ICE Shooting Backlash Mounts & LA Fires Revelations | 1.9.26

Summary

Morning Wire – Episode Summary

Episode Title: ICE Shooting Backlash Mounts & LA Fires Revelations | 1.9.26
Date: January 9, 2026
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe

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Overview

This episode of Morning Wire centers on three major news developments:

1. Escalating outcry and political conflict following a fatal ICE-involved shooting during Minneapolis protests
2. New revelations suggesting a cover-up in the handling and aftermath of the devastating LA wildfires one year prior
3. Intensifying unrest and protests in Iran, the regime’s vulnerabilities, and the response from the U.S. and Iranian exile figures.

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I. Backlash Over Minneapolis ICE Shooting

Key Segments

• Opening of segment: [02:36]
• Discussion with Cabot Phillips and Daily Wire reporting: [02:58]–[06:55]

Key Points

• Widespread Protests: Large crowds have taken to Minneapolis streets and ICE detention centers following the fatal shooting of a protester by an ICE agent.
• Escalation & Response: Minneapolis Public Schools canceled classes, and Governor Tim Walz readied the National Guard to avoid delays reminiscent of the 2020 George Floyd riots.
• Federal Position:
  • Video evidence cited by the White House alleges the victim accelerated towards federal agents, leading to the shooting.
  • The Biden administration and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem firmly defend the ICE officer’s actions as justified.

Notable Quotes

• “If you lay a finger on one of our officers, we will catch you. We will prosecute you, and you will feel the full extent of the law.”
  — DHS Secretary Kristi Noem at [03:49]

• “You have a woman who aimed her car at a law enforcement officer and pressed on the accelerator. Nobody debates that… I can believe that her death is a tragedy while also recognizing that it’s a tragedy of her own making and a tragedy of the far left who has marshaled an entire movement, a lunatic fringe against our law enforcement officers.”
  — Vice President J.D. Vance, [04:47]

• “This same ICE agent had actually been hospitalized back in June following an eerily similar incident…pinned to a car and dragged more than 100 yards by an illegal immigrant driver.”
  — Cabot Phillips summarizing background, [05:07]

• “When you take an action and use a weapon to harm someone… Incite violence against them and try to cause them injury or death, then it needs to be labeled exactly what it was.”
  — Kristi Noem, [05:31]

• “Minnesota’s first that held that line for the nation on that July 3, 1863. And I think now we may be in that moment that the nation’s looking to us to hold the line on democracy.”
  — Governor Tim Walz, invoking Civil War parallels, [06:11]

• “Tim Walz is a joke. His entire administration has been a joke… He’s a guy who has enabled fraud and maybe in fact, has participated in fraud. That’s what this new assistant attorney general position is going to find out.”
  — Vice President J.D. Vance, [06:35]

Discussion Highlights

• The episode highlights the political split between Minnesota state officials (Walz expressing distrust of federal investigation fairness, wanting ICE out of the state) and federal officials (Noem, Vance) backing law enforcement.
• There is bipartisan concern over possible escalation with protest violence and the precedent set by prior riots.
• Ongoing federal investigation under heavy scrutiny; neither side backing down.

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II. LA Wildfires: Evidence of Cover-up and Recovery Slowdown

Key Segments

• Opening of segment: [07:57]
• On-the-ground analysis by Amanda Presto Giacomo and Tim Pierce: [08:02]–[12:14]

Key Points

• Scale of Disaster: The 2025 LA wildfires destroyed 31 lives and over 18,000 structures, particularly in Altadena and Pacific Palisades.
• Mismanagement Revealed:
  • Fire crews were directed to leave the origin scene (Lockman Fire), ignoring visible fire, which sparked the catastrophic Palisades fire.
  • LAFD’s After Action report was “edited multiple times to soften or remove language that was critical of department leadership” prior to public release. Fire Chief Jamie Moore confirmed this procedural flaw.
• Slow Rebuilding:
  • Less than a dozen homes rebuilt in a year; about 1,000 permits issued initially; only recently did residential permits increase to 2,600.
  • Most rebuilding targets not being met, drawing ire from residents.
• Aid Fund Misuse Allegations:
  • House Judiciary Committee alleges that $75 million raised for fire victims (from a celebrity concert) went to unrelated grants, administrative expenses, and even podcasters and illegal immigrants, not the direct victims.
• Controversial Recovery Plans:
  • State and local efforts now focus on low-income housing in affluent, fire-ravaged areas, causing division as many locals feel displaced and ignored.

