Will's comment - well-funded? No. I live in Minnesota. When you see your neighbors being taken at random. Being killed. Seeing the government coming into people's homes and taking them, your logical response is to come out and try to protect your neighbors. To Minnesota's credit, we have done that with whistles and phones. We have borne witness to this. We have held vigils to Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Was this funded by anyone? No. This has been grassroots. So has the response to bring food to the people who are scared to leave their homes. Because that is how Minnesotans are. When you live in a climate like ours, it is how you survive.
I’m in Minneapolis and also incensed by Will’s comments that the mayor and the governor are inciting things here with ice. You Have no idea what it’s like to go shopping and see ICE in vehicles waiting to pounce on people, they are all over the place and have invaded us. We are in a siege and anyone who says anything differently needs to come and help our fellow neighbors who are living in fear because of ice and the border patrol. The naïveté, unbelievable!
I may be interesting to compare Will's position to the position of an ICE agent: He is on the show as a representative of Conservative interests, which are currently aligned with the Trump administration (for the most part). His hands are tied, because his job depends on political allegiance rather than a moral standing. Will ceded some ground [edit: in this episode], but only to the extent that the Trump administration needs to change its messaging (not actual policy).
Then I guess you should start executing protesters for treason and send in tanks to suppress the protests. Clearly this is a communist uprising and a threat to democracy.
Could you be more specific? Are you talking about politicians, people’s party allegiance…? I feel like other comments have covered attitudes towards local politicians.
I guess as a party. Because on this show Mohamad basically just runs down center-right Democrat talking points, and I’m wondering if you feel that would faithfully represent the will of people in MN protesting, or whether the alienation risks only increasing tensions.
For what it’s worth, most people I know consider the Democratic Party to be practically center-right on the political spectrum. So no, Mo’s positions don’t reflect the people in Minneapolis.
However, most people in Minneapolis would not frame this as a political issue. It’s unavoidable in the same way that seeing homelessness is unavoidable if you live in a city. If the Feds came to your neighborhood and homelessness skyrocketed, you’d start to set aside some of your opinions, and work with your community to do something.
But to Colin’s point, if the position is as widespread as it appears (locally or otherwise), you’re forced to engage with its rhetoric. And I’m here listening to the podcast, which means I’m at least pretending to consider the other side.
Do you have opinions related to what I said, that people in Minneapolis wouldn’t see this as a political issue as much as Feds vs Locals?
Yeah, that makes sense, and Minneapolis seems similar to Seattle regarding our political spectrum too, and our reaction would also probably start as non political but would become politicized as people gravitated towards whoever is offering effective opposition.
I'm in Minneapolis and I am appalled at the suggestion that the majority of the"protestors" are either obstructing ICE or intentionally agitating. Please start using the term Constitutional Observers. That's what the vast majority of us are. We are watching ICE agents BECAUSE they are acting illegally. We are filming them, because the government is lying to us. And we are helping our neighbors who are afraid to come out because they will be illegally abducted. I'm sure there are some agitating protestors, but the majority of us are NOT that at all.
The podcast is treating the people of Minneapolis the way it treated the people of Palestine and the people around the world who supported them: feigned helplessness, feigned ignorance, false equivalency, and erasure.
It’s fascinating to see this tactic applied to Americans.
It's impossible to engage with ICE in good faith. Reminder that Mr Vance's attempt to "lower the temperature" also acknowledged a literal conspiracy to undermine the 4th Amendment:
We know they are. We see the videos of people blowing whistles, honking horns, and blocking federal agents. The Signal chat has revealed the coordination and the “training” provided to agitators to physically insert themselves into operations.
I wonder if the social media feed of left leaning folks is showing a completely different set of videos compared to what I see in mine. I've seen tons of videos of people actively obstructing ICE and Border Patrol operations. Yes, I also happen to see in those videos plenty of people keeping their distance and abiding the law, filming at a distance and yelling, all of which is cool. But there are way too many people actively interfering with law enforcement officers. I'm not necessarily trying to say that everything about ICE is perfect and especially not saying that the two deaths in MN were justified, but my goodness, I don't know why leftists can't admit that at least some of these protesters should stop interrupting federal law enforcement!
If Frey & Walz were using inflammatory language that didn't match the situation on the ground here in Minneapolis then the local population would reject those politicians. The thing is, it IS what is happening on the ground. Believe the video footage you see with your own eyes.
Oh and I appreciate how much mileage you're getting out of Frey using a swear. I won't stoop to the level of posting all the profanity Trump has fired off, I'll just say to Will "Quiet, quiet piggy." Is that more statesmenlike?
Will from LA who's saying "I saw something about a hotel and that's the reality" needs to go interview protesters and ask them "Hey are you like a well organized paid protester like X is saying?" No, they're just people who are pissed. I'm one of them. It's great that YOU think that things changed at the drop of the hat when Mr. Bribes showed up but the stuff we're upset about didn't change: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/29/2-more-kids-from-liam-ramos-columbia-heights-school-in-ice-custody
And you're going to say "oh, it's just in those few cases" and yeah, okay, evaluate this counterfactual: What would the narrative have been if "the woman with the pink jacket" didn't get this recording out to the public? How do you think the wikipedia page would read for Alex Pretti? You think they would ever release the body cam footage the officers have of it? Why aren't they releasing that now? Would we have known that footage existed? Now everything they claim from who ruined a hotel to who was resisting arrest to who hit an officer with a broomstick before they shot a man in the back of the leg HAS TO BE QUESTIONED. No more trust for ICE "law enforcement". The onus to prove has shifted from the so called "domestic terrorists" to the so called "law enforcement." Oh yeah that father left his son in negative 20 degree weather and it was the kind hearted ICE agent that took that poor boy under his wing and brought him to a much warmer city ... really? And that passes your BS detector given the "I see differently with my own two eyes" levels of lying they've employed?
We're not protesting because of their inability to catch and prosecute vandalism. We're not protesting because they have been freezing out the police. The fact that you don't know what we're protesting about means you should get different news sources. It's the violation of both constitutional and human rights that upsets us.
And what's wrong with being organized? Don't protest unless you have a permit to protest but don't be organized into knowing when and where to protest? What?! Why is "organized" suddenly a dirty word? We're communicating with like minded people on Signal or Whatsapp and that is grounds for a dragnet warrant?
