AMNA NAWAZ: Well, it's been a# busy week for President Trump,## flexing his power at home and abroad.

To discuss, we turn now to the# analysis of Brooks and Capehart.## That is New York Times columnist David# Brooks and Jonathan Capehart of MS NOW.

It's good to see you both.

And I want to start with a# little bit of news, Jona.. that we just got moments ago.

There are# now reports the Department of Justice is## issuing criminal subpoenas for Minnesota# Governor Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob## Frey.

We understand part of that is for what# they're said is impeding law enforcement.

As you well know, this comes against the# backdrop of ICE agents on the ground as## part of President Trump's immigration crackdown,## protests on the ground in response to their# presence.

What's your reaction to the latest?

JONATHAN CAPEHART: Well, the president warned that# retribution was coming to Minnesota in -- just a## couple of days ago, if not yesterday.

Time# is elastic these days, so not surprising,## but also interesting coming from an administration# that campaigned on how the previous administration## was weaponizing the Justice Department# against him and against people like him.

And, instead, what we have seen from# President Trump is a weaponization## of the Department of Justice.

Now it's# Governor Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Frey,## but also New York attorney General Letitia# James, former FBI Director James Comey, the six## Democratic members of the House and the Senate# that did the video telling service members what## they already know, which is, they are not -- they# do not have to follow unlawful or illegal orders.

So I think that the governor and the mayor# probably saw this coming a mile away,## because, again, we're dealing with the# president who has made it very clear## in word and in deed that he will# go after people he does not like.

AMNA NAWAZ: David, we have seen tensions# only rising on the ground in Minneapolis.## We saw Governor Walz publicly come out and# call for a lowering of the temperature,## telling the protesters, don't# take the bait, don't be violent,## even as the administration says# it's going to surge more agents.

Criminal subpoenas for the state and city# leaders, does that lower the temperature?

DAVID BROOKS: Not exactly.

We're coming close to something like an# armed occupation of an American .. the American federal government.

There are 3,000# ICE officers in Minneapolis, which is like five## times the number of police officers.

And they# are behaving with reckless and violent abandon.

Barack Obama deported three million people# during the course of his administration.

He## didn't do it this way.

He did it with people# who were just coming over the border or people## who were criminals.

He didn't go into homes# and terrorized children, disallow moms whose## sons are dying from cancer from seeing their# kids, breaking up families, doing sort of## ethnic investigations into people's neighbors,# using these hand grenades, flash hand grenades.

It's just an -- it's an unprecedented -- and I# don't know if unprecedented is the right word,## but it could be.

George H.W.

Bush used the# Insurrection Act in 1992 in California,## but he did it with the presence of Pete Wilson,## the governor there, with the local --# the cooperation of the local officials.

This is completely different.

This is# something that is turning up the pressure,## and I think Governor Walz is# right.

I'm not a huge fan, but## the protesters are turning up the tension on# the ICE officers.

And if -- so long as they## do it nonviolently, then Americans will# see what is going on in their country.

And I have long thought, if Americans# see deportations of respectable families,## they will finally rebel against this regime, and# not just the progressives and not just Democrats,## but normal people who are like,# what the heck is going on here?

And so that's where we're headed.

AMNA NAWAZ: Jonathan, when we look at where# we're headed, the president is threatening## to invoke the Insurrection Act, which he# has done before, at least threatened to.

Where's the off-ramp?

How# do you see this unfolding?

JONATHAN CAPEHART: I'm not# sure there is an off-ramp.

Look, when I talked to Minnesota Attorney# General Keith Ellison last may in the## run-up to the fifth anniversary# of the murder of George Floyd,## we just had a regular conversation about# his reflections on the time.

And there was## something lurking in the back of my mind that I# did not ask him, but he brought up voluntarily.

And that was that people needed to be mindful that# the president of the United States was itching for## a reason to invoke the Insurrection Act.

Now,# one of the theories was that he would -- there## was a rumor going around that the president# was considering a pardon of Derek Chauvin,## the former police officer who murdered George# Floyd, and what that would do to Minneapolis,## what that would do to people around# the country if that were to happen.

And so his big fear was that a reaction from folks# in Minneapolis would spark -- give the president## the reason.

