Libertarian Leaning: Recent news about President Trump February 12, 2026

February 12, 2026

· Energy and climate: Al Jazeera reports that Trump has ordered the Pentagon to prioritize purchasing electricity generated from coal, a move framed as support for the fossil fuel sector despite climate concerns.^[1]

· Trade and tariffs: Bloomberg TV coverage notes that the U.S. House voted to end Trump’s tariffs on Canada, with several Republicans joining Democrats, signaling unease about his economic agenda ahead of the midterms and increasing pressure on him to shift course.^[8]

· Housing policy: A policy analysis from Brownstein (widely cited in U.S. financial and legal circles) summarizes Trump’s January announcements to:

o Move to ban large institutional investors from buying additional single‑family homes, and

o Direct Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase about 200 billion dollars in mortgage‑backed securities, aimed at lowering mortgage rates and improving affordability, with a broader housing affordability executive order expected around the State of the Union.^[9]

Foreign policy and security

· Iran: Al Jazeera reports that Trump has threatened Iran with “something very tough” if U.S. demands are not met and is considering sending a second aircraft carrier to the region, prompting concern about a possible U.S. strike and further regional destabilization.^[5]

· Venezuela: The Council on Foreign Relations–linked Global Affairs analysis describes a January U.S. military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, portraying it as part of a more aggressive “Trump 2.0” posture.^[4]

· International organizations and alliances: Brookings Institution commentary notes that Trump has withdrawn the U.S. from dozens of international organizations and is pursuing a more transactional, less rules‑based approach to alliances, which many analysts see as eroding the post‑1945 U.S.‑led order.^[7]^[4]

Relations with allies and world reaction

· Europe and the world order: The New York Times, summarizing the 2026 Munich Security Report, says European security experts characterize Trump as a “global wrecking ball,” citing his tariffs on allies, fluctuating Ukraine support, and readiness to pressure or threaten other states as undermining norms like territorial integrity and non‑aggression.^[3]

· Greenland: Both Global Affairs and other international commentary note renewed Trump efforts to acquire Greenland from Denmark, which have drawn public concern and pushback from several NATO governments, who say they are stepping up Arctic presence and deterrence.^[10]^[3]^[4]

· Israel and Iran diplomacy: CNN and Bloomberg political coverage indicate that Trump has hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again at the White House, while simultaneously telling him he intends to press ahead with talks aimed at a possible deal with Iran, despite Israeli reservations.^[11]^[6]^[8]

Legal and transparency developments

· Epstein files: CNN Politics reports that, under pressure from lawmakers, the Justice Department in early February un‑redacted additional names in the Jeffrey Epstein files; this is covered as part of broader live updates on the Trump administration rather than as a partisan push.^[2]

If you’d like, I can narrow this further (for example, “only foreign policy,” “only economic policy,” or “only actions in the last seven days”) and add links and dates in a small table for easier scanning.

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