If ICE was proud of the work they were doing, they wouldn't be operating like the secret police. Oh, I'm sorry, that references the gestapo and the stazi and I shouldn't use things that describe illegal personal information collection without warrants, vehicles with no identification, masked nameless agents, detainment without rights, excessive force ... yeah, uh, right, quacks like a duck, walks like a duck but don't say duck. Got it. At best they are bumbling fools lead by a confederacy of dunces. At worst they are the stazi, it's just instead of work camps you end up in El Paso to be summarily flown to Liberia without any chance of due process.
And if they find out you're here legally? They kick you out onto the street in El Paso without a phone or money or anything ... the kid that had a bunny hat and spiderman backpack? He doesn't even have those anymore.
I don't care if you want this to end here or not. It ends here. Go back to some cowardly bootlicking $hthole like Texas where they prosecute children and leave my state alone. Go kill Kyle Rittenhouses in Texas and get your parade. Go to Will's house and kick his door down so he can call you a hero with a tear in his eye as he hands you his papers.
Immigration enforcement happened correctly under all other modern presidents ... what is happening in Minneapolis today under Trump 2 is a violation of constitutional rights of US citizens.
It is an absolute joke to hear Will say he is a constitutionalist. Absolute joke. The man knows which laws serve him and that's what he's barking about. He's a pro-2A nutjob. He doesn't know anything about the 1st and 4th amendments or he'd be crowing about that. I doubt he even knows the full sentence of the 2A -- just the "shall not be infringed". I can see why he's not a punk rocker anymore, I don't know any punk rockers who relish licking authoritarian boot so wholeheartedly.
I was so disappointed in that conversation too. People wouldn’t be out in the frigid weather observing ICE agents if they were following the law. But we have no choice. Without documentation from citizens, we would have NO accountability of these actions whatsoever.
Does that make the situation more dangerous? Maybe, but it is a vicious cycle. If they leave, problem solved… because we didn’t have an immigration problem until these hired thugs came to town.
Disappointed in how the panelists accepted that the Alex Pretti homicide was outrageous (it was) but somehow now accept that the Renee Good killing was fine!? She was a mom dropping off her kids! Independent video analysis and eyewitness accounts show she was turning away from agents when she was shot, contradicting federal claims that she tried to run them over. Because the evidence doesn’t show an imminent threat, her killing was illegitimate. The fascist bastard who killed her (Jonathan Ross) shouted “fucking bitch” at her lifeless body and took trophy pictures - absolute psychopathic behavior. I want to see justice for her too. I get why Will Swain probably celebrates her murder (something something… “should have stayed at home if she didn’t want to get shot”…) but David and Mo too? Come on guys! Let’s not normalize fascist brutally.
When I hear MAGA pundits like Will talk about protesting, I definitely think they would have cheered the death of Dr. King, and would have used the same talking points about those protestors.
Will Swains comments are enough to make me stop listening to LRC. Ive not missed a single episode in the history of this show, but Will’s comments were frankly pathetic and amounted to victim blaming.
“They wouldn’t be killed if Good or Pretti weren’t there.” No, they wouldn’t have been killed if ICE and CBP weren’t there and were not chalk full of the worst of humanity has to offer in terms of “officers.”
Will is a pathetic excuse for a right guest on this show that has had so many quality right guests. Any continued presence of him on this show will lead me to stop listening snd stop my contributions to KCRW.
I love how Will vilifies inflammatory comments made by the Mayor and AG, but makes no mention of the beyond inflammatory comments made by the administration officials.
Yea, i stick by my comment: if he’s on the show again I’m done with LRC and will cease my KCRW donations. Find some intelligent guests in the right and jettison MAGA morons and apologists like Will.
I nominate my 67 year old conservative food service coworker in mpls to replace Will. This place is usually a place of well thought out thoughtful posts, Will doesn't deserve that.
Normally I would agree, but he blamed the victims and excused the administration’s heinous comments while calling out the mayor and AG. If he would have also called out the administration for their comments and not blamed the victims, i would easily have not said anything.
But frankly, i think victim blaming always needs to be called out and those who blame the victim should be shamed for it.
From St Paul: HOLD UP with your claim that "the left is setting traps" in their protests. You know what we are doing? At a *grassroots level,* we are organizing to protect each other because the federal government is literally taking people off the streets and out of their homes for no reason. Refusing to view the passports that they are carrying on their person. Literally not even attempting to focus on criminals. And that organizing isn't to set traps. It's to warn neighbors not to come outside if ICE is present. It's to witness with cameras because otherwise people wouldn't believe how egregious this activity is. It's to watch the perimeter of our schools to try to keep children from watching theit teachers or their parents being taken. And it's to bring food and help with rent money for our neighbors of color who are afraid to leave their homes to shop or go to their jobs. That includes neighbors who are full citizens who were born here.
Among other things, your right-leaning commentator needs to stop assuming that his experience as a democratic organizer 30 years ago is comparable to this, because it just isn't.
I really would like LRC to try and get either some young millennial or older zoomer in the political space on the show more often, because while I love David, Mo, Sarah, and the others, it's been clear more times than not that their takes on how political activism works are based on lobbyists of the 80s, 90s, and 00s. Social media influencers and grifters dominate this space now and have a much different approach, with even direct channels to the president like Laura Loomer or "Rapid Response 47" on Twitter that the vice-president and others pay attention to.
It only makes sense that regular people have to change their tactics as well to fight a government that does not respect the old ways anymore.
I cannot listen to this program any longer. The whole idea seems to be that we all need to UNDERSTAND the Right, and then we can all MEET and COMPLY with the Right. I don't listen to propaganda and I will never comply with Fascists. When you are talking about dictatorship, there is NO meeting in the Middle. By definition, dictatorship does not allow for that.
I hope you don't give up on the program! I'll admit, there have been a number of times in the past few weeks when some things have made me angry. (Like today, when I found myself yelling "LIAR!" at the radio. LOL) The thing is, people can be lying and then people can also just be wrong. From the outside, it can be pretty hard to tell without independent confirmation of the facts. I think one of the problems we face in this country is that a lot of the people with power don't understand people who live in "the real world". (And this is at least as true of Democrats as it is Republicans, maybe more so.) They think they know all there is to know, they think they have all the answers. Sometimes they don't even know the questions.
