Podcast Summary: Bulwark Takes

Episode: The Minneapolis Shooting Demands a REAL Investigation (with Andrew Weissmann)
Date: January 25, 2026
Host: Sarah Longwell
Guest: Andrew Weissmann

Episode Overview

This episode examines the recent fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Predi, an ICU nurse and American citizen, by ICE agents during a protest in Minnesota—the second such incident in less than three weeks. Host Sarah Longwell and legal expert Andrew Weissmann break down the known facts, government and media responses, and the stark disconnect between official narratives and video evidence. They also explore historic parallels, the First and Second Amendment rights at play, and the political and legal avenues for accountability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Stage: The Facts and Emotional Charge

• Sarah Longwell opens by noting the intense emotions surrounding the shooting and the abundance of video documentation, drawing immediate comparisons to the recent Renee Goode case.
• [02:12] Andrew Weissmann: Emphasizes caution about reacting to initial reports, stressing “your first understanding of the facts could easily be wrong.” He notes that, crucially, neither protesting nor carrying a gun constitutes a death-eligible offense, and underlines skepticism toward the administration’s claims given a pattern of untruthfulness in prior cases.
  • Quote:

  "Peaceful protesting is not a death eligible offense. Carrying a gun is not a death eligible offense... even if somebody was carrying a gun, that is not a basis [to kill]." (02:34, Weissmann)

• Administration's narrative: Speculation that Predi was planning a mass shooting, which is unfounded and instantly questioned.

2. Discrepancy Between Officials' Statements and Video Evidence

• Sarah Longwell [05:09] underscores how official statements from government and high-profile figures (e.g., Stephen Miller) framed Predi as a “domestic terrorist,” repeatedly contradicted by video evidence.

  • Quote:

  "The government immediately responds—and is immediately disproven by the video." (06:01, Longwell)

• Andrew Weissmann [06:33] elaborates on proper law enforcement procedure:

  • In any administration, the first response should be, “We're going to look into it; there will be an investigation,” not definitive statements before facts are known.
  • Condemns the administration for denigrating the victim and making the incident about character rather than imminent harm or justification for deadly force.

3. Breakdown of the Shooting: Video Analysis

• [10:07] Sarah plays a split-screen: officials’ press conference vs. actual footage.
• [10:37] Andrew Weissmann reads official statement:

  “During this operation, an individual approached U.S. Border Patrol agents with a 9 millimeter semiautomatic handgun. The agents attempted to disarm the individual, but he violently resisted...”

• Sarah [11:05] and Andrew [11:23] react viscerally (“What the… is wrong with you?”), highlighting their frustration with the clear detachment from visual evidence.
• Sarah describes the actual events from the video: Predi is pepper sprayed, blinded, trying to shield another protester, then tackled and shot while already down—no evidence of aggression or weapon use by Predi.

4. Pattern of Administration Response

• Andrew Weissmann draws parallels to historical abuses of power (Stanford Prison Experiment, Lord of the Flies) and current U.S. administration tactics:

  "ICE agents, no matter what they do, will be backed by this administration, and they will just throw out the mantra of they feared for their life and the person had a gun, even when there's no evidence of it." (14:56, Weissmann)

• Details a disturbing judicial record for Mr. Bravino, who gave the press conference: found “not candid” (lied) by federal judges, misunderstood constitutional basics.

5. First and Second Amendment Issues

• Sarah [21:19]: Highlights irony that protestors are exercising both First and Second Amendment rights.
• Andrew Weissmann [22:17]:
  • Calls out dubious evidence, such as a gun pictured on a car seat, lacking custody protocols.
  • Reiterates possession of a gun is not, in itself, justification for deadly force.

  "The issue is not did he have a gun? The issue is did the agents know he had a gun and was there any evidence it was about to be used to harm the agents or anyone else?" (23:02, Weissmann)

6. Potential Legal and Political Actions

• Sarah asks what remedies exist besides public protest.

• Andrew Weissmann [26:26]:

  • Civic pressure—protests, contacting representatives—is vital and watched by politicians.
  • Legally, states can investigate and bring charges, especially as federal authorities are unlikely to hold themselves accountable.
  • Congress could affect ICE via funding.
  • Key evidence like phone videos can, in some cases, be accessed by state authorities via warrants—even if the physical phone is withheld federally.

• Clarifies jurisdiction: States can independently investigate and prosecute state crimes; presidents cannot pardon against state-level charges.

  “Donald Trump cannot pardon somebody for state crimes... So the state can go forward.” (29:15, Weissmann)

7. Political Ramifications and the Narrative Battle

• Sarah [32:41]: Predicts ICE funding will become a flashpoint; Democrats should consider a government shutdown over it.

  • Notes that ICE's public approval is “terrible” and the issue could move public sentiment, but administration counts on public attention being fleeting.

  "Their hope is that we do not have the attention span and the dedication to stay mad about these things... enough flooding the zone with shit got done, ... people who don't want to say, ‘I really messed up by voting for Donald Trump’...” (35:30, Longwell)

• Weissmann: Administration betting on creating its own reality, dismissing video evidence, and assuming opposition will lose focus.

8. Broader Implications and Final Thoughts

• Both hosts express concern regarding the precedent: What is happening when cameras aren’t rolling?

  "If this is what they do when they know everyone's filming, what are they doing when people aren't filming?" (37:35, Longwell)

  • Weissmann: “Two American civilians are dead... making sure people connect the dots between what the agents did... [and] the response at the White House.” (38:24, Weissmann)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Admin. Truthfulness:

  “You can understand why people are really up in arms about what is going on here.” (03:37, Weissmann)

• On Immediate Official Narratives vs. Evidence:

  “Immediately also disproven by the video... their official statements are immediately disproven by a volume of video.” (05:53, Longwell)

• On the Pattern of Cover-up:

  “The playbook of this administration… is to denigrate the victim.” (08:16, Weissmann)

• On Law Enforcement Response:

  “You do your complete deep dive to find out what happened. If there was a mistake, you own it and you tell people what happened…” (06:51, Weissmann)

• On Public Response:

  “The intensity and the volume is important. … ICE funding is something that can be affected.” (26:26, Weissmann)

• On Political Calculus:

  “Their hope is that we do not have the attention span and the dedication to stay mad about these things, to stay focused on these things, and it’s been largely proven correct for them.” (35:30, Longwell)

Key Timestamps

• [02:12] Andrew Weissmann on the importance of delayed judgment and civil rights.
• [05:09] Sarah Longwell outlines how immediate government claims are contradicted by video.
• [06:33] Weissmann on proper law enforcement norms in such situations.
• [10:07] Split-screen analysis of official press conference vs. actual shooting footage.
• [14:56] Weissmann on the administration’s unwavering support for ICE agents.
• [17:13] Technical breakdown of ICE’s law enforcement status.
• [21:19] Sarah and Andrew dissect the “gun evidence” and constitutional implications.
• [26:26] Weissmann on civic, political, and legal remedies.
• [29:04] Jurisdiction and possibility of state prosecutions.
• [32:41] Sarah on potential government shutdown over ICE funding and political ramifications.
• [35:30] Discussion on administration’s strategy banking on short public memory.
• [37:35] Chilling implications of official lies and what is done off-camera.

Conclusion

The episode delivers a deeply critical, fact-focused analysis of the latest ICE-involved fatal shooting, challenging both the official facts and the political response. The hosts urge listeners to demand investigations, stay engaged, and not let the government’s narrative override visible truth, framing the issue as a national crisis of law enforcement accountability and civic trust.