Bulwark Takes — "Another Murder in Minneapolis"

Host: Bill Kristol
Guests: Sam Stein, Adrian Carrasquillo
Date: January 25, 2026

Episode Overview

This urgent episode addresses the shocking killing of Alexander Preddy by ICE officers in Minneapolis, situating it within the broader context of escalating law enforcement violence and the erosion of government accountability in the Trump administration’s second term. Bill Kristol is joined by Sam Stein and later, frontline reporter Adrian Carrasquillo, to break down the facts, police and administration responses, community impact, political repercussions, and the prospects for resistance and reform.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Killing of Alexander Preddy: What Happened

• Fact Pattern:

  • Alexander Preddy, a VA ICU nurse and local activist, was killed by ICE officers during an attempt to intervene as a bystander at an ICE action.
  • Multiple firsthand videos demonstrate the shooting was not justified; Preddy was unarmed at the time.
  • After his death, the administration and its allies quickly branded Preddy as a “terrorist” and “assassin.”

• Sam Stein’s Account ([02:41]):

  "He went to intervene to help [a woman]... was subsequently pepper sprayed in the face. A scuffle ensues, he's knocked to the ground. An officer... takes his gun... And then... it looks like his gun was accidentally discharged... That prompted the six or seven ICE officers... to fire guns at him. And they shot him multiple times."

  • Notable: After removing his (legally owned) gun and while Preddy was on the ground and unarmed, officers fired on him.

2. Immediate Smear Campaign and Government Response

• Speed and Coordination:

  • Within minutes, senior officials labeled Preddy as a terrorist, smeared his character, and distributed misinformation to preferred media outlets.
  • Sam Stein ([05:00]):

    "The speed with which they went from killing him to smearing him is what really profoundly affected me... They've done this before. They know exactly which outlet to put their propaganda in."

• Stonewalling Investigations & Local-Federal Tension:

  • ICE prevented independent investigators from the crime scene and coordinated with federal officials to block evidence gathering.
  • A federal judge issued a restraining order barring federal authorities from removing or destroying evidence ([11:05]).

3. The Human Toll and Community Trauma

• Sam Stein ([07:15]):

  "I feel horrible for the family of Alexander Preddy because everything that could have been done wrong to them was."

  • Family learned of his death through a press call, then had to confirm via authorities amid slander.

• Affidavit Evidence ([09:37]):

  • A female witness fears for her life after witnessing not just the killing but efforts to cover it up.
  • A local physician’s affidavit revealed ICE officers counted bullet holes rather than attempting to save Preddy’s life.

4. The Political Calculus: Government, Congress, and Public Mood

• Collapse of Trust in Federal Law Enforcement:

  • There’s now near-total disbelief among local authorities and much of the public that the federal government is interested in justice.
  • Stein ([13:30]):

    "We’re so past having any confidence in our judicial process around this issue that I’m not even like contemplating the idea that there will be justice for the person who shot this man."

• Mounting Inflection Points & Cultural Shift ([15:01]):

  • This is the third high-profile shooting in recent weeks, seen as part of a continuum.
  • Notably, shifting reactions as not just activists but sports figures, mainstream podcasts, and the "barstool crowd" denounce the killing.

• Kristol ([20:42]):

  "Congress actually has power now... If Congress does nothing, Congress is okaying this. Let’s just be clear."

  • Discussion on legislative levers: DHS funding, limits on Border Patrol activity, and the need for Democrats to escalate political pressure.

• Stein ([22:34]):

  "For the Democratic voter... this issue matters in a way that the others don’t. It’s about the morality of our country..."

5. On-the-Ground Realities—Reporting from Minneapolis

• Adrian Carrasquillo’s Perspective ([28:32]):

  • Communities—immigrants and US citizens—are "shell shocked," living in fear, struggling for basics like food and rent, and terrified to go outside.
  • Local organizing groups (like COPAL) mobilize for defense, legal aid, and basic necessity deliveries.
  • Documented cases of ICE harassment and violence even in full public view; extreme police tactics have become normalized.

