NEW This Morning: Military Showdown Brewing in Minneapolis

Summary

Podcast Summary: "NEW This Morning: Military Showdown Brewing in Minneapolis"

Amy Robach & T.J. Holmes Present (iHeartPodcasts)
Release Date: January 19, 2026

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Overview

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Amy Robach and T.J. Holmes examine the escalating crisis in Minneapolis, where the threat of a military confrontation looms between federal and state forces following ongoing protests. The discussion centers on government response, the local impact, heated rhetoric at the national level, and the poignant contrast with the day’s message of peace.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recent Developments in Minneapolis

• Deescalation Over the Weekend:
  • The hosts note that the city saw a relative lull after continuous protests and unrest sparked by the killing of Renee Goode and a subsequent second shooting.
    • “Things did start to calm down a little bit … maybe it was the bone-chilling single digits … but people still were out, people still were peacefully protesting for the most part.” — Amy [00:53]
• Security Presence Increases:
  • An estimated 3,000 federal agents (ICE, immigration officers) are already deployed in the Twin Cities since December.
  • On Friday, the Pentagon called back 1,500 active-duty Army paratroopers (11th Airborne Division, specializing in cold weather) to base for potential rapid deployment to Minneapolis.
    • “…1500 active duty army paratroopers who specialize in cold weather missions.” — Amy [02:19]
  • State National Guard troops are also on standby, with the Governor prepared to deploy them.
    • “…the governor could call up state National Guardsmen to help with what's going on on the streets.” — TJ [03:30]
• Potential for Military Confrontation:
  • Federal and state troops may end up side-by-side, or even in opposition, leading to confusion and heightened risks.
    • “Can we even imagine present day in the United States of America having federalized troops protecting the streets alongside state active National Guard troops?” — Amy [03:46]
  • Yellow vests will distinguish National Guard from federal troops for clarity and safety.

2. Political Maneuvering & the Rhetoric of Power

• President's Threats & the Insurrection Act:
  • President Trump referenced the Insurrection Act as a possible tool—posting and then retracting statements on social media, but the threat lingers.
    • “...when President Trump says something or threatens something, he has every intention of following through.” — Amy [05:15]
  • Local leaders, like Mayor Jacob Fry, expressed that military deployment would be a shocking escalation.
    • “Mayor Jacob Fry told Meet the Press that it would be a shocking step if Trump sent the military into the city at this point.” — Amy [08:18]
• Criticism of Federal Actions:
  • Minnesota officials describe increased federal troop presence as “an intimidation factor” and bullying by the President.
  • The move is seen as both physical and psychological pressure.

3. Arrests and Federal Operations

• Operation Metro Surge:
  • Since December, 3,000 people have been detained by federal agents.
    • “…since this Operation Metro surge … began in December. They have already arrested 3,000 people in Minnesota.” — Amy [06:17]
  • Of those, nearly 150 US citizens; the rest, according to officials, are predominantly undocumented immigrants.
  • The Department of Homeland Security justifies possible military backup to protect ICE officers, whom they describe as under daily assault.
    • “Rioters and terrorists have assaulted law enforcement … vandalized federal property … used their vehicles as weapons.” (DHS statement referenced by Amy) [07:21]

4. Social and Community Impact

• Atmosphere of Fear and Tension:
  • The University of Minnesota starts the semester with virtual classes due to safety concerns.
    • “... giving students virtual options so that they don't have to come to class.” — Amy [09:11]
  • The ongoing unrest and a heavy security presence create an “exhausting” and “shocking” environment for residents.

