It Could Happen Here: Executive Disorder – ICE in Minneapolis, Greenland, DAVOS, Iran & Syria

Podcast: It Could Happen Here
Host: Cool Zone Media & iHeartPodcasts
Release Date: January 23, 2026

Overview

This episode of It Could Happen Here delivers a whirlwind analysis of the week spanning January 14th–21st, 2026. Led by Garrison Davis with James Stout, Mia Wong, Robert Evans, and Margaret Killjoy, the team covers a cascade of escalating crises: ongoing ICE violence and mass protests in Minneapolis, tense troop movements and the bizarre U.S.-EU standoff over Greenland, and updates on international flashpoints including Syria and Iran. All of it is filtered through the show's darkly comic but deeply engaged lens—a chronicle of state brutality, grassroots resistance, and political absurdity at home and abroad.

Key Topics and Segment Timestamps

1. ICE Raids and Community Response in Minneapolis (05:01–18:21)

• ICE Shooting Incident Breakdown (05:05–11:25)

  • ICE attempted a traffic stop that escalated into a car chase and foot pursuit. A bystander (Julio Caesar Sosa Sales) was shot by ICE agents under unclear circumstances.
  • Differing accounts: FBI affidavit vs. family’s live-stream and CNN report sharply conflict.

  “At this point my default assumption is that absent other information, they are not telling the truth.” — Mia Wong (09:51)

• Difficulties of Reporting and Lack of Accountability (08:41–10:55)

  • ICE officers largely unaccountable due to lack of bodycams and rapid incident escalation.
  • Recent pattern: “Last three shootings that we've gotten, like, the federal agents lied about what happened. And we got the videos later on and it showed that they were lying about it.” — Mia Wong (09:44)

• Community Mobilization and State Response (11:25–16:21)

  • Mass arrests, protests, National Guard mobilized. Both the mapping of public anger and the serious blurring of lines between Army and law enforcement.
  • 1,500 soldiers from Alaska’s 11th Airborne Division on standby, which sparked Greenland conspiracy speculation.
  • On-the-ground reflections: The entire city is united in resistance, with grassroots neighborhood watch and mutual support across demographic lines.

  “I have never seen a more united city in my life.” — Margaret Killjoy (14:19) “The actual story ... is this horizontal organizing and this, like, feeling of togetherness.” — Garrison Davis (15:46)

• Religious/Rights Angle and Protests at Churches (12:58–14:08)

  • A protest at a church whose pastor was identified as head of local ICE field office.
  • DOJ threatens charges under the FACE Act and the Klan Act—weaponizing civil rights law against protestors, notably including BLM and journalist Don Lemon.

2. Operation Metro Surge and ICE’s Political Justification (21:12–22:28)

• Surge in Minnesota justified as targeting supposed COVID relief fraud among Somali immigrants.

• Stark contrast noted: as ICE chases “fraudsters,” Trump simultaneously pardons high-level white collar criminals.

  “As ICE is currently hoping to get to the bottom of this fraud problem in Minnesota, just this past week, Trump has pardoned at least 11 white collar fraudsters.” — Garrison Davis (22:01)

3. Tensions Over Greenland: US, NATO, and the “Trade Bazooka” Crisis (25:31–49:11)

• Backdrop: European NATO forces send troops to Greenland as Arctic Endurance exercise, flexing readiness to hold Arctic territory without US oversight. Trump reacts with tariffs, escalating to a near trade war with the EU.

  “Basically... it's kind of unclear the details of this deal. He’s saying that it's a big permanent thing ... but it’s also Donald Trump, so we could be in a very different position tomorrow.” — Robert Evans (26:27)

• Diplomatic Farce and Released Texts (29:17–32:05)

  • Trump’s petulant and sometimes incoherent messages to European leaders (notably Norway and France) selectively released, showing both childish grievance (“I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of peace...”) and open confusion among allies.

  “Imagine sending your situationship this text and then he just posts it on True Social. Yeah, it’s so violating.” — Garrison Davis (31:35)

• Strategic Importance of Greenland (32:43–36:26)

  • US interest dates to WWII, currently hosts a major Space Force base.
  • Changing climate increases Arctic’s strategic value—warming seas and new naval routes.

  “It’s really well located ... Now that that’s not going to be a problem because the world’s warming…Greenland has much more, a much higher, like, strategic value...” — Robert Evans (33:35)

• Trump’s Leverage Campaign: Threats, Tariffs, and the EU’s “Trade Bazooka” (38:25–45:52)

  • Trump oscillates between threats and retreat on tariffs. EU prepared to retaliate with both targeted and “nuclear option” trade measures designed to directly hit US exports and even threaten the dollar’s reserve currency status.
  • “Trade Bazooka”: sweeping anti-coercion tool with potential to shut down entire US-EU trade or legal protections—unprecedented, designed only for existential crises.

