Bulwark Takes Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Title: Sam Stein: The Government is Telling You Not to Believe Your Eyes
Date: January 25, 2026
Host: The Bulwark (Sam Stein, Managing Editor)
Theme: Dissecting the official response and media coverage of the police shooting of Alexander Preddy, an ICU nurse, by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

Episode Overview

In this urgent edition of Bulwark Takes, Sam Stein reacts to government spokesperson Greg Bovino's appearance on CNN with Dana Bash, following the shooting of Alexander Preddy by ICE agents. The episode centers on the increasingly Orwellian disconnect between the government narrative and the video evidence, media responsibility, and the real-life impact of police violence on citizens and constitutional rights.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Shooting of Alexander Preddy: Timeline and Facts

• Event: Alexander Preddy, 37-year-old ICU nurse, was shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis while attempting to help a woman whom ICE agents had pushed.
• Eyewitness & Video Account: Multiple videos show Preddy intervening after seeing a woman being pushed, then being pepper sprayed, subdued by several agents, disarmed, and shot.
  • "Preddy was coming to the aid of a woman who had been pushed by ICE agents... Those ICE agents then pepper sprayed Preddy in the face. This is all on video." (Sam Stein, 03:36)
  • "They had four or five agents on him... They took his gun, which he was legally allowed to have, and then they shot him." (03:48)
• Aftermath: No CPR performed; ICE agents currently on administrative duty but will likely be reassigned elsewhere.

2. Greg Bovino's Media Appearance: Narrative Versus Reality

• Shift of Blame: Bovino claimed the ICE agents were the true victims, not Preddy.
  • "The victims are the border patrol agents... The suspect put himself in that situation." (Bovino, 02:38)
  • Stein names this "one of the more Orwellian interviews" seen in recent memory.
  • "It’s not the person who was shot and killed who’s the victim. It’s the person who shot and killed the person." (Stein, 02:49)
• Denial of Video Evidence: When confronted about the video showing Preddy being disarmed before being shot, Bovino insisted the video could not be trusted until an investigation was complete.
  • "Dana, you don’t know he was unarmed. I don’t know he was unarmed. That’s freeze frame adjudication of a crime scene via a photo." (Bovino, 07:34)
  • Dana Bash presses for clarity, counters with direct video evidence.

3. Questioning Government Logic and Accountability

• Double Standards: Critiqued the willingness of officials to speculate about Preddy’s intentions without awaiting investigative outcomes, yet their refusal to comment on plainly visible video evidence.
  • "Greg Bovino can say that this dude... came to the scene in order to confront law enforcement agents... but he won't adjudicate a freeze frame clip from a video? I mean, give me a break." (Stein, 08:38)
• Rights and Protest: Emphasizes the right to protest and observe law enforcement.
  • "He was there to protest. That's a right. He has it." (Stein, 05:50)
  • "It’s basically, you cannot protest the state or the state can shoot you, is what he’s saying." (Stein, 06:30)

4. Propagandistic Rhetoric and Demonization

• Accusations Against Preddy: Bovino alleges without evidence that Preddy intended to "massacre" officers, claiming the intervention "prevented a massacre."
  • "Good job for our law enforcement in taking him down before he was able to do that." (Bovino, 10:33)
  • He blames “heated rhetoric” from local officials for inflaming Preddy.
  • "Did this individual fall victim, as many others have, okay, to that type of heated rhetoric." (Bovino, 11:27)
• Stein’s Response: Calls out the Orwellian nature and dishonesty.
  • "They're just very comfortable, very comfortable lying." (Stein, 09:43)
  • "Again, I've used it a couple times, but it's Orwellian. People know what they see." (Managing Editor, 11:56)

5. Remembering Alexander Preddy

• Who Was Preddy: ICU nurse, VA hospital worker, described by colleagues and friends as kind, compassionate, and community-minded—not a radical.
  • "He was literally a choir boy, a boy scout by all recollections from people who have known him." (Managing Editor, 12:13)
• Emotional Moment:
  • 00:13:40–00:14:06 – Clip of Preddy reading final honors at his father’s funeral:
    • "Today we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it..." (Mac Randolph reading Preddy's words)
• Testament from Mac Randolph (friend/colleague):
  • "Alex was an example of brimming human compassion, doing one of the hardest and most honorable jobs you can do. Caring for veterans in their time of need... The real heroes are the nurses and the doctors that work at the VA hospital, not the untrained thugs murdering our heroes in our would be peaceful streets." (Managing Editor reading Mac Randolph, 14:30)

6. Media Responsibility and Moral Stakes

• Calling Out Lies: Stein argues journalists must not pretend both sides are equally credible when clear evidence of government lying exists.
  • "You don’t have to treat it journalistically. As he said, she said... No, the correct journalistic instinct right now is to say I see video in my own eyes. You are lying." (Managing Editor, 15:20)
• Obligation to the Public: Urges directness and honesty in reporting to honor victims and combat misinformation.
  • "Our obligation is to be honest and straightforward with the public about what happened here." (Managing Editor, 15:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|----------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:38 | Greg Bovino | "The victims are the border Patrol agents... The suspect put himself in that situation." | | 03:46 | Sam Stein | "They had four or five agents on him... They took his gun... and then they shot him." | | 06:30 | Sam Stein | "It's basically, you cannot protest the state or the state can shoot you, is what he's saying."| | 07:34 | Greg Bovino | "Dana, you don't know he was unarmed. I don't know he was unarmed. That's freeze frame..." | | 08:38 | Sam Stein | "He can conclude all that without any investigation and... he won't adjudicate a freeze frame?"| | 10:33 | Greg Bovino | "Good job for our law enforcement in taking him down before he was able to do that." | | 12:13 | Managing Editor | "He was literally a choir boy, a boy scout by all... who have known him." | | 13:40 | Mac Randolph | "Today we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it..." | | 15:20 | Managing Editor | "You don't have to treat it journalistically. As he said, she said... The correct... is to say I see video in my own eyes. You are lying." |

Important Timestamps & Segments

• 01:22–02:49: Introduction, context of shooting, Bovino’s CNN appearance
• 02:50–04:00: First major soundbite—ICE agents portrayed as “victims”
• 04:06–05:34: Legality of Preddy’s protest and response to “assaulting officers”
• 06:54–08:38: Disputing video evidence, shifting of burden of proof
• 09:55–11:32: Allegations Preddy intended a “massacre,” blaming local rhetoric
• 13:28–14:06: Preddy honors his father; testament to his character
• 15:20–16:40: Concluding thoughts on media responsibility and ongoing injustice

Tone & Language

• Direct, unsparing, and often incredulous regarding official statements.
• Sam Stein and the Bulwark team are openly critical of the government narrative, calling out misinformation and distortions.
• The conversation is urgent and mournful, particularly in discussing Preddy’s life and the responsibility of the media.

Conclusion

This episode is a searing examination of how governmental agencies attempt to control narratives in the face of damning evidence, the duty of the media to challenge lies, and the real loss suffered by the needless killing of an engaged citizen. The Bulwark calls for clarity, courage, and compassion—not only in journalism but in public response to state violence.