Notable Quotes

• “Text messages obtained by the Los Angeles Times show that fire crews…were ordered to pick up and leave the scene despite visible smoldering and hot terrain.”
  — Tim Pierce, [08:52]

• “Instead of admitting what happened here, the [LAFD] report was apparently edited multiple times to soften or remove language that was critical of department leadership before it was released to the public.”
  — Tim Pierce, [09:13]

• “The rebuilding effort has turned into some political crusade instead of just helping the people who lost their homes.”
  — Tim Pierce summarizing local sentiment, [10:52]

• “If you look at the rebuilding process, the debris removal process…in some instances we are a year ahead.”
  — Mayor Karen Bass, maintaining optimism, [11:30]

Discussion Highlights

• The state and local governments, particularly under Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass, portray the recovery as a success—even as residents and journalists identify delays, mismanaged aid, and a politically fraught focus on low-income housing.
• The cover-up allegations over the LAFD’s internal report and funds misuse mark significant blows to public trust.

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III. Iran Unrest: Mounting Pressure and Prospects for Regime Change

Key Segments

• Opening of segment: [12:17]
• Interview with Tim Pierce and Cabot Phillips: [12:28]–[15:53]

Key Points

• Protests Continue Countrywide: Two weeks of major unrest in Iran, with demonstrations in dozens of cities, originally driven by economic pain (loss of dollar subsidies, high inflation) but now also deeply political.

• Government Vulnerability:

  • The Iranian regime is perceived as weaker than in past crises.
  • President Trump warns that the U.S. will respond if the regime kills large numbers of protesters:
    “If they do it, we’re going to hit them very hard.” ([14:00])
  • So far, about 40 deaths—low compared to prior crackdowns (“Bloody November” with up to 1,500 deaths).
  • Over 2,000 arrests reported, with reports of security raids on hospitals.
  • Iranian government calls in allied militias (Hezbollah, Iraqi groups) for support.

• Exile Opposition Growing:

  • Reza Pahlavi, exiled Iranian crown prince, claims regime change is more possible than ever:
    “The Iranian people are more than ever committed to bringing an end to this regime… Over 100 cities and millions of people on the street chanting death to the dictator…” ([15:15])
  • He offers to serve in a transitional government if needed.

Discussion Highlights

• Analysts peg this moment as a “unique” opportunity for the Iranian opposition.
• The specter of violent repression persists, but international threats and regime weakness may limit mass executions seen previously.
• Segment ends with questions about whether Iran’s exiled royal might soon play a role if the regime collapses.

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Memorable Moments & Tone

• The tone throughout is urgent, occasionally combative, and skeptical of prevailing government narratives.
• Vivid analogies (e.g., Walz comparing state-federal conflict to the Civil War) and blunt language (Vance labeling Walz “a joke”) mark the ICE segment.
• The LA fire revelations combine investigative detail with outrage at government and nonprofit performance.
• The Iran segment is both sobering and cautiously hopeful, with historical parallels and discussion of real possibilities for change.

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• ICE Shooting Fallout (Minneapolis unrest, political clash): [02:36]–[06:55]
• LA Wildfires (cover-up, rebuilding challenges, funds misuse): [07:57]–[12:14]
• Iran Protests (foreign intervention, regime fragility, opposition leader): [12:17]–[15:53]

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Conclusion

The January 9, 2026 episode of Morning Wire delivers a hard-edged summary of rapidly unfolding stories: unrest and sharp political lines over a federal law enforcement shooting, troubling findings surrounding last year’s LA wildfires’ management and recovery, and the precarious state of Iran’s government amid persistent mass protests. The reporting features police bodycam analysis, new investigative revelations, vivid political language, and connects local events to global repercussions—all while challenging official narratives and highlighting public skepticism.