A few years ago, a friend and I were talking about the meaning of "friendship". He blurted out, "You'd take a bullet for a friend!" Exactly. Or you'd regret it if you didn't or couldn't. THAT is the world most people live in in Minnesota. Why would you get involved? Why would you take a chance? Well, because THAT is what a decent person does. Simple.
I have a small amount of hope that, if we keep talking to them, maybe people like Will will drop the cynicism and learn something.
But I have given up on LRC. I'm perfectly willing to listen to factual arguments but I will not waste my time with propaganda--which is what that program is. There is NO reasonable defence for what is happening in this country. And they posit that if I just look at it in another way, "see!" I'll agree. There is no f-ing way I'll agree with dictatorship. "Understanding" is NOT the problem here! I think they should rename the program "Comply!" and Sarah Isgur will gladly man the whip (which is actually a pretty good metaphor for her motor-mouth).
That's how I feel. They will take nasty positions that Trump takes and try to mold them into something that you are expected then to agree with! No. I'm never agreeing with punishing innocent people or blaming victims of crimes. If you notice, it's never put forward that the Right should try to understand the Left. Nope. It is up to the Left to "meet", to accept what the Right is doing and say it is Good.
I missed today's episode, but am not a fan of Sarah, who makes Rich Lowry sound reasonable. It's not enough to keep me from contributing to KCRW because there is so much more to the station than one program. I'm a recovering Lowell Weicker Republican and miss LRC when Bob Scheer was the voice of the left. David Green is the moderator, but sometimes he should call liars what they are.
I just do not like the tone of LRC. I remember when Bishop Budde stepped up for LGBTQ people with Trump in the audience. (He has really devastated health care for Trans people.) Isgur lashed out "why does she have to mention Trans people!!" Well, she mentions them because someone needs to stand up for their right to live. Isgur says "why not mention farmers instead". ???? Farmers aren't a minority desperately trying to just live their lives in peace--THAT'S why!!! Isgur= once a Trump employee, always a Trump employee. The bottom line is, you can't "meet in the middle" when you're discussing Fascism. Can't imagine I'd sit down with Hitler and find we could have a meeting of minds. Yikes!
EDIT: I should have read all the comments from those who were as offended as I was and said it much better. I have been listening to LRC since the Blankely/Scheer/Huffington days and like Jack below I think I'm about to quit. Trap setting by the left?? Give me a break.
Woah - Will - just starting listening to the episode and heard you talking about a "well funded" protest, as well as stating that our political leadership is encouraging them to do "put themselves in between law enforcement and others" or something close to it. I was glad to hear you walk it back a little after David responded but as a resident of St Paul and working closely with neighbors to keep our kids safe and able to get to and from school safely, as well as ensuring that our neighbors have food to eat because they can't leave the house, I found your comment about Alex and Renee completely beyond the pale. I promise you our little neighborhood group is not funded by anyone except ourselves. And the fact that we are exercising our 1st amendment rights to protest, film, etc., should be something EVERY American supports.
Why is Minneapolis different? Minnesota suffered this past summer after a democratic state rep was murdered and another shot. Trump referred to our Somali community as garbage and constantly trashed our state. Noem and Bovino created and worked with right wing influencers to create snuff videos for X using white power dog whistles.
Chicago was sent 800 agents for a ratio of roughly 1 agent to 2,900 residents. Minnesota was sent 4,500 agents for a ratio of 1:150 people in the twin cities area. They are running people off of roads and leaving cars behind. An agent or right wing copy cats are trying to bait people into accidents. ( This happened to me this past weekend) My neighbor who is native was followed home from the gas station.
Your guests have no idea what it’s like here now. This administration weaponized immigration enforcement to punish people to entertain their far right base. Our resistance is the result.
I have always assumed the primary reason they went into Minneapolis was because of Governor Walz being Kamla Harris' running mate in the 2024 elections. The president is just the right amount of petty to target him perhaps not first, since LA and Chicago are more appealing pieces of red meat for his base, but definitely on the list.
But I also feel its because they figured they'd either encounter the least amount of criminal gang resistance, or perhaps attract more "outside agitators" to justify further escalations based on the George Floyd response in 2020. Either way, this was a test-run for probably a bigger target, likely Portland or Seattle.
They are masked, wearing half assed uniforms, driving unmarked cars, and refuse to produce badges or id. This theory that the resistance is a well funded campaign is so insulting and ridiculous.
It did not terribly surprise me that Will chose to highlight Walz and Frey's words, or suggest that these protestors were "activists". Conservatives have long held the belief that there is no conceivable, possible way that the left is capable of "grassroots action" because they have been shifting the goalposts on what grassroots is for most of my forty-ish years alive. That is why there are so many "boomies" who still clutch their pearls over who George Soros gives his money to, thinking he is somehow the mastermind of a huge concentrated effort to destroy conservatism with [checks notes] soccer moms, PTA organizers, and someone who is really good at shopping at Costco with nothing but a cell phone and a Google Sheets spreadsheet compiled by twenty other people hastily.
Look, I don't completely disagree that words matter and what the governor and mayor say matters. But it's laughably disingenuous to tone police when you have a president, vice-president, and cabinet members routinely espouse negative and hateful rhetoric, jump to unfounded conclusions about individuals in order to drive a specific red-meat narrative for their base, and laugh at people's pain, suffering, and sorrow with AI-driven videos and memes backed by this Andrew Tate-esque machismo and bravado. But the minute you left-hook them in the face with something barely an eighth of that, which draws just a tiny bit of blood on their nose, they act as if you have assaulted them, and bring down the absolute full force of government they used to allege was tyranny if the left did it five years ago during COVID.
The hypocrisy has always been front-and-center for this administration, but it might as well be on the Vegas Sphere now for everyone to see from space. And if this were any deeply serious administration, ICE would have all been gone from Minneapolis on Sunday, Noem, Bovino, and Miller fired, and immigration policy and immigration and border enforcement discussions immediately beginning in Congress to draft new bills to overhaul DHS, ICE, and CBP, fix the asylum process, fix employment and actually hold employers accountable.