Here we are six or so months later,# and we're at a situation where, at the president's## instigation, to David's point, they're going to# be about 3,000 -- let me -- I have my notes here.

Yes, about 3,000 federal agents in a city# that only has about 500 to 600 Minneapolis## police officers.

Why do that if what you really# want is to fight crime or get the worst of the## worst out?

No, the videos that we are seeing# coming out of Minneapolis are heartrending.

This is not about deporting the worst# of the worst.

This isn't even about## getting out the people in the# country who have crossed over## illegally.

This is terrorizing# not just the immigrant community,## both undocumented and documented.

It's# about terrorizing Minneapolis writ large.

And the wonderful thing -- I went to college# in Minnesota, and the wonderful thing to see## is that the folks of Minnesota, and particularly# Minneapolis, are not going to let this happen to## them and their communities without them# trying to hold these people accountable.

AMNA NAWAZ: We started this conversation,Jonathan,# by saying the president's flexing his power at## home and abroad.

I want to turn# to the rest of the world stage.

And grant me a moment here just to put some of# the headlines together that we had to cover this## week.

We saw the Venezuelan opposition leader,# Maria Corina Machado, come to the White House,## gift her Nobel Peace Prize to President# Trump, all while the Trump administration## still seems to be backing the former Maduro vice# president, Delcy Rodriguez, back in Venezuela.

We're now two weeks into running this country,## and now we hear the president talking about# taking over Greenland, which is controlled by## a NATO ally in the form of Denmark.

We also# saw officials from there visiting this week.

Just give me a moment and react# to what we're seeing in terms## of the president's expansionist rhetoric here.

JONATHAN CAPEHART: He doesn't care.

He doesn't# care about what's happening on the streets of## an American city.

And he certainly doesn't# care about the NATO alliance.

Otherwise,## he wouldn't be doing what# he's doing with Greenland.

When it comes to Venezuela, this idea# of you're going to take out the regime,## but what that meant was you only took out# the head.

You're leaving everybody else in,## but we know what it was for.

In Venezuela, it's# the oil.

In Greenland, it's about the rare earth## minerals that might be needed, that American# industry needs for all sorts of purposes.

The president, in the end, is only thinking# about himself.

This isn't about America first.## This is about Donald Trump and his interests# first.

Otherwise, we wouldn't be in Venezuela## the way we are.

Otherwise, we wouldn't be# threatening a NATO ally the way we are.

If he follows through on what he -- on his# threats, the Western alliance that the United## States gave blood, sweat, and tears to form and# develop and maintain will come crumbling down.

AMNA NAWAZ: I just want to note for viewers, too,## we're having some technical issues with David# Brooks' audio, which is .. to him for a question.

As soon as we# have him, I will bring him back in.

But, Jonathan, it gives me a chance to ask# you another question about this, which is,## Machado clearly sees her path to the Venezuelan# presidency through Washington.

Greenlandic,## Danish officials see that the path to# peace also comes through Washington.

Did the visits this week in the# White House make any difference?

JONATHAN CAPEHART: We will see.

I mean, I think, in the short term,# no.

It.. really sad that the winner of the Nobel# Peace Prize felt compelled to -- first,## she dedicated the prize to him when she# found out that she won.

Now she's giving## it to him.

And he gleefully accepted# it.

What in the petulant child is this?

And then for Danish and Greenlandic# officials to come to the United States,## come to the White House for meeting,# basically pleading for their own safety,## pleading for their own sovereignty, and# leaving without much to show for it,## we have seen this movie play out before.

We# don't know how any of this is going to turn out,## because I quite honestly don't think the# president knows how it's going to turn out.

This is a guy who lives day-to-day.

There's no# long term strategic plan, beyond give me the oil## in Venezuela, give me the rare earth minerals# in Greenland, give me that Nobel Peace Prize.

AMNA NAWAZ: Lot of headlines around the world,## here at home this week.

I wish we had# more time to talk about it all.

I have## a feeling we're going to continue to# cover these in the days and weeks ahead.

Jonathan Capehart, David# Brooks, my thanks to you both.

JONATHAN CAPEHART: Thanks, Amna.