Minneapolis Shooting Spirals & U.S. Armada Approaches Iran | 1.26.26

Summary

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Morning Wire

Episode: Minneapolis Shooting Spirals & U.S. Armada Approaches Iran
Date: January 26, 2026
Hosts: John Bickley & Georgia Howe

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Overview

This episode dissects two major unfolding stories: the spiraling unrest in Minneapolis after a deadly shooting involving federal immigration agents and an armed protester, and President Trump’s mobilization of U.S. military forces toward Iran in response to regime crackdowns on protesters. The hosts also cover the political fallout, reactions from both parties, and implications for upcoming legislation and foreign policy.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Minneapolis Shooting and Escalating Unrest

• Incident Recap ([02:15]):

  • A fatal shooting in Minneapolis occurred when Alex Preddy, an armed protester, was shot by federal immigration agents during an attempt to detain a violent criminal illegal immigrant.
  • Preddy was armed with a 9mm semiautomatic handgun and extra magazines ([03:18] Kristi Noem: “The officers attempted to disarm individual but the armed suspect reacted violently. Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots.”).
  • The individual the agents were initially targeting remains at large.

• Aftermath and Public Response ([05:28]):

  • Protests and riots erupted in Minneapolis, often turning violent.
  • Reports of a “no ICE zone” being set up in the wake of the shooting ([05:39] Amanda Prestigiacomo: “The city was already a powder keg, John, and this fatal shooting really set things off.”).
  • Law enforcement officers have faced direct assaults, including one officer having his finger bitten off in the chaos ([05:45] Amanda Prestigiacomo and Tim Pierce).

• Escalation and Far-Left Agitation ([06:04]):

  • Far-left, Antifa-aligned activists called for active resistance, including violence against immigration officers ([06:06] Tim Pierce quoting a Minnesota Antifa member: “Boots on the ground. Get your guns and stop these people.”).

2. Political and Media Reaction

• Washington Fallout ([08:04]):

  • Senate Democrats announced they’ll no longer support a budget deal including DHS funding, sharply raising the odds of a government shutdown ([08:04] Cameron Arcand: “Senate Democrats are now saying that they will no longer support a budget deal that had already been passed by the House because it includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security.”).
  • Odds of a shutdown are reported at 80%.

• Loaded Rhetoric and Policy Responses ([09:23]):

  • Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz referred to ICE’s presence as an “occupation” and called for “state-led investigation” ([09:40] Tim Pierce quoting Walz: “We will keep the peace and we will see this occupation end.”).
  • Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara echoed calls to limit ICE enforcement regardless of investigation outcome ([10:43] Cameron Arcand: “Even if an investigation determines that agents did lawfully shoot Alex Preddy, ICE should still stop its efforts to enforce immigration law in his city.”).

• Federal Response ([11:31]):

  • DHS Secretary Kristi Noem condemned interference with ICE and linked Minneapolis’s issues to lack of support from local authorities ([11:31] Kristi Noem: “He came to that scene and impeded a law enforcement operation, which is against federal law. It’s a felon…”).
  • Deputy AG Todd Blanche contrasted Minneapolis with cities like those in Texas, which cooperate more closely with federal agents ([12:06] Ben Shapiro quoting Blanche: “Why in one city…do we have these problems?... Because in Texas, we have the cooperation and support of local law enforcement…”).

• White House Stance ([12:42]):

  • President Trump continues to blame state officials and shows no sign of backing down, even as tensions mount ([12:42] Cameron Arcand: “He’s asking where the local police have been, and he also continues to highlight what’s driving this heightened federal presence in the state.”).

3. U.S. Military Movements toward Iran

• Deployment of Forces ([14:14]):

  • President Trump confirmed a “massive” deployment of U.S. forces—the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group (with guided missile destroyers, fighters, and additional support)—to the Middle East in response to Iran’s crackdown on dissident protesters ([14:21] Trump: “We have a lot of ships going that direction just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction…”).

• Triggering Event and Potential Response ([14:59]):

  • Trump has drawn a red line at the mass slaughter of protesters: if such actions continue, the U.S. may respond with force.
  • Unofficial reports indicate tens of thousands could have already been killed by Iranian authorities, but information is limited ([15:55] Trump: “…if you hang those people, you’re going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit. It’ll make what we did to your Iran nuclear look like peanuts.”).

• Possibility of Escalation ([16:30]):

  • The President’s swift deployments keep the possibility of a U.S. strike open, depending on further events on the ground ([16:30] Tim Pierce: “The possibility of a strike is still very much on the table.”).

4. Additional Foreign Policy Developments

• U.S.-Canada Tensions ([17:02]):
  • Trump threatens severe tariffs after Canada signals intent to lower trade barriers with China ([17:02] Tim Pierce: “If Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a drop off port for China…he is sorely mistaken.”).