They keep saying these protesters are "getting in the way" of federal law enforcement and if they just let them do their job, there'd be no problem. There's SO many problems with that argument. Observing, filming, following, blowing whistles, yelling - annoying as it might be to ICE, is not "stopping them" from doing their job. And it's not against the law. As Mo Elleithee pointed out, Pretti was backing away and the agent came at HIM to escalate the situation. (Slick change of subject by the other guest to start talking about hotel protesters instead, btw.)
Why do the people of Minnesota feel the need to put themselves at risk and capture what's happening for themselves? It's not because their leaders told them to. They'd do it whether Walz or Frey encouraged it or not. It's because they're observing again and again that the job ICE is doing is consistently cruel, unconstitutional, and dangerous. Just imagine what they'd be doing if these things weren't caught on tape. Imagine how many unconscionable things have been done that have NOT been caught on tape. I believe at one point the guest representing the right complained that problem is that the tone set by our leaders isn't "nice." Really? That's what you want? Nice? They are killing citizens. Excuse me if they don't bake you a hotdish.
Someone tell Will that “organized” protests are still protests. Also, citizens that stop the breaking of laws, even if they happen to be employed by the federal government, should be encouraged even if it’s dangerous. In that case, the feds are the source of said danger and they should stop. Oh, and there are many constitutional rights being violated by ice here. Conservatives shouldn’t wait to be conservative until the 2nd amendment is in question. There are others and they are extended to everyone here. Justice for all.
It’d be a waste of time to tell Will anything. In the history of this show i have yet to see a guest more worthless than him. His blame the victim nonsense has really made me question if LRC is worth even listening to anymore. I’m all about having guests on that I don’t agree with…I welcome it…but not people who clearly drank the MAGA Kool Aid and are just regurgitating worthless MAGA talking points.
It would be nice if the other guys would help him out instead of “respecting his opinion” when they should know full well it isn’t helping anyone. Least of all, their program because we are veering very close to not having both a left and right to consider one way or another if we entertain perspectives like his. I just hope LRC actually read these and act accordingly.
I have zero issues with listening to someone i disagree with. But not when they are verifiably wrong, know they are wrong, and choose to say it anyways. That, to me, is a person without integrity and we need more people on all sides with a lot more integrity.
Why are red states not rioting or violent with ICE raids you ask? Well, first lets start with the DOJ letter to governor Tim Walz demanding voter rolls in order to withdraw federal crackdown. Now in a world of actual laws, we call that coercion.
"Red States" are signing their 287(g) with ICE and CBP to allow state and local law enforcement cooperation. Which means whomever are daring to protest in these states are being routed by LEOs, leading to fewer altercations with ICE/CBP and them not having to play paramilitary with citizens as much. DeSantis just touted this not too long ago, and the MAGA base loves it because or their worship for law enforcement and hopes that any "blue infiltrators" in their state are rooted out and arrested.
It's as much of a deterrence policy as it is an enforcement and permission structure, which is why Homan mentions it all the time. He wants blue states to sign these because it's the rubberstamping under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 he desires as a bureaucrat.
Similar to Will, I've heard many interview commentators ask why red states do not have the same situation as Mn. How about providing data such as the # of ICE detainees with no criminal history and how many non-citizens with legal status are detained? Without protesters, how do we know ICE isn't committing similar egregious and unlawful actions?
I have read through the comments below and am once again, proud to be a Minnesotan. Will Swaim spoke as though he had facts. He did NOT have facts and I would reocmmend that he not be included as a representative on your podcast in the future. As noted by others, when Will said that Alex and Renee were not at protests but rather at "well organized, well funded campaigns", he completely lost credibility. What does that even mean - well funded by who? Is he insinuating that Renee and Alex were paid? They were passionate community members trying to protect Minneapolis citizens from the lawless, rogue group called ICE. Before ICE even came to Minnesota, there were many examples of how they treated people - all people - so Minnesotans were well aware of the lengths ICE would go. My next comment was when Will said that Frey and Walz stated "rhetorical accelerants" such as Get the F out of MN and referred to Federal Agents as organized bruality were stated BEFORE the shootings was flat out wrong. Frey made his statement the evening of January 7 after Renee was killed and Walz made his statements on January 14 at a press conference. These passionate comments were made in emotional responses to the actions of ICE and being a Minneapolis resident, quite frankly, I was proud that my leaders were strongly reactive to the event(s). Unnecessary deaths at the hands or our own administration is frightening. Thank goodness we all have cell phones now and can document events with video footage. Imagine if we trusted the administration to be telling us the truth?
I'm of the belief that Frey being as pissed as he was lowered the temperature. With how much Frey is disliked by leftists there would have been chaos if he put out a nondescript statement and then went home.
MN was cooperating before the surge by allowing ICE to take people after time served. The “blame the resistor “stance by the government is not acknowledging what is happening in communities in MN. People thru out the state are outraged by the methods and violation of the rights of people that ICE has been doing since Jan 5. The mission of Trump is fear, and revenge on MN by Trump
At one point, they talked about how we have 3 branches of government and then there's the people. I think what's going on in Minnesota right now is an example of "the people" deciding no one else was going to step up and defend both the Constitution and our neighbors, so we did. Anyone who's aware of who's involved...... Well it's a pretty diverse assortment. Last Saturday I stood next to a man, about my own age, who said (sheepishly?) that he didn't know what was going on. He'd always voted Republican. He's a conservative..... I told him the the president ISN'T a conservative, he's something much different. I told him some of my best friends have been conservative, if he believes in the Constitution, like I do, he'd come to the right place.
And the Nazi comparisons? Well, if it looks like a duck, maybe it's close enough for all practical purposes;. I'm not sure what else to compare it to.
Will's comment - well-funded? No. I live in Minnesota. When you see your neighbors being taken at random. Being killed. Seeing the government coming into people's homes and taking them, your logical response is to come out and try to protect your neighbors. To Minnesota's credit, we have done that with whistles and phones. We have borne witness to this. We have held vigils to Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Was this funded by anyone? No. This has been grassroots. So has the response to bring food to the people who are scared to leave their homes. Because that is how Minnesotans are. When you live in a climate like ours, it is how you survive.
I’m in Minneapolis and also incensed by Will’s comments that the mayor and the governor are inciting things here with ice. You Have no idea what it’s like to go shopping and see ICE in vehicles waiting to pounce on people, they are all over the place and have invaded us. We are in a siege and anyone who says anything differently needs to come and help our fellow neighbors who are living in fear because of ice and the border patrol. The naïveté, unbelievable!
