around acquiring Greenland have raised concerns about respect for lawful process and congressional oversight.
Why it matters: For American Jews, constitutional guardrails are not abstract — they are what have made Jewish safety, civic participation, and communal flourishing possible in the United States. Independent institutions, clear limits on executive power, and meaningful checks and balances help ensure that rights are protected, even in moments of crisis or polarization.