5. Quote Highlights

• [03:18] Kristi Noem: “The officers attempted to disarm individual but the armed suspect reacted violently…an agent fired defensive shots.”
• [05:39] Amanda Prestigiacomo: “The city was already a powder keg, John, and this fatal shooting really set things off.”
• [06:06] Tim Pierce (paraphrasing Antifa activist): "Boots on the ground. Get your guns and stop these people."
• [08:04] Cameron Arcand: “Senate Democrats are now saying that they will no longer support a budget deal…because it includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security.”
• [09:40] Tim Pierce (quoting Gov. Walz): “We will keep the peace and we will see this occupation end.”
• [11:31] Kristi Noem: “He came to that scene and impeded a law enforcement operation, which is against federal law. It’s a felon.”
• [12:06] Deputy AG Todd Blanche (via Ben Shapiro): "In Texas, we have the cooperation and support of local law enforcement so that we can do these operations safely, keeping U.S. citizens and others protected and safe.”
• [14:21] President Trump: “We have a lot of ships going that direction just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction and we’ll see what happens.”
• [15:55] President Trump: “If you hang those people, you’re going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit. It’ll make what we did to your Iran nuclear look like peanuts.”

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Notable & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• [05:08] Audio of shooting incident and crowd chaos (Warning: Disturbing content)
• [06:06] Direct call from Antifa-aligned activist for violent resistance
• [08:04] Announcement of potential government shutdown over DHS funding
• [15:55] Trump’s warning to the Iranian regime about consequences for mass executions

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Key Timestamps Overview

• [02:15]: Recap of Minneapolis protest and fatal shooting
• [03:18]: DHS Secretary Noem’s recounting of the event
• [05:08]: Audio from the incident plays
• [05:39]: City described as a powder keg, updates on aftermath
• [06:04]: Far-left calls for violence, law enforcement injuries
• [08:04]: Fallout in DC, Senate and budget implications
• [09:40]: Minnesota Governor Walz’s response and political rhetoric
• [11:31]: DHS response, contrasting cities’ cooperation
• [14:21]: Trump details U.S. naval deployment to Iran region
• [15:55]: Trump’s warning about potential strike on Iran

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Summary

This Morning Wire episode offers in-depth reporting and analysis on the Minneapolis shooting that sparked violent protests, prompting a heated nationwide debate over immigration enforcement and local versus federal authority. It details the hardening of political lines in Washington, with potential for a government shutdown, as well as the ongoing escalation between the U.S. and Iran against the backdrop of major human rights abuses. The reporting is brisk, fact-forward, and highlights the high-stakes, polarized climate around law enforcement, immigration, and international conflict in early 2026.

Transcript

[John Bickley]

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[Sound Effects/Interjections]

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[Cameron Arcand]

Shut it down.

[John Bickley]

Rioters take over the streets of Minneapolis following the shooting death of an armed anti ICE protester.

[Kristi Noem]

This looks like a situation where an individual arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.

[John Bickley]

I'm Daily Wire Executive Editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Monday, January 26th. This is Morning Wire.

[Megan Basham]

As the protests grow beyond Minnesota, the political and media battle over what's happening on the ground heats up.

[Ben Shapiro]

It's a campaign of organized brutality against the people of our state. And today that campaign claimed another life.

[John Bickley]

And Trump sends more US Forces to the Middle east as another showdown with Iran seems imminent.

[Megan Basham]

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

[Ben Shapiro]

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[Megan Basham]

Thousands engaged in protests that often turned into violent riots in Minneapolis over the weekend following a fatal shooting involving a federal immigration officer and an armed protester.

[John Bickley]

Here with the details is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prestigiacomo Morning, Amanda. So let's start with this fatal shooting from Saturday. The victim has been identified as 37 year old Alex Preddy. What have we learned now about the circumstances of this incident?

[Amanda Prestigiacomo]

Well, we know that Preddy was armed while he was interacting with law enforcement and that he had magazines with ammo on him. It is unclear, however, if he had ever brandished that weapon. Also, we know that Border Patrol agents were trying to conduct an operation to detain an illegal with a violent criminal history when this all went down. That illegal is still at large. Preddy seems to have inserted himself in this situation while Border Patrol is dealing with an agitator. From DHS's perspective, Secretary Kristi Noem described the incident as an avoidable tragedy. Here she is on Saturday approached U.S.

[Kristi Noem]

Border Patrol officers with a 9 millimeter semiautomatic handgun. The officers attempted to disarm individual but the armed suspect reacted violently. Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots. The suspect also had two magazines with ammunition in them that held dozens of rounds.

[Amanda Prestigiacomo]

President Trump responded to the shooting just hours after the incident. He noted Preddy's handgun, but he really criticized Democrat leaders in the state for what he said was inciting insurrection. Obviously that term insurrection is no accident and very much loaded. The president also questioned if these leaders called off local law enforcement so that federal officers would be left unprotected and, you know, create this tragic situation.

