Bulwark Takes: "The Government Treats Armed Militias Better Than Protesters"

Guest: Radley Balko | Host: JVL

Date: January 30, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, JVL (from The Bulwark) interviews veteran police and civil rights journalist Radley Balko, focusing on recent police and federal government responses to protests in Minneapolis and other cities. The conversation spotlights the intensified, unapologetic governmental pushback against both immigrants and those attempting to hold law enforcement accountable, how official language has shifted from defensive to openly performative, and, crucially, how armed right-wing militias are treated with greater restraint and de-escalation than unarmed or left-wing protesters. The episode delves deeply into institutional rot within law enforcement agencies like ICE, CBP, and DHS, the challenges of reform, and the pivotal role of video evidence in exposing abuses.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A New Level of Official Impunity

• Institutional Response in Minneapolis:
  • JVL sets the stage by arguing that in Minneapolis, the difference isn't just how many bad actors are present, but the nature of institutional response:
    • The government (from local to federal) quickly dismisses wrongdoing, labels victims as "domestic terrorists," and shuts down independent investigations.
    • Quote - JVL [02:43]:

      "The difference in Minneapolis is... the institutional level response all the way up through the government, which immediately... insisted that the people being killed were domestic terrorists... tried to close off local law enforcement from doing post shooting investigations."

• Radley Balko on Shift in Official Statements:
  • Typically, agencies pay lip service to transparency and justice, but after these recent shootings, federal rhetoric immediately and unequivocally clears officers of any wrongdoing while demonizing the victims.
  • Quote - Radley Balko [03:46]:

    "Normally... they'll always promise an investigation that is unbiased and professional and transparent. They're not always all of those things... But I think it's important that they at least pay lip service... After these shootings... statements from DHS and other officials are unequivocally clearing these officers... painting the people killed as domestic terrorists or criminal illegal aliens."

2. Performative Lying and Power Projection

• Instead of deception out of self-preservation, Balko argues that the current government rhetoric is a brazen flex:
  • Quote - Radley Balko [05:44]:

    "The kind of lie you tell not to cover something up, but to make sure everyone knows that you think you can get away with anything. Right? It's performative lying... It's a flex of your power."

• This approach is designed not for legitimacy but to instill fear, especially in immigrant communities and among those monitoring law enforcement.
  • Quote - Radley Balko [06:45]:

    "They know they're lying. We know they're lying. And they know we know they're lying. But they're going to do it anyway because they need to show us that they can get away with it."

3. Cultural Degradation within Law Enforcement

• Balko asserts the administration is intentionally seeking recruits who are drawn to violence against immigrants and who embrace white nationalist ideology.
  • Quote - Radley Balko [07:59]:

    "They are hiring these officers with explicit appeals to white supremacy... The people they're hiring are people who are watching these videos... and saying, 'I want to do that for a living.'"

• The abandonment of principles like de-escalation, instead emphasizing escalation and brutality, traces directly to signals sent from the President and top officials.

4. Cosmetic vs. Real Changes

• Despite superficial staff changes, there's no evidence of shifts in policy, training, or on-the-ground behavior.
  • Quote - JVL [08:58]:

    "The administration is trying to signal it is changing... but unless the rules of engagement and the policies and the training have changed... those would be real things that need to happen."

• Balko agrees, suggesting any changes are window-dressing.
  • Quote - Radley Balko [10:01]:

    "Changing from Greg Vivino to Tom Holman is like [changing] your pants and changing your shirt... this is just... the same shit within a different package."

5. Procedural Accountability and Written Orders

• JVL asks if this level of federal violence could occur without explicit written orders.
  • Quote - JVL [11:42]:

    "We could not be seeing what we've seen... unless there was a paper trail somewhere... or is this... a culture [where] nobody actually needs to write it down?"

• Balko reflects that while some incriminating memos exist, much instruction is cultural, signaled through rhetoric rather than formalized policy.
  • Quote - Radley Balko [12:41]:

    "When Trump is setting the tone... I don't think you need a whole lot in writing when all that's already way out there in the public record."

6. Putting Border Patrol in Charge: A Signal

• A significant (and ominous) development was swapping Border Patrol over ICE as lead on these operations.
  • Quote - Radley Balko [15:17]:

    "We’re going to put the most rogue, aggressive, unaccountable agency in charge of everything now. And I think that sent a message right down the line."

7. How Law Enforcement Treats Armed Militias vs. Protesters

• JVL notes armed right-wing protesters and militias are met with far more restraint than unarmed protesters or people like Alex Preddy, citing the Bundy standoff, January 6th, and the Michigan Capitol incident as examples ([15:30 – 17:19]).
• Quote - JVL [17:19]:

  "You get a bunch of right-wing guys with serious weaponry together, and they get treated with a lot of restraint and de-escalation... It just… should probably work for unarmed people."

• Balko agrees and highlights the double standard, but suggests de-escalation is good—he just wishes it were applied universally.
  • Quote - Radley Balko [17:31]:

    "I'm all for due process and justice and… I just wish everybody got it."