5. Presidential Rhetoric Targeting Minnesota Leaders

• Attacks on Rep. Ilhan Omar and Others:
  • President Trump, on Truth Social, escalates attacks, targeting Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Governor Tim Waltz with highly personal and incendiary language—including calling for Omar’s deportation and referencing debunked fraud allegations.
    • “She should be in jail or even a worse punishment, sent back to Somalia, considered one of the absolutely worst countries in the world. She could help to make Somalia great again!” — reading Trump post [13:08]
  • The hosts condemn the rhetoric as harmful, bigoted, and indicative of broader societal permission for hate speech.
    • “It's discouraging because … he's sending a message about how you treat people you disagree with.” — Amy [13:51]
    • “Talking about sending a member of US Congress back to her own country ... that's ... I'm sorry, you just ...” — TJ [14:19]
• Amplification of Hate and Misinformation:
  • The hosts highlight the dangers, especially on MLK Day, of the President’s words emboldening intolerance and personal attacks.
    • “It matters. When the leader of the free world speaks like this … our children are watching and other people are emboldened.” — Amy [14:29]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Can we even imagine present day in the United States of America having federalized troops protecting the streets alongside state active National Guard troops?” — Amy [03:46]
• “They're trying to send the signal to the people of Minnesota, these are the good guys. … Your local firefighters and police officers and moms and dads, these are your folks from Minnesota.” — TJ [04:33]
• “We’re fighting each other in Minneapolis. It's just the new fighting ground ... It's exhausting. MLK day, day of service, and all this, and this is how we're starting, but this is what's happening, and it just sucks.” — TJ [08:41]
• “We can each do our part in our own community … to be that spirit of peace and calm and love and try to just do what we can do as individuals while feeling a little helpless, truly, watching what's happening in Minneapolis …” — Amy [17:29]
• “So much of what is being ramped up has to do with rhetoric … the rhetoric really, really needs to come down.” — TJ [16:01]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Protests and initial de-escalation: [00:53–01:37]
• Federal & National Guard troop updates: [02:19–03:29]
• Visual and psychological distinctions between federal/state troops: [03:46–04:33]
• Operation Metro Surge and arrest numbers: [05:15–07:00]
• DHS statement and the argument for federal backup: [07:00–08:18]
• Local leaders respond to presidential threats: [08:18–09:11]
• University of Minnesota safety precautions: [09:11–10:13]
• Presidential rhetoric about local leaders: [12:27–16:01]
• Reflection on the personal and societal impact: [16:34–17:29]

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Conclusion & Tone

The episode paints a grim, unnerving picture of Minneapolis at a crossroads—potentially the first battleground for an unprecedented modern standoff between federal and state military forces in the US. T.J. and Amy express personal dismay at both the situation itself and the rhetorical climate fueling division, urging listeners to respond with the spirit of MLK by acting compassionately in their own lives. Their tone is equal parts reportage, commentary, and lament, grounded in a call for peace amidst intensifying conflict.

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For Listeners Seeking More:

Follow the ongoing situation through Amy and TJ’s coverage and check their podcast feed for updates on Minneapolis and broader national events.

Transcript

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[B]

Hey there, folks. It is Monday, January 19. It is MLK Day. And what a weekend we saw in Minneapolis. And now here we are on this MLK Day, this day dedicated to a man who was dedicated to peace. And we are under the consideration of a real possibility that federal and state troops could square off on the streets of Minneapolis. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ Robes. It was, I guess you could say it was quieter in a lot of way. We should start with that. Things did start to calm down a little bit, I think on Friday and Saturday in Minneapolis. Fair to say.

[A]

Yes, because things re erupted. I mean, there have been protests every single day and night since Renee Goode was shot and killed. And then there was that second shooting which ramped up those protests again. But yes, this weekend, for whatever reason, maybe it was the bone chilling single digits and negative real field temperatures that brought down the temperature literally on the streets. But it is of note, despite those temperatures, people still were out. People still were peacefully protesting for the most part. But things could get even more heated with some of these new developments that occurred over the weekend.

[B]

So let's tell you, first of all, the president certainly did bring things up by mentioning once again the Insurrection Act. We'll tell you his words and how he explain that really on Friday in a social media post, but then kind of walk that back. So we don't know where we are on that necessarily. We also got word of an investigation having to do with Governor Tim Waltz and the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Fry. We'll tell you about that. So those things are starting to ramp up a bit. But also we're now we're robes. And the concern now is that the Pentagon has told at least 1500 active duty troops stand by, be ready to deploy to Minneapolis.

