Podcast Summary: Deadline: White House – “The Latest ICE Target: School Bus Stops”

Host: Nicolle Wallace, MS NOW
Date: February 18, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode confronts the deeply disturbing consequences of an ICE operation near a school bus stop in Lindenwald, New Jersey, where children ran from federal agents in terror. Host Nicolle Wallace explores the community's response, the broader backlash across the U.S. against ICE’s increasingly aggressive tactics under the Trump administration, and the trauma inflicted on children. The episode also honors the legacy of civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson (who passed away earlier that day) and considers the ongoing fights for civil rights, honest history, DEI initiatives, and the power of grassroots activism and economic boycotts.

Key Segments and Insights

1. ICE Operation: Children in Fear

[00:55–03:52]

• Incident Description:

  • ICE agents conducted an enforcement action near a Lindenwald, NJ, bus stop; children, some as young as ten, ran in terror, yelling that ICE was present.
  • School district officials decried the “significant fear and confusion” caused, emphasizing the trauma endured.

• Host Reaction:

  • “It’s really hard to watch, right?... As Americans right now to kids. It’s... being done in all our names... Clearly traumatized by what they’re experiencing. In this instance, while they were waiting for the school bus.” — Nicolle Wallace (03:31)

• Broader Context:

  • The incident sparked nationwide outrage and local protest, reflecting growing opposition to Trump-era ICE tactics.

2. Interview: Joseph Zobel, School Counselor and First-Time Protester

[03:52–12:36]

Zobel’s Experience and Motivation

[04:43–05:44]

• “It was the clip... of the kids running. And it just bothered me... This is my backyard. ...I’m allowed to protest... Just stand with these people.” — Joseph Zobel (05:10)
• “I was crying that day, and clearly now millions of people have seen me cry.” (05:35)

On Patriotism, Trauma, and Change

[05:54–07:50]

• “I can’t imagine that kids would be waiting at a school bus stop... and are running in fear from our government while waiting for a school bus... This tactic... is not working.” (05:54)
• Zobel highlights the severity of trauma: “The trauma has got to be so extreme for this next generation... I want to do anything in my power to help them.” (07:08)

Power of Community Protest

[07:50–09:06]

• Zobel, not political by his own admission, describes the protest: “It was so beautiful and nice... This was so nice. And there was music and there was dancing... This is the America that I know, that everyone comes together and we’re not divided.” (08:19)

• He explains his shift from feeling helpless post-9/11 to feeling empowered to act:

  • “When 911 happened, I was in seventh grade and I felt helpless... I became a firefighter... Now, I feel helpless again. So... I can do something.” (09:15)

On Preventing Division

[10:05–11:05]

• “I would do whatever needed of me. I just don’t want to divide people more... I want people to come together... we can all agree that this is wrong.” (10:25)

Does Political Debate Even Apply?

[11:05–11:19]

• “Kids should not [be targeted]. That should not be a question I’m being asked.” (11:13)
• Zobel pushes for unity beyond partisanship: “Why don’t we make this an American issue?” (11:32)

Closing Thoughts (from host and guest)

• “Politics might need you right now... I think our politics might just need you.” — Nicolle Wallace (12:00)
• “God bless America, right? We can do this. We can do this.” — Joseph Zobel (12:27)

3. Panel Discussion: Civil Rights, Children, and Public Backlash

[12:37–19:03]

Claire McCaskill

• “It’s an important reminder that... it’s bat bleep crazy that kids are being swept up in this sort of aggressive deportation campaign.” (13:43)

Maya Wiley

• “Whether it’s the child victims in the Epstein files or... children running from the school bus stop, there are ways to impact a border security issue that are not cruel and not heartless. ...This is just a policy run amok.” (13:43)
• Reflects on Jesse Jackson and being moved by Zobel:
  • “You have to remain hopeful because we are better than this. And I think you’re seeing them retreat... because the people did.” (14:32)

Reverend Al Sharpton

• “What Claire points out is very important because... we are on the precipice of losing [civil rights achievements]... You can’t mourn [Jackson] on the one side and then bury the policies.” (15:28)
• On division and the loss of Jackson:
  • “It would hurt the country if we don’t seize this moment and say ...we are not going to let this go backwards.” (16:24)
• On resisting Trump’s exclusionary agenda:
  • “Now we have Donald Trump, who’s trying to push out the rainbow. And that is not something any of us should allow.” (17:27)
• “It’s a minority of Americans who think this is okay... The more people come out... it makes a difference.” (17:55)

4. Honoring Reverend Jesse Jackson; The Power of One

[20:21–24:15]

• Jackson’s archived words:

  • “If an issue is morally right, it will eventually be political. It may be political and never be right... If we are principled first, our politics will fall in place.” — Rev. Jesse Jackson (21:01)

• Host pays tribute to Jackson’s role in expanding civil rights and the importance of each vote:

  • “A messenger for justice and hope and finding common ground among all Americans.” — Nicolle Wallace (21:14)

