January 20, 2026 Evening Edition

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

ABC7
— Trump’s record set to be major talking point in Illinois gubernatorial race
https://abc7chicago.com/post/2026-midterms-ahead-primary-election-illinois-governor-jb-pritzker-republican-hopeful-darren-bailey-field-trump-talk/18439825/

WGN9
— Trump touts accomplishments in first year, Illinois critics point to failures
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV4ga81sj-M

FOX32
— Trump says he’ll cut funding to ‘sanctuary’ states like Illinois
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAwa7oDJH8M

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Republican hopeful Ted Dabrowski defends TV ad likening Gov. JB Pritzker to communist Poland, Ecuador turmoil
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/20/ted-dabrowski-defends-tv-ad-pritzker-communist/
— Gov. JB Pritzker, Attorney General Kwame Raoul look back on first year of Trump 2.0
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/20/pritzker-raoul-trump-one-year/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— One year and 51 lawsuits later, Illinois Democrats lament ‘chaos’ of second Trump administration. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said he’s “optimistic” heading into Year Two of sweeping legal fights with the White House.
https://chicago.suntimes.com/donald-trump/2026/01/20/trump-one-year-kwame-raoul-illinois-lawsuits-jb-pritzker

25 NEWS NOW
— Illinois lawmakers’ 2026 theme: affordability. Democrats seeking to capitalize on Trump-driven chaos during election year session.
https://www.25newsnow.com/2026/01/20/illinois-lawmakers-2026-theme-affordability/

WSIU
— Darren Bailey/Aaron Del Mar launch ‘Take Back Illinois’ Bus Tour
https://www.wsiu.org/politics-elections/2026-01-20/darren-bailey-aaron-del-mar-launch-take-back-illinois-bus-tour

ELMHURST PATCH
— DuPage Candidates To Take Questions In Elmhurst. County Board, clerk, sheriff and forest preserve hopefuls are expected to attend the local League of Women Voters forum.
https://patch.com/illinois/elmhurst/dupage-candidates-take-questions-elmhurst

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/01/20/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-451/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

MCHENRY COUNT BLOG
— Senator Darby Hills on Human Trafficking Panel
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/20/senator-darby-hills-on-human-trafficking-panel/
— Dems Have $50,000 in the Bank
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/19/dems-have-50000-in-the-bank/
— Democratic Party $50,000 Not the Only Available Money
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/20/democratic-party-50000-not-the-only-available/
— McLaughlin Critiques Dems’ Energy Law
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/19/mclaughlin-critiques-dems-energy-law/
— Democrat Rolls Out Tax Sale Solution
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/19/democrat-rolls-out-tax-sale-solution/
— Illinois Budget Has Risen Five Times Our Economic Growth
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/19/illinois-budget-has-risen-five-times-our-economic-growth/
— Governor Jim Edgar’s Pension Timebomb
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/19/governor-jim-edgars-pension-bomb/
— Ted Dabrowski’s First and Second TV Ad During Bear’s Games
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/18/ted-dabrowskis-second-tv-ad-during-bears-game/
— Mandatory Mental Health Screening in Schools (Passed in Illinois) Found to Make No Difference
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/18/mandatory-mental-health-screening-in-schools-passed-in-illinois-found-to-make-no-difference/
— Kat TV Ad
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/17/kat-tv-ad/
— UPDATE: Referendums on School Choice Scholarships on One-Third of Illinois Counties’ Ballots WITH MAP
https://www.mchenrycountyblog.com/2026/01/17/referendums-on-school-choice-scholarships-on-one-third-of-illinois-counties-ballots/