  “These measures, if they went into effect, would be more serious than Liberation Day tariffs...once they're targeted, it can kind of do whatever you want it to do...” — Mia Wong (44:02)

• The Dollar’s Reserve Status as a Weapon (47:09–48:38)

  • For the first time, serious mainstream talk about the EU dumping US treasuries and challenging the dollar’s supremacy, previously only discussed by fringe academics and radicals.

  “Up until yesterday...the only people I have ever seen actually say this...are, you know, I mean, economists who I like...But now you have Deutsche bank analysts saying it.” — Mia Wong (47:55)

4. Davos and the Fiction of the “Rules-Based International Order” (52:03–56:28)

• Canadian PM Mark Carney’s Davos Speech: (52:44–54:26)

  • A rare moment of candor from the center: Carney explicitly calls out the obvious hypocrisy of global governance, noting the US’s selective respect for “rules” and growing use of economic integration as a weapon.

  “We knew the story of the international rules-based order was partially false, that the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient…This fiction was useful.” — Mark Carney (52:55)

  “It’s really remarkable to hear the political leader of Canada being like, it was always very clearly a lie.” — Robert Evans (54:28)

• Trump at Davos: Farce and Gaffes (56:34–59:23)

  • Trump repeatedly confuses Greenland and Iceland (“they called me Daddy”), prompting spin from press secretary (badly) and bemused derision from the panel.
  • Multiple instances of Trump referencing WWII and “if it weren’t for the US, you'd all be speaking German and maybe a little Japanese.”

  “He is really. He’s our funniest president, by a wide margin. Evil. But he’s so funny.” — Robert Evans (59:23)

5. War Updates: Iran and Syria (60:01–69:00)

• Iranian Protest Crackdown Intensifies (60:01–60:45)

  • Hundreds of casualties recently confirmed by leaked mortuary images.
  • Families forced to rifle through horrific photos of victims to identify missing loved ones.

• Syria: Rojava Under Threat (60:46–67:41)

  • Explosive violence: Turkish-backed forces and flip by former SDF tribal fighters lead to swift territorial losses, mass executions, and threats of ethnic cleansing.
  • Kurdish unity across political divides reminiscent of the 2014–15 defense of Kobani.
  • Fears grow that this is devolving from military struggle into interethnic war, massively exacerbated by misinformation, propaganda, and lack of international awareness or response.

  “I have not since Kobani have you seen more unity of Kurdish people regardless of politics.” — James Stout (65:04) “To see more killing and dying there is heartbreaking for me.” — James Stout (67:41)

• US Domestic Update (67:43–69:00)

  • ICE is now apparently entering homes with only administrative, not judicial, warrants—a significant and chilling expansion of removal powers.

  “We will likely be seeing more violence here as well. Yay.” — James Stout (68:00)

Notable Quotes and Moments

• On ICE and Truth:
  “At this point my default assumption is that absent other information, they are not telling the truth.” — Mia Wong (09:51)

• On Minneapolis’ Community Solidarity:
  “I have never seen a more united city in my life.” — Margaret Killjoy (14:19)

• On Trump’s reaction to the ICE killing:
  “It’s interesting that he seems to be capable of being legitimately upset at the thought of one of his fans not liking him anymore...even though his secret police murdered that guy’s daughter. That’s fascinating.” — Robert Evans (20:01)

• On the Fiction of “Rules-Based Order”:
  “We knew...the strongest would exempt themselves when convenient, that trade rules were enforced asymmetrically...This fiction was useful...This bargain no longer works. Let me be direct. We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.” — Mark Carney, Canadian PM (52:55–54:26)

• On Davos Absurdity:
  “He is really. He’s our funniest president, by a wide margin. Evil. But he’s so funny.” — Robert Evans (59:23)

• On the Escalation in Syria:
  “What people have gone through in Syria already is too much and like, to see more killing and dying there is heartbreaking for me.” — James Stout (67:41)

Closing Reflections

The tone throughout is a blend of pitch-black political humor and earnest solidarity. The hosts hammer the continuity between state power—in both its existential farce and anti-migrant brutality—and the resilience found in community. They end with fundraising links for aid to displaced people in Kurdistan and Minneapolis, and a reminder that behind every international chess game and sound bite are ordinary people fighting simply to stay alive.

Further Listening / Links

• [Interview from inside Iran referenced at 60:46]
• [Kurdish mutual aid fund linked at 68:00]
• [Minneapolis protester fundraiser linked at 68:00]

Contact the show at CoolZoneTips on Protonmail for encrypted messaging.