Will clearly doesn't know the facts of what's going on here on the ground! Where the heck is he getting his news from, Trump's Truth Social?
I may be interesting to compare Will's position to the position of an ICE agent: He is on the show as a representative of Conservative interests, which are currently aligned with the Trump administration (for the most part). His hands are tied, because his job depends on political allegiance rather than a moral standing. Will ceded some ground [edit: in this episode], but only to the extent that the Trump administration needs to change its messaging (not actual policy).
As if the president himself isn’t inciting violence and hate daily with his language…
FBI is investigating funding from Neville Singham (linked to Chinese government) who they believe is funding coordinated efforts in MN.
Then I guess you should start executing protesters for treason and send in tanks to suppress the protests. Clearly this is a communist uprising and a threat to democracy.
What are people’s opinions of the Democrats on the ground in MN?
Could you be more specific? Are you talking about politicians, people’s party allegiance…? I feel like other comments have covered attitudes towards local politicians.
I guess as a party. Because on this show Mohamad basically just runs down center-right Democrat talking points, and I’m wondering if you feel that would faithfully represent the will of people in MN protesting, or whether the alienation risks only increasing tensions.
For what it’s worth, most people I know consider the Democratic Party to be practically center-right on the political spectrum. So no, Mo’s positions don’t reflect the people in Minneapolis.
However, most people in Minneapolis would not frame this as a political issue. It’s unavoidable in the same way that seeing homelessness is unavoidable if you live in a city. If the Feds came to your neighborhood and homelessness skyrocketed, you’d start to set aside some of your opinions, and work with your community to do something.
> most people I know consider the Democratic Party to be practically center-right on the political spectrum
Huge indicator that you and your friends are DEEEEP and far to the left of center
But to Colin’s point, if the position is as widespread as it appears (locally or otherwise), you’re forced to engage with its rhetoric. And I’m here listening to the podcast, which means I’m at least pretending to consider the other side.
Do you have opinions related to what I said, that people in Minneapolis wouldn’t see this as a political issue as much as Feds vs Locals?
Yeah, that makes sense, and Minneapolis seems similar to Seattle regarding our political spectrum too, and our reaction would also probably start as non political but would become politicized as people gravitated towards whoever is offering effective opposition.
I'm in Minneapolis and I am appalled at the suggestion that the majority of the"protestors" are either obstructing ICE or intentionally agitating. Please start using the term Constitutional Observers. That's what the vast majority of us are. We are watching ICE agents BECAUSE they are acting illegally. We are filming them, because the government is lying to us. And we are helping our neighbors who are afraid to come out because they will be illegally abducted. I'm sure there are some agitating protestors, but the majority of us are NOT that at all.
If protestors are physically inserting themselves in Federal operations, they are obstructing. Many videos show this.
The podcast is treating the people of Minneapolis the way it treated the people of Palestine and the people around the world who supported them: feigned helplessness, feigned ignorance, false equivalency, and erasure.
It’s fascinating to see this tactic applied to Americans.
It's impossible to engage with ICE in good faith. Reminder that Mr Vance's attempt to "lower the temperature" also acknowledged a literal conspiracy to undermine the 4th Amendment:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2026/01/22/vance-defends-ice-memo-telling-agents-they-can-raid-homes-without-a-judges-warrant/
We know they are. We see the videos of people blowing whistles, honking horns, and blocking federal agents. The Signal chat has revealed the coordination and the “training” provided to agitators to physically insert themselves into operations.
I wonder if the social media feed of left leaning folks is showing a completely different set of videos compared to what I see in mine. I've seen tons of videos of people actively obstructing ICE and Border Patrol operations. Yes, I also happen to see in those videos plenty of people keeping their distance and abiding the law, filming at a distance and yelling, all of which is cool. But there are way too many people actively interfering with law enforcement officers. I'm not necessarily trying to say that everything about ICE is perfect and especially not saying that the two deaths in MN were justified, but my goodness, I don't know why leftists can't admit that at least some of these protesters should stop interrupting federal law enforcement!
If Frey & Walz were using inflammatory language that didn't match the situation on the ground here in Minneapolis then the local population would reject those politicians. The thing is, it IS what is happening on the ground. Believe the video footage you see with your own eyes.
Oh and I appreciate how much mileage you're getting out of Frey using a swear. I won't stoop to the level of posting all the profanity Trump has fired off, I'll just say to Will "Quiet, quiet piggy." Is that more statesmenlike?
Will from LA who's saying "I saw something about a hotel and that's the reality" needs to go interview protesters and ask them "Hey are you like a well organized paid protester like X is saying?" No, they're just people who are pissed. I'm one of them. It's great that YOU think that things changed at the drop of the hat when Mr. Bribes showed up but the stuff we're upset about didn't change: https://www.mprnews.org/story/2026/01/29/2-more-kids-from-liam-ramos-columbia-heights-school-in-ice-custody
As demonstrated time and time again: ICE LIES:
https://www.fox9.com/news/mn-sheriff-says-ice-was-too-busy-twin-cities-pick-up-child-predator
TRUMP'S WHOLE CABINET LIES:
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/25/politics/trump-officials-shifting-rhetoric-alex-pretti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-VMSG-lvDs
Trump Lies:
https://www.ms.now/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-alex-pretti-domestic-terrorist (this from two days ago)
And you're going to say "oh, it's just in those few cases" and yeah, okay, evaluate this counterfactual: What would the narrative have been if "the woman with the pink jacket" didn't get this recording out to the public? How do you think the wikipedia page would read for Alex Pretti? You think they would ever release the body cam footage the officers have of it? Why aren't they releasing that now? Would we have known that footage existed? Now everything they claim from who ruined a hotel to who was resisting arrest to who hit an officer with a broomstick before they shot a man in the back of the leg HAS TO BE QUESTIONED. No more trust for ICE "law enforcement". The onus to prove has shifted from the so called "domestic terrorists" to the so called "law enforcement." Oh yeah that father left his son in negative 20 degree weather and it was the kind hearted ICE agent that took that poor boy under his wing and brought him to a much warmer city ... really? And that passes your BS detector given the "I see differently with my own two eyes" levels of lying they've employed?
We're not protesting because of their inability to catch and prosecute vandalism. We're not protesting because they have been freezing out the police. The fact that you don't know what we're protesting about means you should get different news sources. It's the violation of both constitutional and human rights that upsets us.
