Podcast Summary:
Bulwark Takes – Tim Miller: You Don’t Get a Mulligan for Murder
Date: January 27, 2026
Host: Tim Miller

Episode Overview

In this urgent solo take, Tim Miller dissects the wave of developments surrounding the deadly actions of U.S. immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, pressing the case for real accountability rather than cosmetic changes. After two American citizens, Renee Goode and Alex Preddy, were killed by CBP/ICE agents, Miller warns against accepting mere “messaging tweaks” or minor personnel reshuffles as adequate responses to what he calls a “constitutional crisis.” He analyzes the administration’s calculated attempts to tone down rhetoric, the fate of the embattled CBP commander Gregory Bevino, and the broader issue of out-of-control, militarized law enforcement agencies. Miller’s message is uncompromising: America cannot accept face-saving gestures where murder and rights violations have occurred—there must be real, structural change.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. White House and DHS Response: Cosmetic Changes, Not Substantive Reform

• [01:17] The administration has tried to "tone down their language and incitement around Minneapolis" while keeping ICE and CBP operations largely unchanged.
• Miller argues that the current attempts are "just putting a little lipstick on the pig" and that modest rhetoric shifts are nowhere near a sufficient response to deadly abuses of power.

2. The Fate of Gregory Bevino: Scapegoating Without Accountability

• [02:01] Conflicting media reports circulate about Bevino’s reassignment, demotion, or possible retirement. Despite public relations pushback by DHS spokesperson Trisha McLaughlin ("the spokeswitch at the Department of Homeland Security"), Miller is skeptical.
• Quote [03:37]: “If the administration thinks that they can get out of this mess by simply dialing back the rhetoric, dialing back the smears about the people that they killed... then they can just continue on with business as usual. And that ain’t fucking good enough.”
  —Tim Miller
• Miller likens the reports of Bevino's possible transfer to “moving the rapist priest from one parish to another,” noting the lack of real accountability.

3. ICE/CBP’s Systemic Problems: More Than ‘A Few Bad Apples’

• Miller zeros in on the unchanged, well-funded apparatus of ICE and CBP, describing a scenario where "mask[ed] goon[s]" continue to harass and kill with impunity.
• [06:43] He asserts that tweaking personnel or softening language changes nothing if the essential structure—"armed like they're invading Fallujah"—remains.
• Quote [07:50]: “If that stuff is still happening and it's just the person at the head of it dials it back 10%, we're basically the same place we were six months ago, which is a terrible fucking place.”

4. Superficial ‘Progress’ and Calls for Real Action

• [09:24] Miller acknowledges minor improvements (e.g., Bevino leaving Minneapolis), but insists these are insufficient so long as funding and scope remain at crisis levels:
• “If they continue to fund ICE and CBP at a level where they have more money than any other federal law enforcement... we're going to still continue to see these results.”
• The host criticizes traditional politics—the tendency for the “out party” to grab a scalp, like Kristi Noem, without addressing root causes.

5. Demands for Accountability & Substance Over Optics

• [12:23] Miller argues that only deep structural reforms—defunding, clawing back appropriations, removing unaccountable thugs from the streets—can address the real problem.
• He condemns attempts to make this simply a “tone” or “messaging” issue, ridiculing both the administration and figures like Ted Cruz for focusing on language over lethal action.

6. The Ted Cruz Factor: Missing the Point

• [14:50] Miller plays a clip of Ted Cruz criticizing the administration for “tone” after the killings—missing the central issue:
• Quote [15:44]: “The problem with the administration's actions is not the tone with which they've smeared Alex Preddy. The problem with the administration's actions is that they fucking killed Alex Preddy and they killed Renee Goode and they pushed down a woman to the ground... The problem is not the tone.”
• He directly rebuts the “mean tweets” argument—insisting that the real evil is not the rhetoric but the policies and murders themselves.

7. No Return to the Status Quo Ante

• [17:15] Miller issues a stark warning to political moderates and business interests seeking a quick resolution:
• Quote [17:45]: “They want to be able to declare victory in Minneapolis with only the two dead people and then kind of go back to how they were doing things before. And that can't be acceptable. The pressure needs to be kept up.”

8. Bill Kristol’s Analysis and the Need to “Keep up the Heat”

• [18:34] Miller quotes Bill Kristol’s pithy comparison: “These gestures mean as much as Putin suggesting he's changed and wants peace with Ukraine. Don't fall for it. Insist ICE and CBP off the streets.”
• Miller concludes with a call to keep national focus and popular pressure on the issue, warning that without a reckoning, the cycle of abuse and impunity will simply continue in other cities.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [03:37] “That ain’t fucking good enough. Bevino and his posse murdered somebody... He should be fired already. He should be brought in front of Congress.” —Tim Miller
• [07:50] “If that stuff is still happening and it's just the person at the head of it dials it back 10%... we're basically the same place we were six months ago, which is a terrible fucking place.” —Tim Miller
• [09:24] "If they continue to fund ICE and CBP... we're going to still continue to see these results. Maybe the person will be slightly less of a psychopath who's next." —Tim Miller
• [15:44] “The problem with the administration's actions is not the tone... it's that they fucking killed Alex Preddy and they killed Renee Goode...” —Tim Miller
• [18:34] (Quoting Bill Kristol) “These gestures mean as much as Putin suggesting he's changed and wants peace with Ukraine. Don't fall for it. Insist ICE and CBP off the streets.”

Important Timestamps

• [01:17–04:00]: Immediate post-news reaction; skepticism of White House PR moves.
• [06:43–09:24]: Analysis of systemic law enforcement violence and the problems of superficial remedies.
• [12:23–15:44]: Discussion of accountability demands, Democrats’ strategy, and rejection of “tone” arguments.
• [14:50–17:45]: Ted Cruz’s comments and broader frustration with “mean tweets” deflection.
• [18:34–End]: Bill Kristol’s statement, final warnings, and a call to public vigilance.

Conclusion

Tim Miller’s central message is clear and relentless: In the wake of state-sanctioned killings, America cannot settle for softer PR or cosmetic demotions. “You don’t get a mulligan for murder.” Only real accountability, structural reform, and reduced power for ICE and CBP can prevent further tragedies. Miller urges listeners and political leaders alike to keep up public pressure and reject face-saving half-measures, emphasizing—above all—a commitment to civil rights and the rule of law.