The Best Of Mark Levin – 1/31/26
Host: Mark Levin | Podcast Network: Cumulus Podcast Network
Air Date: January 31, 2026
Overview
This “Best of” episode features Mark Levin’s signature, impassioned analysis of America’s immigration crisis, the rise of radical leftist movements, troubling confrontations between law enforcement and protesters, and the existential threats posed by both internal and external forces to constitutional order. With references spanning from historical protests to current political maneuvers and evocative remarks from the late Justice Antonin Scalia, Levin offers an unapologetically conservative perspective on pressing national issues. The episode is dense with constitutional argument, focus on immigration-related violence, and warnings about the consequences of lawlessness and radical politics.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Historical Parallels & The Rise of Radical Movements
[01:05 – 04:48]
- Levin opens by contextualizing current radical actions within American history, referencing the 1969 “Bloody Thursday” protests at Berkeley under Governor Reagan to draw parallels with today’s unrest, particularly in Minnesota.
- He underscores the recurring nature of leftist agitation, now “fully supported” by the Democratic Party which, he claims, has been “radicalized” and is steering the country away from “Americanism” and toward “Marxist–Islamist” ideology.
Notable Quote:
"It is a Marxist Islamist party. It is a party that rejects Americanism. It is a party that rejects constitutionalism."
— Mark Levin [04:39]
2. Democratic Party, Immigration, and Electoral Strategy
[05:01 – 10:27, 53:45 – 59:56]
- Levin repeatedly alleges a Democratic strategy of enabling mass illegal immigration not out of compassion, but for the purpose of growing their electoral base—via the census, congressional reapportionment, and birthright citizenship.
- He details how changes in state populations, driven partly by this migration and policy, are shifting representation and votes in the Electoral College.
Notable Quote:
“They want to increase their numbers in the House. Because you actually count the number of people, not the number of citizens.”
— Mark Levin [54:55]
- Levin backs his claims with statistics from the Center for Immigration Studies and the American Redistricting Project, highlighting that high-noncitizen districts are overwhelmingly Democratic.
3. ICE, Law Enforcement, and Violent Protests
[10:27 – 18:02, 61:46 – 71:14]
- Levin fiercely defends ICE and Border Patrol, criticizing local officials and Democratic politicians in sanctuary cities who, he asserts, “take the side of the criminals.”
- He discusses violent confrontations during ICE enforcement actions, focusing on incidents in Minneapolis including the shooting of activist Alex Preddy.
- Levin underscores the legal dangers of interfering with law enforcement and the criminal liability associated.
Notable Quotes:
“Do not arm yourself with a gun and ammunition, extra ammunition, in fact, when going to any protest... let alone a protest organized by violent communist and socialist groups.”
— Mark Levin [17:56]
“Interfering with law enforcement... is a crime. It has nothing to do with the First Amendment, free speech, or the freedom of association.”
— Mark Levin [18:02]
4. Breakdown of Law, Order, and Civic Duty
[17:56 – 25:27]
- Levin delivers a detailed point-by-point on what U.S. citizens should expect and demand: safe neighborhoods, enforcement of federal immigration laws, and the duty of local authorities to uphold federal law.
- He warns that allowing states or cities to become “sanctuaries” for illegal aliens is reminiscent of states' rights arguments used by Confederate secessionists.
Notable Quote:
“States now free to pick and choose which parts of the federal Constitution and federal law they will or will not honor?... This is how a nation tears itself apart.”
— Mark Levin [18:02–19:39 summarized]
5. Media, Politicians, and Responsibility
[26:53 – 27:28, 16:03 – 17:15]
- Levin critiques the media for focusing on the deaths of activists over the many victims of crimes by illegal immigrants, suggesting a double standard in coverage that obscures risks posed to everyday Americans.
- He calls out Republican officials who are, in his view, capitulating to mob pressure rather than showing leadership.
Notable Quote:
“Bending to the mob means they are bigger, louder, more violent mobs in the future. That's what it means.”
— Mark Levin [25:32]
6. Scalia’s Warning: Culture, Virtue, and Holocaust Remembrance
[30:26 – 40:30]
- Levin features a ten-minute excerpt from Justice Antonin Scalia’s 1997 Holocaust Memorial speech, reflecting on how unspeakable evil can arise even in societies that are highly educated and cultured—like pre-war Germany.