And what's wrong with being organized? Don't protest unless you have a permit to protest but don't be organized into knowing when and where to protest? What?! Why is "organized" suddenly a dirty word? We're communicating with like minded people on Signal or Whatsapp and that is grounds for a dragnet warrant?
If ICE was proud of the work they were doing, they wouldn't be operating like the secret police. Oh, I'm sorry, that references the gestapo and the stazi and I shouldn't use things that describe illegal personal information collection without warrants, vehicles with no identification, masked nameless agents, detainment without rights, excessive force ... yeah, uh, right, quacks like a duck, walks like a duck but don't say duck. Got it. At best they are bumbling fools lead by a confederacy of dunces. At worst they are the stazi, it's just instead of work camps you end up in El Paso to be summarily flown to Liberia without any chance of due process.
And if they find out you're here legally? They kick you out onto the street in El Paso without a phone or money or anything ... the kid that had a bunny hat and spiderman backpack? He doesn't even have those anymore.
I don't care if you want this to end here or not. It ends here. Go back to some cowardly bootlicking $hthole like Texas where they prosecute children and leave my state alone. Go kill Kyle Rittenhouses in Texas and get your parade. Go to Will's house and kick his door down so he can call you a hero with a tear in his eye as he hands you his papers.
Immigration enforcement happened correctly under all other modern presidents ... what is happening in Minneapolis today under Trump 2 is a violation of constitutional rights of US citizens.
It is an absolute joke to hear Will say he is a constitutionalist. Absolute joke. The man knows which laws serve him and that's what he's barking about. He's a pro-2A nutjob. He doesn't know anything about the 1st and 4th amendments or he'd be crowing about that. I doubt he even knows the full sentence of the 2A -- just the "shall not be infringed". I can see why he's not a punk rocker anymore, I don't know any punk rockers who relish licking authoritarian boot so wholeheartedly.
I was so disappointed in that conversation too. People wouldn’t be out in the frigid weather observing ICE agents if they were following the law. But we have no choice. Without documentation from citizens, we would have NO accountability of these actions whatsoever.
Does that make the situation more dangerous? Maybe, but it is a vicious cycle. If they leave, problem solved… because we didn’t have an immigration problem until these hired thugs came to town.
Disappointed in how the panelists accepted that the Alex Pretti homicide was outrageous (it was) but somehow now accept that the Renee Good killing was fine!? She was a mom dropping off her kids! Independent video analysis and eyewitness accounts show she was turning away from agents when she was shot, contradicting federal claims that she tried to run them over. Because the evidence doesn’t show an imminent threat, her killing was illegitimate. The fascist bastard who killed her (Jonathan Ross) shouted “fucking bitch” at her lifeless body and took trophy pictures - absolute psychopathic behavior. I want to see justice for her too. I get why Will Swain probably celebrates her murder (something something… “should have stayed at home if she didn’t want to get shot”…) but David and Mo too? Come on guys! Let’s not normalize fascist brutally.
When I hear MAGA pundits like Will talk about protesting, I definitely think they would have cheered the death of Dr. King, and would have used the same talking points about those protestors.
Will Swains comments are enough to make me stop listening to LRC. Ive not missed a single episode in the history of this show, but Will’s comments were frankly pathetic and amounted to victim blaming.
“They wouldn’t be killed if Good or Pretti weren’t there.” No, they wouldn’t have been killed if ICE and CBP weren’t there and were not chalk full of the worst of humanity has to offer in terms of “officers.”
Will is a pathetic excuse for a right guest on this show that has had so many quality right guests. Any continued presence of him on this show will lead me to stop listening snd stop my contributions to KCRW.
I love how Will vilifies inflammatory comments made by the Mayor and AG, but makes no mention of the beyond inflammatory comments made by the administration officials.
Yea, i stick by my comment: if he’s on the show again I’m done with LRC and will cease my KCRW donations. Find some intelligent guests in the right and jettison MAGA morons and apologists like Will.
I nominate my 67 year old conservative food service coworker in mpls to replace Will. This place is usually a place of well thought out thoughtful posts, Will doesn't deserve that.
Normally I would agree, but he blamed the victims and excused the administration’s heinous comments while calling out the mayor and AG. If he would have also called out the administration for their comments and not blamed the victims, i would easily have not said anything.
But frankly, i think victim blaming always needs to be called out and those who blame the victim should be shamed for it.
From St Paul: HOLD UP with your claim that "the left is setting traps" in their protests. You know what we are doing? At a *grassroots level,* we are organizing to protect each other because the federal government is literally taking people off the streets and out of their homes for no reason. Refusing to view the passports that they are carrying on their person. Literally not even attempting to focus on criminals. And that organizing isn't to set traps. It's to warn neighbors not to come outside if ICE is present. It's to witness with cameras because otherwise people wouldn't believe how egregious this activity is. It's to watch the perimeter of our schools to try to keep children from watching theit teachers or their parents being taken. And it's to bring food and help with rent money for our neighbors of color who are afraid to leave their homes to shop or go to their jobs. That includes neighbors who are full citizens who were born here.
Among other things, your right-leaning commentator needs to stop assuming that his experience as a democratic organizer 30 years ago is comparable to this, because it just isn't.
I really would like LRC to try and get either some young millennial or older zoomer in the political space on the show more often, because while I love David, Mo, Sarah, and the others, it's been clear more times than not that their takes on how political activism works are based on lobbyists of the 80s, 90s, and 00s. Social media influencers and grifters dominate this space now and have a much different approach, with even direct channels to the president like Laura Loomer or "Rapid Response 47" on Twitter that the vice-president and others pay attention to.
It only makes sense that regular people have to change their tactics as well to fight a government that does not respect the old ways anymore.
I cannot listen to this program any longer. The whole idea seems to be that we all need to UNDERSTAND the Right, and then we can all MEET and COMPLY with the Right. I don't listen to propaganda and I will never comply with Fascists. When you are talking about dictatorship, there is NO meeting in the Middle. By definition, dictatorship does not allow for that.