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— What is your position on equal opportunity? As time goes on, it is ever-increasingly clear that my critics/opponents have always and continue to reject the equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving) plank in the Republican Party platform, that is, they have always and continue to promote Affirmative Action (AA) and DEI, that is, they have always and continue to promote race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination. That ever-increasingly explains why they have had their operatives and their dupes take so many big adverse actions against me. They have personally benefitted from AA and DEI and/or want to personally benefit from AA and DEI and/or have used AA and DEI to curry favor with minorities and/or females and/or want to use AA and DEI to curry favor with minorities and females. They applaud my Democrat superiors in the federal government for their wasting my career and their forcing me to retire when I was 49 years old in 1997 because I opposed their race and gender based preference giving, patronage, political affiliation discrimination, reverse discrimination, age discrimination, religious discrimination, and national origin discrimination. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— Trump settles scores in epic review of year in office
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/20/trump-settles-scores-epic-review-year-office/
— 100,000 illegal immigrants have taken DHS’ self-deportation bonus. DHS official says ‘foreign interference’ is fueling anti-ICE protests.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/20/100000-illegal-immigants-taken-dhs-self-deportation-bonus/
— Newly sworn-in Gov. Spanberger turns Virginia into a sanctuary state
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/19/editorial-newly-sworn-gov-spanberger-turns-virginia-sanctuary-state/
— China owns America. From your food to your alma mater, the CCP is omnipresent.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jan/20/china-owns-america/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Minnesota and the battle to cripple ICE
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/daily-memo/4425299/minnesota-battle-cripple-immigration-customs-enforcement/

NEW YORK POST
— Mamdani calls to abolish ICE
https://nypost.com/2026/01/20/us-news/zohran-mamdani-calls-to-abolish-ice-in-gushing-interview-on-the-view/

AMERICAN THINKER
— Compassion Cannot Be The Basis Of Immigration Policy
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2026/01/compassion_cannot_be_the_basis_of_immigration_policy.html

FEDERALIST
— Because Libraries Push Racism And Queer Extremism, They Deserve Their Massive Federal Funding Cuts
https://thefederalist.com/2026/01/20/because-libraries-push-racism-and-queer-extremism-they-deserve-their-massive-federal-funding-cuts/

FOX NEWS
— Chicago kids are dying while Mayor Johnson fights Trump, ICE and reality. Rooftop Revelations: Surrendering our values to elite agendas leaves nothing for the rest of us. Only folks like Mayor Johnson benefit. Our kids deserve leaders who fight for them
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/chicago-kids-dying-while-mayor-johnson-fights-trump-ice-reality.amp

STEVE SCALISE
— Scalise Highlights Democrats’ Radical Agenda, Trump’s Record of Delivering for American People
https://scalise.house.gov/press-releases/scalise-highlights-democrats-radical-agenda-trumps-record-of-delivering-for-american-people

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS NEWS
— Trump touts first-year accomplishments in lengthy White House briefing
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/trump-white-house-press-briefing-davos-greenland/
— Republican senators demand end to visa program they say encourages Chinese “birth tourism”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/china-birth-tourism-visa-waiver-program-republican-senators/

VILLAGES NEWS
— Illegals are criminals because they are here illegally
https://www.villages-news.com/2026/01/20/illegals-are-criminals-because-they-are-here-illegally/

GAO
— Financial Audit: IRS’s FY 2025 Financial Statements
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-107977
(FROM THE REPORT: The Internal Revenue Service collects taxes to fund federal programs and services. In FY25, IRS collected more than $5.3 trillion in taxes and paid out about $639 billion in tax refunds, credits, and other payments. We audit and issue opinions annually on IRS’s financial statements and on related internal controls (e.g., processes to reasonably assure that transactions are properly authorized and recorded). In FY25, we found the statements were reliable and that controls over financial reporting were effective—although some controls over unpaid assessments could be improved.)

NEW YORKER
— DD: How successful have Democrats been taking over your church?
https://www.newyorker.com/news/fault-lines/can-american-churches-lead-a-protest-movement-under-trump

Author: David Diersen

The opinions that I express in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails are based on experience that I have gained doing many things since 1948. I base my opinions on what I learned a) working for the federal government for almost 30 years -- Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, serving on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter 1983-1996, and being a union member while I worked for the Post Office and IRS; b) earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, a masters degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, and a masters degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997; c) passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981; c) serving as a Republican Precinct Committeeman since 1999, the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000, the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois Chairman 2005-2012, a member of the 2008 Illinois Republican Party (IRP) Platform and Resolutions Committee, a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member 2003-2011, the Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007, and an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member 2001-2004; d) attending the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 IRP State Conventions as a delegate; e) being the subject of a nasty 4-page article in the February 1978 issue of Money Magazine; f) pursing litigation including Diersen v. GAO and Diersen v. Chicago Car Exchange; g) being married since 1978; h) living in Crete 1948-1972, in University Park 1972-1976, in Chicago 1976-1978, and in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton since 1978; and i) being baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran.