Podcast Summary: It Could Happen Here

Episode: Executive Disorder: Do Americans Hate ICE & Trump Now? DHS Shutdown, Shooting in Rhode Island
Date: February 20, 2026
Hosts: Garrison Davis, James Stout, Mia Wong, Robert Evans
Network: Cool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts

Overview

This episode covers significant political shifts in public opinion regarding ICE and President Trump, the evolving role of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a DHS funding standoff, and the tragic Pawtucket, Rhode Island shooting. The hosts analyze how American attitudes toward immigration, party politics, and government agencies have transformed in early 2026, and explore what these changes portend for upcoming midterms and potential future reforms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recent News Recap (03:28)

• FDA declined review of a new Moderna flu vaccine.
• Tom Homan announced the end of "Operation Metro Surge," noting ICE’s drawdown.
• New York: City agencies face a new audit to ensure sanctuary city compliance.
• CBS refused to air an interview with a Texas Senate candidate due to FCC pressure.
• Hutchins, Texas, refused to lease/sell a warehouse as a detention center; eminent domain possible.

2. Local Resistance to ICE Facilities (04:47)

• Growing local opposition, even in conservative areas, to new ICE detention centers.
• Debate on whether opposition is rooted in NIMBYism or moral objections.
  • James Stout (05:30): "That NIMBY impulse can sometimes...combine with people who are not abolitionists—they just don't want to be confronted with the horrors directly next to them."
• Southern California’s Dulzura as an example: even conservatives object to ICE’s presence.

3. Public Opinion and Polling: ICE, Trump, & Party Favorability (06:29–15:46)

• Major, recent collapse in support for both Trump and the Republican Party, especially after the prolonged government shutdown and viral ICE abuses.
• Jacob Goldstein (12:17): "Americans are kind of tying these two things together. Currently, per YouGov, as of Jan 24, 2026, more Americans support abolishing ICE than oppose it."
• NBC aggregate polling (early 2026):
  • Republican Party: –19.9% net favorability
  • Democratic Party: –12.8% net favorability
  • Trump’s favorability dropped ~12%.
• Polls show 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of ICE (“gone too far/making country less safe”).
  • 46% support abolishing ICE, more than those who oppose.

4. Democratic Party’s Response to ICE Unpopularity (15:46–24:08)

• Party leaders, especially House Leader Hakeem Jeffries, continue to dodge the "abolish ICE" framing, preferring to pivot to issues of affordability and health care.
  • Jeffries, on MSNBC (16:22): "I'm going to use the language that I want to use. You can use the language that you want to use."
• Seven Democrats crossed lines to support DHS funding, upholding ICE.
• AOC’s more forthright approach:
  • AOC, at a Queens event (21:45): "We need to abolish ICE and we need to have comprehensive changes to that data."
  • Critics accused her of wavering, but she reaffirmed abolition is the goal, with "defunding" as a step.

5. The Opportunity and Danger of Shifting Public Opinion (28:07–33:39)

• Robert Evans (28:07): "We've had, in the space of several months, Americans become more than twice as likely to support abolishing ICE, which...introduces an opportunity to build support to destroy this agency."
• Hosts warn the coalition for abolition is fragile—if ICE tempers abuses, public anger may fade.
• Critical window for meaningful immigration reform:
  • James Stout (30:12): "Now is the time...to agitate for a genuine reform package...There is a moment that we could change things for the better."
• Need both increased legal pathways and more durable rules for immigrants, plus dismantling of hyper-militarized agencies not compatible with democracy.

6. Economic Angst & Midterm Outlook (34:20–44:28)

• Economy remains Americans' primary issue; 46% blame Trump for high costs.
  • Notably, some Trump voters say this is "the worst cost of living" they've experienced.
• Special elections show Democrats dramatically overperforming, sometimes even flipping deep red districts.
• Cautious optimism for Democrats retaking the House, but expectations for a 2018-style blowout or full Congressional control are tempered due to low party favorability and fewer seats in play.
  • Jacob Goldstein (39:05): "The Democratic Party's overall favorability is at about 33%, which is 9 points lower than the Republican Party's."
  • Early data points to a possible 7-point generic ballot edge, but much uncertainty remains.

7. Partial DHS ‘Shutdown’ Explained (48:49–55:57)

• Not a complete government shutdown—DHS funding withheld pending concessions.
• Funding for ICE/CBP largely unaffected in short-term due to pre-approved budgets.
• Democrats' demands: end masked enforcement, require ID display, increase detention oversight, coordinate with local law enforcement, stop detaining US citizens, curtail roving patrols, end "Form 215" raids.
• Little progress in bipartisan negotiations.
• Impact: administrative/development functions to slow, but border/deportation activity continues unaffected for now.

Coast Guard Morale & Mission Drift

• Coast Guard increasingly used for deportation flights, at the expense of search-and-rescue.
  • James Stout (53:18): "It's a general shift in priorities away from search and rescue and towards doing more border enforcement."
• Secretary Nome controversially commandeered Coast Guard resources for personal use, further damaging morale.

8. Pawtucket, RI Shooting & Weaponization of Tragedy (57:29–65:01)

• Domestic violence shooting (shooter killed ex-wife, son, then self; 3 others wounded); became a flashpoint in the transphobic and far-right media ecosystem due to shooter's identity.
• Both right and left used the incident to stoke broader culture war narratives.
  • Right: weaponized it for “trans mass shooter” narratives.
  • Left: focused on shooter’s Nazi sympathies and MAGA ties.
• Hosts insist the real context is extreme personal instability and domestic violence, not ideology.
  • Garrison Davis (62:37): "We're so used to defaulting to this partisan culture war...when this was really targeted interpersonal violence."
• Family history reveals deep patterns of violence and extremism.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• James Stout (05:30): "That NIMBY impulse can sometimes...combine with people who are not abolitionists—they just don't want to be confronted with the horrors directly."
• Jacob Goldstein (12:17): "Currently, per YouGov, as of Jan 24, 2026, more Americans support abolishing ICE than oppose it."
• AOC (21:45): "We need to abolish ICE and we need to have comprehensive changes..."
• Robert Evans (28:07): "We've had, in the space of several months, Americans become more than twice as likely to support abolishing ICE...it introduces an opportunity..."
• Jacob Goldstein (39:05): "The Democratic Party’s overall favorability is at about 33%, which is 9 points lower than the Republican Party’s."
• James Stout (53:18): "It's a general shift in priorities away from search and rescue and towards doing more border enforcement."
• Garrison Davis (62:37): "We're so used to defaulting to this partisan culture war...when this was really targeted interpersonal violence."

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment Summary | |------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:28 | News roundup & local actions against ICE detention centers | | 06:29 | ICE/local resistance and NIMBYism vs. moral opposition | | 12:17 | Collapse in ICE/Trump/Republican favorability, poll deep dive | | 15:46 | Democrats’ reluctance to embrace "abolish ICE" | | 21:45 | AOC’s abolitionist argument and progressive approaches | | 28:07 | Social anger, coalition for abolition, opportunity and fragility | | 34:20 | Economic fear, cost of living, and midterm election outlook | | 39:05 | Party favorability, House/Senate seats, special elections | | 48:49 | DHS funding standoff & consequences, impact on Coast Guard | | 57:29 | Pawtucket, RI shooting—media manipulation and real context | | 62:37 | Critique of culture war responses to violence |

Overall Tone

Cynical, urgent, and skeptical—but punctuated with hope that fleeting public anger over ICE/DC/Trump may present a unique, time-limited opportunity for actual reform. The hosts' language is blunt, often darkly humorous, and critical of both major parties’ inertia and cowardice.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode offers a detailed, clear-eyed look at how recent abuses and policy failures have cratered American support for ICE and the Trump agenda—and what obstacles and opportunities these abrupt shifts create for real change in immigration, party politics, and the upcoming midterms. With trademark irreverence and candor, the hosts challenge shallow culture war narratives, highlight the limits of the current Democratic response, and insist on the urgent necessity—and fragility—of leveraging public anger for genuine reform.