I hope you don't give up on the program! I'll admit, there have been a number of times in the past few weeks when some things have made me angry. (Like today, when I found myself yelling "LIAR!" at the radio. LOL) The thing is, people can be lying and then people can also just be wrong. From the outside, it can be pretty hard to tell without independent confirmation of the facts. I think one of the problems we face in this country is that a lot of the people with power don't understand people who live in "the real world". (And this is at least as true of Democrats as it is Republicans, maybe more so.) They think they know all there is to know, they think they have all the answers. Sometimes they don't even know the questions.
A few years ago, a friend and I were talking about the meaning of "friendship". He blurted out, "You'd take a bullet for a friend!" Exactly. Or you'd regret it if you didn't or couldn't. THAT is the world most people live in in Minnesota. Why would you get involved? Why would you take a chance? Well, because THAT is what a decent person does. Simple.
I have a small amount of hope that, if we keep talking to them, maybe people like Will will drop the cynicism and learn something.
But I have given up on LRC. I'm perfectly willing to listen to factual arguments but I will not waste my time with propaganda--which is what that program is. There is NO reasonable defence for what is happening in this country. And they posit that if I just look at it in another way, "see!" I'll agree. There is no f-ing way I'll agree with dictatorship. "Understanding" is NOT the problem here! I think they should rename the program "Comply!" and Sarah Isgur will gladly man the whip (which is actually a pretty good metaphor for her motor-mouth).
Im right there with you. David’s choice if having Will on this week and entertaining victim blaming really lost me as a fan of LRC.
That's how I feel. They will take nasty positions that Trump takes and try to mold them into something that you are expected then to agree with! No. I'm never agreeing with punishing innocent people or blaming victims of crimes. If you notice, it's never put forward that the Right should try to understand the Left. Nope. It is up to the Left to "meet", to accept what the Right is doing and say it is Good.
Oh I’ve definitely noticed.
I missed today's episode, but am not a fan of Sarah, who makes Rich Lowry sound reasonable. It's not enough to keep me from contributing to KCRW because there is so much more to the station than one program. I'm a recovering Lowell Weicker Republican and miss LRC when Bob Scheer was the voice of the left. David Green is the moderator, but sometimes he should call liars what they are.
I just do not like the tone of LRC. I remember when Bishop Budde stepped up for LGBTQ people with Trump in the audience. (He has really devastated health care for Trans people.) Isgur lashed out "why does she have to mention Trans people!!" Well, she mentions them because someone needs to stand up for their right to live. Isgur says "why not mention farmers instead". ???? Farmers aren't a minority desperately trying to just live their lives in peace--THAT'S why!!! Isgur= once a Trump employee, always a Trump employee. The bottom line is, you can't "meet in the middle" when you're discussing Fascism. Can't imagine I'd sit down with Hitler and find we could have a meeting of minds. Yikes!
I just yelled the same thing!
EDIT: I should have read all the comments from those who were as offended as I was and said it much better. I have been listening to LRC since the Blankely/Scheer/Huffington days and like Jack below I think I'm about to quit. Trap setting by the left?? Give me a break.
Woah - Will - just starting listening to the episode and heard you talking about a "well funded" protest, as well as stating that our political leadership is encouraging them to do "put themselves in between law enforcement and others" or something close to it. I was glad to hear you walk it back a little after David responded but as a resident of St Paul and working closely with neighbors to keep our kids safe and able to get to and from school safely, as well as ensuring that our neighbors have food to eat because they can't leave the house, I found your comment about Alex and Renee completely beyond the pale. I promise you our little neighborhood group is not funded by anyone except ourselves. And the fact that we are exercising our 1st amendment rights to protest, film, etc., should be something EVERY American supports.
Why is Minneapolis different? Minnesota suffered this past summer after a democratic state rep was murdered and another shot. Trump referred to our Somali community as garbage and constantly trashed our state. Noem and Bovino created and worked with right wing influencers to create snuff videos for X using white power dog whistles.
Chicago was sent 800 agents for a ratio of roughly 1 agent to 2,900 residents. Minnesota was sent 4,500 agents for a ratio of 1:150 people in the twin cities area. They are running people off of roads and leaving cars behind. An agent or right wing copy cats are trying to bait people into accidents. ( This happened to me this past weekend) My neighbor who is native was followed home from the gas station.
Your guests have no idea what it’s like here now. This administration weaponized immigration enforcement to punish people to entertain their far right base. Our resistance is the result.
I have always assumed the primary reason they went into Minneapolis was because of Governor Walz being Kamla Harris' running mate in the 2024 elections. The president is just the right amount of petty to target him perhaps not first, since LA and Chicago are more appealing pieces of red meat for his base, but definitely on the list.
But I also feel its because they figured they'd either encounter the least amount of criminal gang resistance, or perhaps attract more "outside agitators" to justify further escalations based on the George Floyd response in 2020. Either way, this was a test-run for probably a bigger target, likely Portland or Seattle.
Yes - thank you!! The reason is different here is because the administration has acted differently, and not in good faith.
They are masked, wearing half assed uniforms, driving unmarked cars, and refuse to produce badges or id. This theory that the resistance is a well funded campaign is so insulting and ridiculous.
It did not terribly surprise me that Will chose to highlight Walz and Frey's words, or suggest that these protestors were "activists". Conservatives have long held the belief that there is no conceivable, possible way that the left is capable of "grassroots action" because they have been shifting the goalposts on what grassroots is for most of my forty-ish years alive. That is why there are so many "boomies" who still clutch their pearls over who George Soros gives his money to, thinking he is somehow the mastermind of a huge concentrated effort to destroy conservatism with [checks notes] soccer moms, PTA organizers, and someone who is really good at shopping at Costco with nothing but a cell phone and a Google Sheets spreadsheet compiled by twenty other people hastily.
Look, I don't completely disagree that words matter and what the governor and mayor say matters. But it's laughably disingenuous to tone police when you have a president, vice-president, and cabinet members routinely espouse negative and hateful rhetoric, jump to unfounded conclusions about individuals in order to drive a specific red-meat narrative for their base, and laugh at people's pain, suffering, and sorrow with AI-driven videos and memes backed by this Andrew Tate-esque machismo and bravado. But the minute you left-hook them in the face with something barely an eighth of that, which draws just a tiny bit of blood on their nose, they act as if you have assaulted them, and bring down the absolute full force of government they used to allege was tyranny if the left did it five years ago during COVID.
