Morning Wire Podcast Summary

Episode: Feds Eye Minnesota Leadership & Trump’s Greenland Tariffs
Date: January 19, 2026
Hosts: John Bickley, Georgia Howe
Guests: Cabot Phillips, Tim Pierce, Luke Rosiak

Overview

This episode dives into three major stories:

1. The DOJ’s investigation of Minnesota Democrats over alleged obstruction of federal law enforcement during escalating protests in Minneapolis.
2. President Trump’s renewed trade war threats with Europe to press for U.S. control of Greenland.
3. The U.S. permanently halting foreign aid to Somalia following a massive food aid scandal.

The tone is urgent and candid, focusing on political accountability, rising international tensions, and consequences for foreign corruption.

1. Minneapolis Protests, ICE, and Federal Crackdown

Timestamps: 02:59–07:17

• Background: Protests in Minneapolis have intensified following the police-involved shooting of Renee Good. Violence has escalated with confrontations outside federal buildings and attacks on conservative demonstrators.

• Notable Incident:

  • "In one instance, right wing activist Jake Lang was physically dragged from the front steps of a government building by a large mob... They proceeded to beat him with fists, rocks and flag poles as some of the crowd could be heard yelling, 'kill him all.'" (Cabot Phillips, 03:41)
  • Some protesters forced a man to remove his American flag hoodie, telling him "take it off and you won't get hurt." (Cabot Phillips, 04:16)

• Official Responses:

  • Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey blamed the Trump administration, stating:

    "The second these ICE Agents leave the city. I'm telling you, you're going to have calm in Minneapolis and you will continue to see the great comeback..." (Frey, 05:12)

  • Trump administration has readied 1,500 troops for possible deployment, contemplating the Insurrection Act. ICE Director Todd Lyons criticized Minnesota leadership:

    “I never thought we would have to send law enforcement to protect law enforcement...” (Lyons, 06:10)

• DOJ Investigation:

  • The Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation into Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey for potential conspiracy to impede federal immigration enforcement.
  • Walz called the investigation "a dangerous authoritarian tactic" and accused Trump of "weaponizing the justice system." (John Bickley, 06:31)
  • Attorney General Pam Bondi countered:

    "No one is above the law." (Bondi, cited by Bickley, 07:12)

2. Trump’s Greenland Tariffs and Trade Wars

Timestamps: 07:52–12:03

• Tariff Threats:

  • President Trump has threatened up to 25% tariffs on eight European countries unless Denmark agrees to sell Greenland to the U.S.
  • The EU plans to freeze a major trade agreement in response, with further escalation possible.

• International Fallout:

  • Former Vice President Mike Pence warned:

    “I do think that the current posture… does threaten to fracture that strong relationship not just with Denmark but with all of our NATO allies.” (Pence, 09:01)

  • French President Emmanuel Macron responded:

    "No intimidation or threat will influence us neither in Ukraine nor in Greenland nor anywhere else in the world..." (Macron, 09:37)

  • Treasury Secretary Scott Besson insisted U.S. ownership was about security:

    "President Trump strongly believes that we cannot outsource our security because this fight for the Arctic is real..." (Besson, 10:11)

• Critique & Context:

  • Critics point out the U.S. already has rights to establish military bases in Greenland.

• Iranian Tensions:

  • Trump told Politico:

    "It's time to look for new leadership in Iran." (Trump, 10:58)

  • Senator Ted Cruz added:

    “President Trump… came out unequivocally and said it is time for new leadership in Iran. It is time for the Ayatollah Khamenei, his religious dictatorship, to end.” (Cruz, 11:22)

3. Cutting Foreign Aid to Somalia After Corruption Scandal

Timestamps: 12:42–17:14

• Scandal Details:

  • U.S. Embassy in Somalia recommended ending aid after President Hassan Sheikh Mohammed’s government demolished a food warehouse without notifying the U.S. or the UN.
  • "76 metric tons of food went missing even as another 1650 tons of commodities was on its way." (Luke Rosiak, 13:07)

• Systemic Corruption:

  • Turkey’s involvement via corrupt contracts was highlighted, with Somali ministers benefiting personally from stolen or diverted aid.
  • Parliament member Abdullahi Hashi Abib exposed:

    "Up to 90% of Somalia's humanitarian assistance comes from America, but...the money isn't distributed to the most needy but rather hoarded by relatives of officials and their clans..." (Rosiak, quoting Abib, 15:14)

  • Fake donation photos, inflated invoices, and government nepotism are rampant in the aid pipeline.

• Official U.S. Response:

  • Aid is not paused but permanently ended:

    "...it's too late for Somalia to say they're sorry and that it not only has aid been paused, but it's gonna be permanently turned off." (Rosiak, 14:51)

  • The Trump administration’s decision to abolish USAID is contextualized as a response to endemic corruption.

• Broader Implications:

  • Draws parallels between corruption in Somalia and fraud cases involving Somali refugees in Minnesota:

    "Suddenly Minneapolis's Quality Leering center doesn't seem like a fluke. It seems like part of a pattern. Right?" (Rosiak, 16:41)

  • Raises questions about U.S. refugee screening processes.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Cabot Phillips on violence in Minneapolis:

  "They should be cooperating with ICE, and if they did, we probably wouldn't have a lot of these incidents that we're seeing now. It's inviting tragedy." (00:42)

• Georgia Howe summarizing aid waste:

  "All right, so we're giving food for peace, but not even getting the peace part of it at this point." (14:43)

• Senator Ted Cruz on Iran:

  "It is time for new leadership in Iran. It is time for the Ayatollah Khamenei, his religious dictatorship, to end." (11:22)

Key Takeaways

• The federal government is actively investigating state-level resistance to federal immigration law in an unprecedented move targeting top Minnesota officials.
• President Trump’s push for U.S. sovereignty in Greenland is straining transatlantic alliances and could reignite trade wars.
• The U.S. is cracking down on foreign aid corruption, with Somalia serving as a high-profile example of aid withdrawal due to systemic fraud.
• Recurring themes include political polarization, the tension between federal and local authority, concerns about international security, and a new era of less tolerant U.S. foreign aid policies.