• The panel discusses the perverse incentives created: if you come armed, law enforcement backs off; if unarmed, you get brutalized.
  • Quote - JVL [18:44]:

    "From the perspective of, like, the citizenry, that deal isn't sustainable... if we show up in force and make the situation more fraught... then we'll get a little more deference and de-escalation."

Notable Hypocrisy

• The rhetoric and behavior are overtly hypocritical, but—per Balko—that hypocrisy itself is now intended as a demonstration of unassailable power.
  • Quote - Radley Balko [19:08]:

    “Hypocrisy is also a flex of power. It’s like we can be hypocrites, and… there’s nothing you could do about it.”

8. Reform vs. Abolishment of Agencies (ICE, CBP, DHS)

• JVL considers whether DHS law enforcement arms can even be reformed anymore, given deep-rooted toxicity and intentional hiring for loyalty to power over the law.
  • Quote - JVL [21:30]:

    “My view is you have to burn it all to the ground... Many of these functions... are important... [but] everything in the culture seems utterly rotten.”

• Balko agrees, using the analogy of “black mold,” advocating tearing out and rebuilding from scratch.
  • Quote - Radley Balko [22:48]:

    “I think this is a black mold situation. You tear everything out and you start over... I don’t think you need an ICE... I think you abolish it and you start with something new.”

9. The Vital Role of Video Evidence

• JVL closes by reflecting on how essential cell phone video has become for accountability—without it, officials' narratives would go unchallenged.
  • Quote - JVL [25:25]:

    “What if there had been no cell phone video with Renee Goode and Alex Preddy?... just thinking about that counterfactual world... makes me sick to my stomach.”

• Balko concurs, citing past incidents that didn’t gain attention due to lack of footage.
  • Quote - Radley Balko [26:06]:

    “The video has been extremely important. The multiple angles have been extremely important… I think [Alex] Preddy really exposed just how hollow and fragile MAGA's conception of masculinity is.”

• The case of Alex Preddy shows that even white, armed, “model citizens” can be victimized—and that undermines right-wing claims to stand for civil liberties or the Second Amendment.

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Performative dishonesty:
  • Radley Balko: "It's performative lying... It's a flex of your power." [05:44]
• On the government abandoning even the pretense of legitimacy:
  • "They know they're lying. We know they're lying. And they know we know they're lying. But they're going to do it anyway..." [06:45]
• On the double standard:
  • JVL: "You get a bunch of right-wing guys with… weaponry together and they get treated with a lot of restraint and de-escalation… It should probably work for unarmed people, too." [17:19]
• On institutionalized hypocrisy:
  • Radley Balko: "Hypocrisy is… a flex of power… we're hypocrites, and… we don't give a shit because there's nothing you could do about it." [19:08]
• On ICE/CBP culture:
  • "I think this is a black mold situation. You tear everything out and you start over." [22:48]
• On video evidence:
  • JVL: "What if there had been no cell phone video with Renee Goode and Alex Preddy?... it just sort of makes me sick to my stomach." [25:25]

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Topic | |---------|-------| | [01:58] | JVL introduces Radley Balko; focus on law enforcement and Minneapolis | | [03:46] | Balko details how official language has shifted after recent police killings | | [05:44] | The administration’s “posting” and performative lies as power flex | | [07:59] | Explicit recruiting for violence and white supremacy in law enforcement | | [10:01] | No substantive change in administration approach despite staff changes | | [12:41] | Discussion of written orders vs. cultural signaling in federal agencies | | [15:17] | Border Patrol taking lead as signal for more aggression and abuse | | [15:30] | Disparate treatment of armed right-wing protesters vs. unarmed leftists | | [18:44] | Perverse incentives and the problem with unequal law enforcement responses | | [21:30] | Can DHS/ICE/CBP be reformed, or must they be abolished and rebuilt? | | [25:25] | The critical importance of cell-phone video for accountability | | [27:42] | Preddy case forces right to confront hypocrisy on civil liberties |

Tone

• Frank, urgent, exasperated, often darkly humorous or sardonic
• Unapologetic criticism toward governmental hypocrisy and abuses
• Acknowledgement of nuance but also a sense of deep, structural pessimism

Takeaways

• The official federal government response to protest-related violence against immigrants and their advocates now openly flaunts both the truth and basic accountability as a demonstration of power.
• Armed, right-wing or militia-style protesters are treated with extraordinary restraint and de-escalation—unlike peaceful, unarmed, or left-leaning protest groups.
• Institutional rot in law enforcement agencies like ICE and DHS, intentionally amplified by leadership, is now so advanced that both host and guest see total abolition and reconstruction as necessary.
• Video evidence is irreplaceable—without it, abuse and injustice could easily remain invisible.
• The hypocrisy of law enforcement and political leadership is no longer a byproduct, but a deliberate assertion of unaccountable authority.

For more incisive commentary on law enforcement, civil rights, and governmental power, follow Radley Balko’s substack, The Watch.