• Sharpton and other panelists reflect on Jackson’s mentorship and steadfast push for action over apathy. The point: activism and change often come from those not waiting for popularity or approval but acting from principle. (22:46–26:01)

5. History, DEI, Backlash, and Boycotts

ICE, History, and Federal Policy
[31:32–33:22]

• A federal judge blocks the Trump administration from removing a slavery exhibit at a historic Philadelphia site—a judicial defense of truthful history.
• Quote from Judge Roof: “As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s ‘1984’ now existed... It does not.” (32:10)

Corporate America and DEI
[33:22–40:52]

• Strong condemnation for companies rolling back DEI in response to political pressure:
• Maya Wiley:
  • “The idea that we are making the concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion a bad thing is bizarre... History is not going to judge them kindly.” (35:35)
• Rev. Sharpton:
  • “They are running. ...Trump and his regime... using the federal government... to interrupt what you’re doing. ...It can continue to be eroded.” (39:37)
• Panelists note the hypocrisy: DEI made companies stronger and more profitable, yet is now under assault by political and economic pressure.
• “The smear is... suggesting those hired under these policies were not qualified—when... they were supremely qualified, in most instances, more qualified.” — Nicolle Wallace (35:35)

Economic Resistance: Boycotts
[41:38–45:27]

• Guest expert Scott Galloway argues for a strategic boycott of major tech companies (the "Unsubscribe" campaign) as a way to send powerful market signals against anti-democratic practices.
• Maya Wiley:
  • “I think he gets it... You vote first... you protest, and you use the power of your purchasing to let your voice be known... Find out which companies have folded and which haven’t.” (43:04)
• Rev. Sharpton on effectiveness:
  • “[Boycotts] must have defined results so that you can show it works... Not just because I’m angry. They don’t care if you’re angry. They care about their margin of profit.” (44:36, 45:13)
• Overall message: The episode concludes on a note of agency, unity, and hope for collective action—whether by protest, voting, or economic leverage.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• “I watched 4th and 5th grade kids run away from our own government. I never want to see that again... That’s not Camden County. It’s not New Jersey. It’s not the United States.”
  — Joseph Zobel ([03:17])

• “I can’t imagine that kids would be waiting at a school bus stop... and are running in fear from our government while waiting for a school bus... We need to change what we're doing. This tactic... is not working.”
  — Joseph Zobel ([05:54])

• “Kids should not [be targeted]. That should not be a question I’m being asked.”
  — Joseph Zobel ([11:13])

• “What is beautiful is born out of what is horrible. And what is so humbling is that the best lesson I got on today’s news was from my guest who just said that shouldn’t even be a question.”
  — Claire McCaskill ([12:37])

• “If an issue is morally right, it will eventually be political. ...If we are principled first, our politics will fall in place.”
  — Rev. Jesse Jackson ([21:01])

• “You can’t mourn him on the one side and then bury the policies.”
  — Rev. Al Sharpton ([16:24])

• “It’s bat bleep crazy that kids are being swept up in this sort of aggressive deportation campaign.”
  — Claire McCaskill ([13:43])

• “The idea that we are making the concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion a bad thing is bizarre.”
  — Maya Wiley ([35:35])

• “Boycotts are a tool in the toolbox. We can vote, we can send messages to Congress, and we can boycott companies that don’t do the right thing. And they all matter.”
  — Rev. Al Sharpton ([45:17])

Significant Timestamps

• [00:55] – Description of ICE incident
• [03:07] – Joseph Zobel’s protest speech
• [05:10] – Zobel’s motivation: seeing kids run in fear
• [07:08] – Discussion on trauma in school children
• [08:19] – Emotional impact of protest experience
• [11:13] – Should kids be “off limits” for ICE
• [13:43] – Claire McCaskill: children and brutal deportation
• [14:32] – Maya Wiley on hope and grassroots power
• [15:28] – Al Sharpton on legacy of Jesse Jackson and lost civil rights ground
• [21:01] – Jesse Jackson: principle before politics
• [31:32] – Judge Roof’s rebuke of Trump’s “history whitewashing”
• [35:35] – Wiley’s critique of corporate retreat on DEI
• [41:38] – Scott Galloway’s unsubscribe/boycott argument
• [44:36] – Al Sharpton: criteria for an effective boycott

Tone and Language

The episode is emotionally charged, urgent, and deeply patriotic—marked by empathy, frustration, and a call to unity. The discussion balances difficult truths about trauma and division with hope: showing how individual and collective action has been, and remains, powerful. Guests speak in accessible, heartfelt, and direct language, often voicing distress, disbelief, and at times humor amidst serious topics.

Conclusion

“Deadline: White House” delivers a poignant, wide-ranging exploration of the human cost and societal backlash against ICE operations near children, the resilience of protest and community, and the echoes of civil rights struggles past and present. The voices of frontline witnesses, panelists, and the wisdom of Jesse Jackson coalesce into a forceful reminder: America’s identity is not fixed by policy but forged daily by the courage, action, and moral clarity of its people.