Transcript

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[Cabot Phillips]

The political battle over the fatal ICE shooting in Minneapolis ratchets up, pitting Governor Walz against Vice President Vance.

[Governor Tim Walz]

Last night we saw Minnesotans meet the moment once again. Thousands of Minnesotans demonstrated last night peacefully.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

This was an attack on federal law enforcement. This was an attack on law and order. This was an attack on the American people.

[Cabot Phillips]

I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John with Georgia Howe. It's Friday, January 9th. This is Morning Wire.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

One year after the devastating LA wildfires, newly released evidence is bringing a troubling picture into focus.

[Kevin]

The state is playing hide the ball. They're not being transparent with the public.

[Cabot Phillips]

And unrest in Iran grows more widespread and violent as the Islamic regime turns to foreign militias for support.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.

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[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

48 hours after the deadly shooting of an ICE protester state and Federal authorities are clashing over its legality as violent demonstrations once again grip Minneapolis.

[Cabot Phillips]

Daily Wire senior editor Cabot Phillips is here with the latest on the fallout. Hey, Cabot. So let's start with what's happening in the city. Protests, as Georgia said, really gripping Minneapolis. What's the latest on the ground?

[Kevin]

Yeah, even before this shooting, there had been quite a bit of pushback against ICE agents operating in Minneapolis. But things have certainly escalated in the last 24 hours. Large crowds Thursday congregated outside of ICE detention facilities across Minneapolis, attempting to block the street and also clashing with federal authorities. And now there are real concerns that things could get even worse. In preparation, Minneapolis Public Schools canceled all classes on Thursday and Friday. And Governor Tim Wallace has ordered the state's National Guard to prepare for mobilization. If whites go, rioting does take place. Remember, he was widely criticized after waiting weeks during the George Floyd riots back in 2020 to actually mobilize the Guard. And it looks like he's trying to avoid that this time around. Now, for her part, DHS Secretary Christy Noem offered a fiery defense of the ICE officer's actions and had this warning for agitators who were looking to riot this weekend.

[Governor Tim Walz]

If you lay a finger on one of our officers, we will catch you.

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[Governor Tim Walz]

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[Cabot Phillips]

All right, so that's Noam, who's been very vocal in the last couple of days. What have we heard from the White House?

[Kevin]

As you can imagine, they are standing firm across the board in their belief that the shooting was justified. Multiple Cabinet members on Thursday pointed to newly released slow motion video from the confrontation that shows the victim seemingly hitting the gas, causing her tires to spin forward as agents approach from the front and driver side of the car. And because of snow and ice on the road, the tires at first spun out. But they argue the agent obviously would have heard the engine revving multiple angles, then showed the tires catching traction and quickly accelerating as that one agent is still in front of her car. And it does appear that he is struck by the vehicle before firing his first of three shots as he dives out of the way. For his part, Vice President J.D. vance said Thursday that much of the blame for this tragedy lies with the far left.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

You have a woman who aimed her car at a law enforcement officer and pressed on the accelerator. Nobody debates that I can believe that her death is a tragedy while also recognizing that it's a tragedy of her own making and a tragedy of the far left who has marshaled an entire movement, a lunatic fringe against our law enforcement officers.

[Kevin]

And on Thursday, in another remarkable turn, multiple reports did finally confirm that this same ICE agent had actually been hospitalized back in June following an eerily similar incident. In that case, he was pinned to a car and dragged more than 100 yards. An illegal immigrant driver who sped off during an attempted stop. And more broadly, Secretary Noem said Thursday that more than 100 such incidents have taken place in the last year alone.

[Governor Tim Walz]

When you take an action and use a weapon to harm someone and to.

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Incite violence against them and try to cause them injury or death, then it.

[Governor Tim Walz]

Needs to be labeled exactly what it was.