- Scalia warns that virtue is not inherently tied to education or refinement, and that “absolute, uncompromisable standards of human conduct” must be consciously preserved.
Notable Scalia Quote:
“Knowledge is one thing, virtue is another... These are the natural qualities of a large knowledge... but they are no guarantee for sanctity or even for conscientiousness. They may attach... to the heartless.”
— Antonin Scalia [~33:57]
Levin’s Reflection:
“Germany was the most advanced society on the face of the earth... and look what it became.”
— Mark Levin [40:30]
7. Iran, Islamism, and External Threats
[47:44 – 52:34]
- Expanding from internal threats, Levin addresses the foreign policy front, warning that negotiation with the Iranian regime is futile and equates negotiating with Khomeini to Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler.
- He stresses the dangers of Islamist ideology and the need for real confrontation rather than endless diplomacy.
Notable Quote:
“This isn’t war mongering. This is peace mongering. And I don’t think diplomacy mongering... is the answer to any of this.”
— Mark Levin [48:44]
8. Statistics: Crime and Immigration
[67:35 – 68:49]
- Levin provides 2024 data on ICE arrests, noting over 80,000 non-citizens with criminal convictions or charges were arrested, with thousands of violent crimes among them.
- He emphasizes the scale of the issue and contends that without certain political initiatives, these offenses would not have occurred.
9. Legal Context: What Protesters Can and Cannot Do
[71:14 – 74:12]
- Levin reviews federal statutes regarding assaults on federal officers, destruction of government property, and conspiracy to obstruct law enforcement.
- He points out that spitting on an officer, damaging property, and coordinated interference are all felonies or misdemeanors that can carry significant prison sentences.
10. Political Power, Policy, and the Future
[76:39 – 77:20]
- Levin concludes by warning Republicans against giving up the fight, suggesting that acquiescing to Democrat immigration policies will cement one-party rule and make winning elections impossible.
Notable Quote:
“If we are only going to try, try to deport violent, criminal, illegal aliens, then it's over. Because there will be millions and millions... They will have de facto amnesty, if not actual amnesty at some point, and certainly their children.”
— Mark Levin [77:20]
Memorable Moments & Quotes (with Timestamps)
- “It is a Marxist Islamist party... rejects Americanism.” — Mark Levin [04:39]
- "Do not arm yourself with a gun and ammunition... when going to any protest." — Mark Levin [17:56]
- "Interfering with law enforcement... is a crime." — Mark Levin [18:02]
- "States now free to pick and choose... This is how a nation tears itself apart." — Mark Levin [19:15–19:39]
- "Bending to the mob means they are bigger, louder, more violent mobs in the future." — Mark Levin [25:32]
- “Knowledge is one thing, virtue is another...” — Antonin Scalia [~33:57]
- “This isn’t war mongering. This is peace mongering.” — Mark Levin [48:44]
- "If we are only going to try, try to deport violent, criminal, illegal aliens, then it's over." — Mark Levin [77:20]
Section Timestamps for Quick Reference
- Historical context & radical protests: [01:05 – 04:48]
- Democrats & immigration strategy: [05:01 – 10:27], [53:45 – 59:56]
- ICE confrontations & legal/law enforcement challenges: [10:27 – 18:02], [61:46 – 71:14]
- Scalia on virtue & the Holocaust: [30:26 – 40:30]
- Levin on Iran & external ideology threats: [47:44 – 52:34]
- Crime & Immigration statistics: [67:35 – 68:49]
- Protesters’ legal context: [71:14 – 74:12]
- Final warnings & political consequences: [76:39 – 77:20]
Tone and Language
Levin employs a direct, passionate, and combative tone, blending historical references, policy analysis, and pointed criticisms. He uses rhetorical questions and emphatic statements, creating an urgent, rallying atmosphere for conservative listeners.
Summary Takeaway
In this episode, Mark Levin weaves a narrative tying current left-wing activism, immigration policies, and perceived Democratic Party strategies to wider threats against American constitutional order and culture. Utilizing legal, historical, and statistical arguments—and enhanced by a chilling reminder from Justice Scalia—Levin’s show urges vigilance, underscores the stakes of the ongoing immigration debate, and calls for assertive leadership against both internal and external dangers.