• Broader Impact ([32:56]):

  • Minneapolis’s response has become a model for resistance, notably triggering strikes—even under extreme winter conditions ([40:53]).
  • "The people of Minneapolis are fighting. So I think people want Democrats to fight."

• Concerns Over Federal Strategy ([34:09]):

  • The increasing militarization of law enforcement—Border Patrol's presence far from the border, ICE’s unchecked operations—reflects calculated cruelty.
  • The left is criticized for lack of imaginative response.

6. What’s Next: Protest, Policy, and Public Imagination

• Mobilization & Strikes:

  • Thousands marched and struck in Minneapolis, overwhelming adversity, sending a message of resistance ([40:53]).
  • Widespread local fear as ICE uses facial recognition and doxxes activists.

• Policy Leverage:

  • Kristol reiterates Congress’s power via appropriations:

    "They can introduce a one sentence piece of legislation tomorrow morning: The Border Patrol must leave. There’ll be no funding for Border Patrol in Minneapolis... That’s how Congress asserts power." ([35:18])

  • Funding and local mobilization are urgent—liberal foundations have been too slow to step up, yet the crisis demands more support now.

• Future of Protest ([44:43]):

  • Debate over the efficacy and optics of mass action; reflection on civil rights-era marches as historical precedent.

• Civil Liberties Implications ([47:48]):

  • Kristol:

    "Once you start down this road of brutal immigration restrictionism and mass deportation, it doesn’t stop with the people you’re deporting. You are destroying civil liberties in your own country..."

7. Resilience and Hope

• Carrasquillo ([51:10]):

  "There was a time that it was an open question if people were going to fight back... Now people are fighting back and now people are watching. And at least that’s something to hang our hat on."

• Kristol ([51:45]):

  "I still think Democrats and the opposition in general to Trump underestimates the centrality of this issue. And if you could break Trump’s hold... you really have changed the path of authoritarianism in the US."

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Sam Stein on Administration's Response ([05:00]):

  "The speed with which they went from killing him to smearing him is what really profoundly affected me... It knocked me over."

• Bill Kristol on Legislative Responsibility ([20:42]):

  "If Congress does nothing, Congress is okaying this. Let’s just be clear."

• Adrian Carrasquillo on Community Trauma ([28:32]):

  "People are stuck at home, they cannot go outside. They're scared to go outside. Even if they're US citizens."

• Sam Stein on Political Courage ([16:35]):

  "Who wants to live like this? There's got to be a better way."

• Kristol on Civil Liberties ([47:48]):

  "Once you start down this road of brutal immigration restrictionism... you are destroying civil liberties in your own country..."

Timeline of Key Segments

• 01:29 – Introduction and summary of events (Kristol & Stein)
• 02:41 – Detailed breakdown of sequence of events leading to Preddy’s death (Stein)
• 05:00–09:37 – Administration’s propaganda, family impact, stonewalling investigation
• 11:05 – Judge issues restraining order, state vs. federal law enforcement
• 15:01 – Discussion: Is this an inflection point politically & culturally?
• 22:34 – Emotional resonance among Democrats and policy implications
• 28:32 – Adrian Carrasquillo joins: on-the-ground Minneapolis reporting
• 32:56–40:53 – Strikes, mass protest, and fear in affected communities
• 44:43 – Strategy and the historical role of protest
• 47:48–51:45 – Civil liberties, the warrior mentality, resilience, and hope

Tone and Language

The discussion is highly somber, moralistic, and urgent—rooted in firsthand horror at both the violence and the deliberate governmental cover-up. There is moral outrage and concern for families and communities affected, but also a call for courage, creativity, and coordinated action at policy and political levels.

Conclusion

The murder of Alexander Preddy has become a national flashpoint, crystallizing the dangers of unchecked federal enforcement, state violence, and the normalization of governmental lies under Trump’s administration. The episode asserts the importance of resistance, imagination, and leadership—from Congress to grassroots movements—and frames the moment as a test for both America’s moral identity and its democracy’s resilience.