The Political Temperature Index currently stands at 64.3°, indicating a hot temperature, with a 24-hour change of -9.8°, suggesting a cooling trend. Based on analysis of 12,893 articles and 3,972 social posts, the top drivers contributing to today's temperature are the Pakistan mosque bombing suspects' arrests, which added 36.6 points, and the paramilitaries' attack on displaced people in Sudan, which added 27.1 points. Lingering heat from past events, such as the "Trump ICE Terror Campaign" and "SBA Freezes 111K California Borrowers", continues to contribute to the overall temperature, with several critical events still ongoing, including the "Trump Warns of Mass Deportation" and "ICE Arrests in Chicago Sanctuary City", which are set to remain relevant for the next 28 days. As the week's temperature has fluctuated, starting at 47.9° and reaching a high of 81.1°, what to watch today is how the ongoing events and new developments will impact the temperature, potentially leading to further cooling or a reversal of the current trend.
The political temperature surged to 77.3° on February 8, 2026, marking a significant increase of 3.3° from the previous day, and bringing the week's gain to 29.4°. Based on analysis of 741 new articles and 845 social posts, today's top drivers included a Trump social media post featuring an AI-generated video depicting the Obamas as apes, which added 31.9 points, followed by ICE arrests in Minneapolis operations and a bombshell revelation about Trump from an Epstein reporter. The day's elevated temperature and volatility of 10.2 reflect a rapidly heating momentum of 5.2%, which has propelled the index from 47.9° at the start of the week to a boiling 77.3°. Looking ahead, the lingering heat from past events, including Trump's AI video and ICE operations, is expected to continue influencing the temperature, which may remain elevated in the coming days.