[A]

Yes, they were actually recalled back to their base on Friday, they said amid the long holiday weekend, because they were concerned this weekend, leading to today, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, that there might need to be a quick reaction force deployed to Minneapolis. And this isn't just any force. This is the 11th Airborne Division. They are based in Alaska. And so it was pointed out that these are troops that specialize in cold weather operations. That's kind of crazy to think about to get your head around that. They are actually seeking to deploy potentially. And they are on standby, 1500 active duty army paratroopers who specialize in cold weather missions.

[B]

All right. And let's tell you what the issue is here with that is that also on Standby are National Guard troops from the state of Minnesota. Governor Tim Waltz. This was probably about a week ago, it feels like, at least now, but he said that he had several that were. What is it? There was a particular term he used. Had them at the ready. Had them. There was some. They were essentially on standby as well.

[A]

Correct.

[B]

That the governor could call up state National Guardsmen to help with what's going on on the streets. You have the federal government with troops on standby, waiting to come in and help with what's going on in the streets. You see the problem here, folks?

[A]

Yes. Can we even imagine present day in the United States of America having federalized troops protecting the streets alongside state active National Guard troops? And they both are coming at this issue from very different mindsets. And so here is just to give you an idea of what's actually at play. They actually made the point to announce that if National Guard troops are deployed onto the streets, Minnesota National Guard troops, that they will wear yellow vests to distinguish, distinguish themselves from the federal troops. How crazy is that?

[B]

I mean, that's a part of, for safety of, yes, those Guard members, but also they're trying to send the signal to the people of Minnesota, these are the good guys. These are your homeboys. These are your local firefighters and police officers and moms and dads, and these are your folks from Minnesota. They're trying to make that. But we're getting to the point that that's necessary. That again, this, this is, I mean, the folks in Minnesota called the move by putting troops on standby, the federal government just an intimidation factor. They also said that it was an intimidation factor for the president to even throw out there that he's considering using the Insurrection Act. So I'm considering using this thing. And I got these troops on standby. They say that is just a matter of bullying and intimidation by the President.

[A]

And it should be noted because, yes, those threats are there and his words matter because we all have said this and we all know this now. When President Trump said says something or threatens something, he has every intention of following through. But get this in the, in the, in the scheme of things, there are already an estimated 3,000 federal troops, ICE agents, immigration officers on the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul in the Twin Cities. So there are already 3,000 federal troops there that weren't there before December. And now you're talking about even adding another 50, 1500, and now potentially National Guard. I mean, this is, this is surreal, actually, to even think about. And yet it's happening. And it could potentially get worse. The other bit of information that came out, in terms of numbers, we keep hearing about arrests and how this has been a mostly peaceful, given all of the circumstances that we're dealing with. It's been a mostly peaceful past two weeks, and that's pretty remarkable. But the, but there have been 3,000 people arrested. That is the latest numbers. The Department of Homeland Security announced this late Sunday, late yesterday, that federal agents, so far since this Operation Metro surge, I didn't even know that was the name of it, began in December. They have already arrested 3,000 people in Minnesota. That's significant.

[B]

I mean, again, and the overwhelming majority, according to them, were people who are not in this country legally. There have been several reports, of course, out there that American citizens have been taken into custody. And yes, at least according to their numbers, they admitted that that has taken place. But the numbers are, they pale in comparison to overwhelmingly what they say are folks that they have picked up who are in the country illegally.

