November: A Storm Is Coming

On November 21st, 2025, President Trump takes to social media to unleash a barrage of racist attacks against Minnesotans and accuse the state of being overrun with government fraud. Days later Trump escalates these attacks calling Somalis living in Minnesota “garbage.”

Just as Trump sent his hordes of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to Los Angeles and Chicago earlier in 2025 as part of his plan to both terrorize immigrants and assert control over sanctuary cities, he is now putting the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul in his crosshairs. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officially announces Operation Metro Surge on December 4th.

This comes at a critical juncture in Trump’s presidency. The two main issues that propelled him into his second term were the economy and immigration. However, by late 2025 the economy is at best a mixed bag as uncertainty over tariffs threatens inflation and trade wars and the supposed benefits of the AI build-out are not felt by most Americans. Additionally, the drama around Trump’s place in the Epstein files and the unpopularity of Trump’s recent intervention in Venezuela threatens his hold on his base and his appeal with the broader electorate. Therefore, Trump bets that conducting another ICE surge as his premier domestic initiative is the best way to shore up his support ahead of the mid-term elections in 2026.