The hypocrisy has always been front-and-center for this administration, but it might as well be on the Vegas Sphere now for everyone to see from space. And if this were any deeply serious administration, ICE would have all been gone from Minneapolis on Sunday, Noem, Bovino, and Miller fired, and immigration policy and immigration and border enforcement discussions immediately beginning in Congress to draft new bills to overhaul DHS, ICE, and CBP, fix the asylum process, fix employment and actually hold employers accountable.
They keep saying these protesters are "getting in the way" of federal law enforcement and if they just let them do their job, there'd be no problem. There's SO many problems with that argument. Observing, filming, following, blowing whistles, yelling - annoying as it might be to ICE, is not "stopping them" from doing their job. And it's not against the law. As Mo Elleithee pointed out, Pretti was backing away and the agent came at HIM to escalate the situation. (Slick change of subject by the other guest to start talking about hotel protesters instead, btw.)
Why do the people of Minnesota feel the need to put themselves at risk and capture what's happening for themselves? It's not because their leaders told them to. They'd do it whether Walz or Frey encouraged it or not. It's because they're observing again and again that the job ICE is doing is consistently cruel, unconstitutional, and dangerous. Just imagine what they'd be doing if these things weren't caught on tape. Imagine how many unconscionable things have been done that have NOT been caught on tape. I believe at one point the guest representing the right complained that problem is that the tone set by our leaders isn't "nice." Really? That's what you want? Nice? They are killing citizens. Excuse me if they don't bake you a hotdish.
Yes - all of this, and bonus points for the hotdish reference!
Someone tell Will that “organized” protests are still protests. Also, citizens that stop the breaking of laws, even if they happen to be employed by the federal government, should be encouraged even if it’s dangerous. In that case, the feds are the source of said danger and they should stop. Oh, and there are many constitutional rights being violated by ice here. Conservatives shouldn’t wait to be conservative until the 2nd amendment is in question. There are others and they are extended to everyone here. Justice for all.
It’d be a waste of time to tell Will anything. In the history of this show i have yet to see a guest more worthless than him. His blame the victim nonsense has really made me question if LRC is worth even listening to anymore. I’m all about having guests on that I don’t agree with…I welcome it…but not people who clearly drank the MAGA Kool Aid and are just regurgitating worthless MAGA talking points.
It would be nice if the other guys would help him out instead of “respecting his opinion” when they should know full well it isn’t helping anyone. Least of all, their program because we are veering very close to not having both a left and right to consider one way or another if we entertain perspectives like his. I just hope LRC actually read these and act accordingly.
Agree entirely.
I have zero issues with listening to someone i disagree with. But not when they are verifiably wrong, know they are wrong, and choose to say it anyways. That, to me, is a person without integrity and we need more people on all sides with a lot more integrity.
Why are red states not rioting or violent with ICE raids you ask? Well, first lets start with the DOJ letter to governor Tim Walz demanding voter rolls in order to withdraw federal crackdown. Now in a world of actual laws, we call that coercion.
"Red States" are signing their 287(g) with ICE and CBP to allow state and local law enforcement cooperation. Which means whomever are daring to protest in these states are being routed by LEOs, leading to fewer altercations with ICE/CBP and them not having to play paramilitary with citizens as much. DeSantis just touted this not too long ago, and the MAGA base loves it because or their worship for law enforcement and hopes that any "blue infiltrators" in their state are rooted out and arrested.
It's as much of a deterrence policy as it is an enforcement and permission structure, which is why Homan mentions it all the time. He wants blue states to sign these because it's the rubberstamping under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 he desires as a bureaucrat.
Similar to Will, I've heard many interview commentators ask why red states do not have the same situation as Mn. How about providing data such as the # of ICE detainees with no criminal history and how many non-citizens with legal status are detained? Without protesters, how do we know ICE isn't committing similar egregious and unlawful actions?
I have read through the comments below and am once again, proud to be a Minnesotan. Will Swaim spoke as though he had facts. He did NOT have facts and I would reocmmend that he not be included as a representative on your podcast in the future. As noted by others, when Will said that Alex and Renee were not at protests but rather at "well organized, well funded campaigns", he completely lost credibility. What does that even mean - well funded by who? Is he insinuating that Renee and Alex were paid? They were passionate community members trying to protect Minneapolis citizens from the lawless, rogue group called ICE. Before ICE even came to Minnesota, there were many examples of how they treated people - all people - so Minnesotans were well aware of the lengths ICE would go. My next comment was when Will said that Frey and Walz stated "rhetorical accelerants" such as Get the F out of MN and referred to Federal Agents as organized bruality were stated BEFORE the shootings was flat out wrong. Frey made his statement the evening of January 7 after Renee was killed and Walz made his statements on January 14 at a press conference. These passionate comments were made in emotional responses to the actions of ICE and being a Minneapolis resident, quite frankly, I was proud that my leaders were strongly reactive to the event(s). Unnecessary deaths at the hands or our own administration is frightening. Thank goodness we all have cell phones now and can document events with video footage. Imagine if we trusted the administration to be telling us the truth?
I'm of the belief that Frey being as pissed as he was lowered the temperature. With how much Frey is disliked by leftists there would have been chaos if he put out a nondescript statement and then went home.
MN was cooperating before the surge by allowing ICE to take people after time served. The “blame the resistor “stance by the government is not acknowledging what is happening in communities in MN. People thru out the state are outraged by the methods and violation of the rights of people that ICE has been doing since Jan 5. The mission of Trump is fear, and revenge on MN by Trump
So…Could someone challenge Will on his rhetoric? I’d really like to know who is allegedly funding activists in Minnesota. Just wow.
People are pissed off. Simple.
At one point, they talked about how we have 3 branches of government and then there's the people. I think what's going on in Minnesota right now is an example of "the people" deciding no one else was going to step up and defend both the Constitution and our neighbors, so we did. Anyone who's aware of who's involved...... Well it's a pretty diverse assortment. Last Saturday I stood next to a man, about my own age, who said (sheepishly?) that he didn't know what was going on. He'd always voted Republican. He's a conservative..... I told him the the president ISN'T a conservative, he's something much different. I told him some of my best friends have been conservative, if he believes in the Constitution, like I do, he'd come to the right place.
And the Nazi comparisons? Well, if it looks like a duck, maybe it's close enough for all practical purposes;. I'm not sure what else to compare it to.