[A]

Yes, I believe the number, they say nearly 150 US citizens were among the 3,000 arrested for assault or obstructing law enforcement. Now, Department of Homeland Security put out a bunch of state statements yesterday. In addition to the 3000 arrests, in addition to hearing about these 1500 paratroopers that are at the ready, here is what the Department of Homeland Security also said on Sunday. Rioters and terrorists have assaulted law enforcement, launched fireworks at them, slashed the tires of their vehicles and vandalized federal property. Others have chosen to ignore commands and have attempted to obstruct law enforcement operations and used their vehicles as weapons against our officers. So the Department of Homeland Security describes their ICE officers as under assault daily, constantly. And that is potentially the need, why they may need, they say, to bring in these paratroopers to protect not just the streets of Minneapolis, but to protect their immigration officers at this point. And so that is one of the main concerns. And that is why they say they have needed to potentially bring in the other troops. Now, Trump, as you mentioned, has been threatening the Insurrection Act. He backed off slightly on Friday from that, but still, that threat is real, and that is still hanging over the heads of the folks who live there. And that is an incredibly tense situation. We, obviously people, all of the folks, tend to make the rounds on Sunday on the talk shows. And Mayor Jacob Fry told Meet the Press that it would be a shocking step if Trump sent the military into the city at this point. Would it be shocking?

[B]

Yeah, this is all shocking. Everything we see is shocking. Renee Goode's death was shocking. It was shocking that the other folks got shot. It's shocking every time we turn on the television and see something on the streets. Yeah, it's all shocking. It absolutely is. We're fighting each other in Minneapolis. It's just the new fighting ground. That's all we do. We go to our corners. This is just the new spot for the fight is Minneapolis. We'll move to somewhere else next time. It's just a shame, and it's. It's exhausting. I'm almost sorry. MLK day, day of service, and all this, and this is how we're starting, but this is what's happening, and it just sucks.

[A]

It does suck. And it is ironic, and it should be noted that on this day of celebrating and honoring a man who was literally the embodiment, the personal embodiment of peace, we are talking about warring government factions in the streets of Minneapolis. And, in fact, the situation is so tense, the University of Minnesota is actually set to begin its spring semester this week. I guess officially it would start tomorrow. They just announced that they are giving students virtual options so that they don't have to come to class. They don't physically have to be present on campus there because they say they have had students and teachers all basically say, hey, we're concerned about our safety going to school. Going to the University of Minnesota, which again begins its spring semester tomorrow. Classes now are virtual or the option of being virtual because of the situation in Minnesota. That's where we are in Minneapolis.

[B]

Well, stay here, folks. We'll tell you where we are. Yes, that's what we've been talking about. We'll tell you where we're headed and why the president wants at least one member of Congress headed back to her own country. Stay here.

[C]

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[A]

Was this before he wrote his stories? It must have been.

[C]

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[B]

What?

[C]

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[A]

Okay, I don't think that's true.

[C]

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[B]

All right, folks, we continue here on Amy and tj giving you an update here on what we saw over the weekend, which was another weekend of clashes, a weekend of ugly scenes on the streets of Minneapolis and Minnesota as ICE agents continue to square off with demonstrators in that town. And now on standby, some 1500 active duty troops standing by waiting for possible deployment to Virginia, Minneapolis. Meanwhile, the governor there, Tim Waltz, has put National Guard troops on standby for possibility of deploying to the streets. Meanwhile, we've got at least 3,000 arrests that have taken place in there and thousands of ICE agents on the streets. The president robes did give everybody, put everybody on notice initially about the Insurrection act in a social media post, which again, when he speaks, you need to pay attention to the threat that he's making because he follows through, we should probably say more often than not.

[A]

Yes. And even though he backed down slightly, saying he didn't see a need to invoke the Insurrection act right now, he still held basically his right to do so in the coming days and weeks, given the situation there. And he constantly refers to protesters as paid agitators and as insurrectionists. So the words he chooses matters. And he chose his words. On Sunday, he was very busy, per usual on Truth Social, and he went after, per usual, Ilhan Omar and Tim Waltz. And we've got a couple of his very choice words that he used in his Truth Social accounts yesterday. A true social account yesterday, his most recent one. There is $19 billion in Minnesota, Somalia, fraud, fake. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a constant complainer who hates the usa, knows everything there is to know. She should be in jail or even a worse punishment, sent back to Somalia, considered one of the absolutely worst countries in the world. She could help to make Somalia great again. Exclamation point. That seems to be dripping in sarcasm.