[Kevin]

Minnesota Governor Tim Walls again weighed in on Thursday, expressing outrage that the FBI wants to be solely responsible for the investigation and into the shooting and saying that he was pessimistic that a, quote, fair outcome would be reached. He says the Trump administration has already made up their minds about whether the shooting was justified. Later, he repeated his demands that ICE leave the state of Minnesota and then compared his battle with federal authorities to the Civil War. Have a listen. When things looked really bleak, it was.

[Governor Tim Walz]

Minnesota's first that held that line for the nation on that July 3, 1863.

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And I think now we may be.

[Kevin]

In that moment that the nation's looking to us to hold the line on democracy. And later Thursday, responding to a question from Daily Wire, White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olihan, Vice President Vance referred to Governor Walz as a, quote, joke, and again repeated his calls for him to resign.

[Vice President J.D. Vance]

Tim Walsh is a joke. His entire administration has been a joke. The idea that he's some sort of freedom fighter, he's not. He's a guy who has enabled fraud and maybe in fact, has participated in fraud. That's what this new assistant attorney general position is going to find out.

[Cabot Phillips]

So far, no sense that this is calming down. In fact, it feels like it's ratcheting up. Lots more to come on this in the next few days. Kevin, thanks so much for reporting.

[Kevin]

Absolutely.

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[Cabot Phillips]

One year after the LA fires, new revelations have come to light of an apparent cover up.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Here with the details is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Presto Giacomo. So Amanda, it's been one year now since those massive fires ripped through Los Angeles, a variety of neighborhoods, most specifically Palisades. Can you remind listeners about just how severe that damage was?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, I mean as you said, it really devastated Los Angeles, specifically the Eltadena and Pacific Palisades areas. 31 people were killed altogether. It's estimated that more than 18,000 structures, homes and other buildings were completely destroyed or damaged. At the time. There was a lot of scrutiny over how this was handled, including the absence of LA Mayor Karen Bass and an 18 million dollar budget cut to the fire department just months before the fires. But it seems things were even worse than that.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Right. Well now we're just getting some information about how were handled. What are the main concerns?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, a lot of troubling information here. Text messages obtained by the Los Angeles Times show that fire crews that handled a small blaze known as the Lockman Fire, they were ordered to pick up and leave the scene despite visible smoldering and hot terrain. This was before the Palisades fires. The Lockman fire sparked the much larger Palisades fire and that killed a dozen people and destroyed thousands of homes. What's more though is that we have this LAFD After Action report. Instead of admitting what happened here, the report was apparently edited multiple times to soften or remove language that was critical of department leadership before it was released to the public. Current Fire Chief Jamie Moore has admitted that that is exactly what happened. And to be clear, this didn't occur during his tenure.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Now the rebuilding effort is also getting a lot of attention in part because it's one been extremely slow, but also there's been changes to what's being greenlit, correct?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, that's right. A lot more bad news here. According to the Associated Press, not even a Dozen homes have been rebuilt since these fires. Recent reporting showed that only around 1,000 permits were issued and only hundreds of homes are currently under construction. Approaching this one year anniversary, that number shot up to 2,600 residential permits being approved. But you know, again, a very, very slow moving process. And on the heels of those very dismal numbers, the House Judiciary Committee just released a report this week that alleges $75 million raised from a star studded fire aid concert. They weren't distributed directly to fire survivors as promised or implied. Instead it was spent on grants and various nonprofits, administrative costs, podcasters and illegal immigrants.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Now, there's also been some controversy though that the state and some local efforts are now wanting to implement low income housing those areas rather than rebuilding the pre existing homes. What do we know about that?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, there have been major efforts on this front, including from Governor Gavin Newsom. And this is already actually underway in areas near the fires. Proponents argue that this is going to help victims. However, many residents are just not on board with this. Generally, there is a feeling that the rebuilding effort has turned into some political crusade instead of just helping the people who lost their homes.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

What are we hearing from Newsom and or local leaders about the recovery?

