Podcast Summary: Bulwark Takes
Episode: Even Joe Rogan & Tim Dillon Say the Minnesota Shooting Was Wrong
Date: January 14, 2026
Host(s): Tim Miller, Tim Pool, (with mentions of Piers Morgan, Will Chamberlain, Joe Rogan, Tim Dillon)
Theme: A critical look at the recent police shooting of Renee Goode in Minnesota, dissecting the political and legal responses, and highlighting surprising consensus across ideological lines.
Episode Overview
This episode centers on the public and media response to the “execution-style” police shooting of Renee Goode in Minneapolis. The Bulwark team, joined by guests including Will Chamberlain, explores the facts of the case, critiques the polarized political commentary, and emphasizes that figures from across the political spectrum—like Joe Rogan and Tim Dillon—also condemn the shooting. The discussion dives into law enforcement accountability, legal ramifications, and broader social implications.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Background and Setup (01:31–04:26)
- Host Tim Pool recaps his recent appearance on Piers Morgan’s show, expressing frustration at right-wing attempts to deflect blame and at mainstream defenses of the officer involved in the Goode shooting.
- Pool provides a satirical meta-commentary on the show’s guest lineup, poking fun at “bootlicker” personalities and the low quality of some viral right-side coverage.
- “Benny Johnson... is a bootlicker extraordinaire. You know, he's got that new Tread on Me Daddy flag that's kind of replaced the Gadson flag over at the Benny Johnson show.” (03:04, Tim Pool)
- Emotional motivation: Tim is “upset following the murdering of Renee Goode” and wants to channel that into productive public debate.
Consensus on Wrongdoing (04:26–06:05)
- Tim Miller: “This has been an unbelievably divisive story... everybody involved made mistakes, but that ultimately that woman should not have been shot dead.” (04:26)
- Tim Pool invokes Joe Rogan and Tim Dillon as surprising voices of agreement:
- Joe Rogan (quoted): “It’s also very ugly to watch someone shoot a US citizen, especially a woman, in the face... it just looked horrific to me.” (04:47)
- Tim Dillon (quoted): “I don't believe the cop was justified in shooting her three times in the face. It's just like anybody that is not a total scaredy cat…” (05:12, paraphrased by Pool)
- Pool’s argument: the video clearly shows excessive force; defending this action requires either “bad faith” or being “very easily scared.”
Breaking Down the Shooting & Response (06:05–07:58)
- Tim Pool reconstructs the incident:
- Officer approaches Goode, she is calm (“That's fine, dude, I'm not mad at you”), has a dog and children’s toys in the car.
- Car is backing slowly; wheel turning away, officer fires three times, including a side shot with no threat, then calls her a “fucking bitch.”
- None of the officer’s colleagues saw fit to draw their weapons.
- Pool’s critical take: “I think everybody trying to make this complicated or trying to say she tried to kill him... they either are just intentionally spinning... or maybe they’re just very easily scared individuals.” (07:56)
Legal Perspectives (07:58-08:18)
- Tim Miller: “From a pure, lawful perspective, I suspect it's quite likely that this officer will not end up being successfully prosecuted for this.” (07:58)
The Debate: Tim Pool vs. Will Chamberlain (08:18–11:27)
- Pool: Insists the act was not justifiable, backed by bipartisan outrage and polling data (only 28% of the country, 64% of Republicans, and 10% of independents saw the shooting as “appropriate”).
- “Only 28% of the country in a recent poll said this shoot was appropriate, including only 64% of Republicans. Like any 10% of independents, nobody who looks at this with open eyes can think this was justifiable.” (08:51)
- Will Chamberlain: Asserts the legal self-defense argument: “This was the most obvious self defense shoot I've seen in quite some time.” (09:44)
- Back-and-forth:
- Pool ridicules Chamberlain: “How do you get out of Walmart without shooting somebody?” (10:00)
- Chamberlain accuses left-leaning guests of being anti-law enforcement except when it suits their politics.
- Pool flips the “self-defense” rationale to January 6th, challenging Chamberlain: “How many people do you think the Capitol Police should have killed that day? Just based on your theory of self defense?” (10:22)
Extremism and Domestic Terrorism (11:11–11:27)
- Will Chamberlain: Broadens the discussion to “domestic terrorism,” equating Renee Goode and Ashley Babbitt under that definition: “The use of violence or the threat of violence for political ends in this country is domestic terrorism. And by that definition, both Renee Goode and Ashley Babbitt were domestic terrorists.” (11:11)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Tim Pool (03:04): “Benny Johnson... is a bootlicker extraordinaire. You know, he's got that new Tread on Me Daddy flag that's kind of replaced the Gadson flag over at the Benny Johnson show.”
- Tim Miller (04:26): “Everybody involved made mistakes, but that ultimately that woman should not have been shot dead.”
- Joe Rogan (quoted, 04:47): “It’s very ugly to watch someone shoot a US citizen... it just looked horrific to me... it seemed like she was kind of turning the car away.”
- Tim Pool (06:08): “Only one person got executed. And so I think we should look into why that was and what happened there and just be honest…”
- Tim Pool (08:51): “Only 28% of the country in a recent poll said this shoot was appropriate, including only 64% of Republicans…nobody who looks at this with open eyes can think this was justifiable.”
- Will Chamberlain (09:44): “This was the most obvious self defense shoot I've seen in quite some time.”
- Tim Pool (10:00): “How do you get out of Walmart without shooting somebody?”
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 01:31 Tim Pool’s intro and commentary on appearing with Piers Morgan, lineup, reasons for participating
- 04:26 Tim Miller’s view: mistakes were made but Goode should not have been shot
- 04:47 Joe Rogan and Tim Dillon’s reactions quoted
- 06:08 Pool reconstructs the shooting, emphasizes lack of threat
- 07:58 Miller’s legal prognosis: prosecution is unlikely
- 08:18–11:11 Pool, Chamberlain, and Miller debate: self-defense vs. excessive force, polling, broader political implications
- 11:11 Chamberlain: defining “domestic terrorism” and equating Goode/Babbitt
Tone & Style
The episode’s tone is sharp, candid, and unfiltered. There is clear emotional investment—especially from Pool—and flashes of satire and sarcasm interspersed with earnest debate. Both hosts and guests push for intellectual honesty and direct engagement with the facts rather than partisan spin.
Takeaway
Even polarizing figures like Joe Rogan and Tim Dillon—often aligned with conservative or “anti-woke” commentary—agree that the police shooting of Renee Goode was unjustified. The discussion highlights how, despite widespread efforts to politicize and obfuscate these events, reality can break through ideological lines. The Bulwark team urges honesty, legal scrutiny, and an end to reflexive defenses of bad state actions, questioning whether accountability is possible in America’s current political climate.