[B]

I mean, I just, I mean, she a bad woman. Do we have to. Do we have. I don't. This is not politics. It's just a matter of just basic decency and looking at some another human being and not speaking to him that way, it just, I don't know, it's discouraging.

[A]

It's discouraging because we're sent. He's sending a message about how you treat people you disagree with.

[B]

And it's okay, it's okay to, it's okay to do this. And we're seeing this in other places and people are getting a little more comfortable in their bigotry, their racism, their insults, because it seems to be okay. You can say what you want to say about whoever you want to say about as long as they're a marginalized group that can't rise up too much against what you're saying. It's just, it's awful talking about sending a member of US Congress back to her own country and he says that country is shitty. That's. I'm sorry, you just.

[A]

No, we have to start. I mean, look, some people are. But I don't think enough people are acknowledging it doesn't matter if you disagree with someone, it doesn't matter politically, even morally, you disagree with someone. To still use that kind of language to describe a member of the United States Congress, to spread lies and misinformation, to damage them personally. And not just politically, but personally, viciously intend to harm. It matters. When the leader of the free world speaks like this and speaks about people he disagrees with, it's a problem our children are watching and other people are emboldened, as you pointed out, babe, to say what they want to say. The most hateful things they may have inside of them suddenly feel totally okay to say out loud and to express to the world. That's sad. His other post, ice, is removing some of the most violent criminals in the world from our country and bring them back home where they belong. Why is Minnesota fighting this? Do they really want murderers and drug dealers to be ensconced in their community? The thugs that are protesting include many highly paid professional agitators and anarchists. Is this really what Minnesota wants? The crooked governor and congresswoman he puts in quotes again? Omar, who married her brother, don't mind because it keeps the focus of attention off the $18 billion plus fraud that has taken place in that state. Don't worry, we're on it, exclamation point.

[B]

And this is where we are. I don't know what's planned for today. There are some events having to do with MLK Day. It's another brutal day of weather there, so don't know what it will look like on the streets today. But we mentioned this. As cold as it was getting there in Minneapolis, weather wise, the heat seemed to be coming from the Governor's mansion or from Washington D.C. and yes, there are clashes on the streets. But so much of what is being ramped up has to do with rhetoric, and not necessarily always. Yes, on the streets, too, but the rhetoric really, really needs to come down.

[A]

You mentioned this the other day, and I was just thinking about this as you were talking. Can you imagine if this same scenario took place in July, in June, where there weren't freezing cold temperatures? I shudder to think how much worse it might be if people weren't literally physically uncomfortable to be outside on the streets. It would be different.

[B]

Well, look, we saw all of what happened in the summer of George Floyd. That happened in May, his death, and he had months of hot weather and hot anger throughout the country. Who knows? Would it be different? I don't know. But if it's giving us a little reprieve right now, we will take it. But it doesn't seem like robes. No matter what the weather can do, it's not cooling off some of the tongues of some of our leaders right now. So wanted to give that update and now I'm like, ugh, what a way to start on Monday. This sucks.

[A]

Well, you know, you see a story like this and it's not going away anytime soon. And I think we might have talked about this again. But yes, it's depressing and yes, it might even be demoralizing, especially on MLK Day. On a day like this where we're supposed to be focused on peace and love and joy and all of those things, we can each do our part in our own community, in our own families, in our own lives to be that spirit of peace and calm and love and try to just do what we can do as individuals while feeling a little helpless, truly watching what's happening in Minneapolis, but sending our love and sending our best to the people who are trying to do what they believe is right in the best of ways. In the spirit of MLK Jr. And with that, everyone, we want to thank you for listening to us on this Monday. Our morning run is coming up. We'll give you the the latest and greatest headlines on this Martin Luther King Day. And please be checking our feed throughout the day. We always love to give you updates on what's going on in the world, but in the meantime, thank you for listening. I'm Amy Rock alongside TJ Holmes and we will talk to you very, very soon. This is an Iheart podcast, guaranteed human.