[Tim Pierce]

Well, Newsom is actually praising the permit levels as historic. He also said that the state is accelerating rebuilding, supporting mental health, reopening businesses and pressing the federal government to deliver. Now, so far the feds have made over $3 billion in support available to survivors. As for Mayor Bass, she's painting a rosy picture of the recovery efforts. Here she is on Spectrum News. If you look at the rebuilding process, the debris removal process, the whole process and what we accomplished in one year, and you compare that to other cities, other states where there have been wildfires with similar damage. And in some instances we are a year ahead. And again, 16,000 structures completely destroyed and thousands more damaged. So a lot to rebuild still and.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Some of them were absolutely historic homes. Amanda, thanks for reporting.

[Tim Pierce]

You're welcome.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Protests in Iran close in on the two week mark while pressure mounts against the regime. Part of that pressure comes from Washington where President Trump continues to threaten action over the treatment of demonstrators.

[Cabot Phillips]

Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about the current state of the protests in Iran. Hey Tim. So this unrest has been going on for about two weeks now. Any sense that this is slowing down?

[Governor Tim Walz]

Not yet. The strength of the protests has fluctuated day to day, but we're still talking about demonstrations across dozens of cities and towns in Iran. And as we've reported before Economic concerns were the original spark of this unrest, and those have only gotten worse as this thing has gone on. Last week, Iran's central bank decided to end subsidies that gave importers and producers access to cheaper US Dollars, which put more upward pressure on prices in the middle of this already steep inflation period that they're in. The economic concerns have mixed with political ones as well as essentially all major protests in Iran have pushed for some kind of regime change. But what makes this set of protest test different is the extraordinary weakness of the regime right now.

[Cabot Phillips]

On that point. Are there signs that the regime is indeed cracking?

[Governor Tim Walz]

Yeah, there seem to be signs the regime is aware of certain vulnerabilities. It has. For instance, President Trump has threatened that the United States might get directly involved if the Iranian regime starts killing protesters en masse. And that could be having an impact here. Was Trump talking with conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt yesterday? Well, I don't want to say it, but I will tell you they're not doing well, as you know, probably better than anybody. They're doing very poorly. And I have let them know that if they start killing people, which they tend to do during their riots, they have lots of riots. If they do it, we're going to.

[Cabot Phillips]

Hit them very hard.

[Governor Tim Walz]

Human rights groups report that about 40 people have lost their lives so far, including a handful of members of the Iranian security forces. That sounds like a lot. But past widespread demonstrations have had many more deaths. At least 551 people were killed after women's rights protests of 2022. And during the 2019 protests over fuel prices. Amnesty International estimated 300 people died. But a Reuters report quoted an Iranian official saying that as many as 1500 people were killed during what became known as Bloody November. But while fatalities are down, security forces are still arresting masses of people. Estimates are that well over 2,000 people have been detained, with security forces even raiding hospitals to take the injured. Now, that said, Iranian officials have called on their allies in Hezbollah and Iraq to come and crack down on protesters. So this could all change very quickly.

[Cabot Phillips]

Right. Something to watch for, sure. Now, Iran's crown prince, who's been in exile since 1979, he's making some noise. What are we hearing from him?

[Governor Tim Walz]

Yeah. Reza Pahlavi is, of course, on the side of the protesters and talking about regime weakness. He says that he's never seen an opportunity to topple the Iranian regime like there is today. Here he was on Fox News earlier this week.

[Tim Pierce]

The Iranian people are more than ever committed to bringing an end to this regime. As the world has witnessed in the last few days the level of demonstrations unprecedented in Iran. Over a hundred cities and millions of people on the street chanting death to the dictator. And then to this regime. And by God, it is about time that Iran gets its opportunity to free itself from a tyrannical regime.

[Governor Tim Walz]

He has also offered to step in and lead the government in a transitional capacity if the time arises that Iran can transition to a democracy.

[Cabot Phillips]

That would certainly be an incredible development. We'll see if he gets that chance. Tim, thanks so much for reporting.

[Governor Tim Walz]

Good to be on.

[Amanda Presto Giacomo]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're listening to the show now, you can watch for free on Daily Wire. We'll be back later this evening with more news you need to know.