[John Bickley]

A serious allegation. And what about the video footage of the shooting that's been making the rounds? What can we see going on there?

[Amanda Prestigiacomo]

Right. The footage shows just a lot of chaos going on when Preddy is shot. You can hear agitators blowing whistles, for example. That's meant to distract and cause confusion for officers. And while this scuffle is going on, pepper spray is deployed and an officer reportedly yells gun. That was right before you hear gunshots go off. There have been questions about when exactly Preddy was disarmed, if he was disarmed before the shooting. Analysis from the Wall Street Journal claims that Preddy's handgun was taken by an officer who less than one second before you hear ten shots ring out. Warning to listeners. We're going to play a bit of audio from the incident and it's obviously disturbing.

[Sound Effects/Interjections]

Did you just do what the did you just do?

[Amanda Prestigiacomo]

CPR was administered, but Preddy did die at the scene. We've also heard from the victim's family. They say that Preddy was a caring ICU nurse at a VA Hospital. And they're accusing the Trump administration of telling sickening lies.

[John Bickley]

And in the aftermath of this, things got even more chaotic in Minneapolis. Thousands took to the streets. We've seen reports of a no ICE zone being set up. What have we seen since the shooting in the city?

[Amanda Prestigiacomo]

Yeah, I mean, the city was already a powder keg, John, and this fatal shooting really set things off.

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah.

[Amanda Prestigiacomo]

Noem said rioters obstructed and assaulted law enforcement. One officer actually had his finger bit off. There were even direct calls from far left antifa members to attack immigration officers. Here's one Minnesota antifa member named Kyle Wagner in a video. This was posted by journalist Andy Ngo.

[Ben Shapiro]

They up.

[Sound Effects/Interjections]

It's time to suit up.

[Tim Pierce]

Boots on the ground. Get your guns and stop these people.

[Amanda Prestigiacomo]

Vice President J.D. vance also weighed in. He just recently visited ICE agents in Minnesota. He accused local authorities of working with far left agitators to, quote, engage chaos in the city.

[John Bickley]

Yet another tragedy in Minneapolis. And the situation does feel like it's spiraling further out of control. Amanda, thank you so much for reporting.

[Amanda Prestigiacomo]

You're welcome, John.

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[John Bickley]

The deadly encounter between federal immigration agents and a Minneapolis man has ignited a fierce debate among political leaders that could impact All Americans.

[Megan Basham]

Daily Wire Culture reporter Megan Basham is here now to detail some of those responses and the fallout. So, Megan, what have the reactions been to what took place this weekend?

[Cameron Arcand]

Well, predictably, this incident is having a ripple effect across Washington, and one of the biggest is that Senate Democrats are now saying that they will no longer support a budget deal that had already been passed by the House because it includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement released Saturday. And I'll just quote it in full, what's happening in Minnesota is appalling and unacceptable in any American city. Democrats sought common sense reforms in the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the abuses of ice. Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included. And then you're hearing similar things from Dems like Mark Warner of Virginia and even Patty Murray of Washington, who was the one who negotiated this funding package. They say that they will not pass it if it includes that additional funding for DHS. And while Republicans control the Senate, they only have 53 seats and will need 60 votes to get that budget passed. So Polymarket is now putting the odds of a government shutdown at 80%.

[Megan Basham]

So that's in Washington. What about the political leaders in Minnesota? Have we seen any attempts to tone down some of the rhetoric that we heard last week?

[Cameron Arcand]

No, actually, I would say just the opposite. Daily Wire political reporter Cameron Arcand has been closely covering the situation for us over the weekend, and he points out that Walls used extremely loaded terms in his response. Walls called ICE deployment in the city a quote, unquote occupation.

[Tim Pierce]

Following the shooting, Governor Tim Walls was quick to ask for state cooperation in the investigation, saying he told the White House that the state must lead the investigation. Let state investigators secure justice as we process the scene, stay peaceful and give them space. Later on Saturday night, he wrote that they think they can provoke us into abandoning our values, saying we will keep the peace and we will see this occupation end.

[Cameron Arcand]

And to Cameron's point there, Walz also held a press conference shortly after news of the shooting broke and used that time to denigrate ICE and attack the Trump administration.

[Ben Shapiro]

Do I have any confidence Donald Trump will do the right thing? No, I don't have a lot of confidence Donald Trump will do the right thing. I do have a lot of confidence that the majority of the American people will do the right thing. And I think there cannot be very many people across this country looking right now after all the reporting that's been done after. After everything that's been said under the pretense that they are here about immigration reform. And quit referring to these people as law enforcement. They are not law enforcement.

[Cameron Arcand]

The police chief of Minneapolis, Brian o', Hara, seemed to follow his boss's lead there and said on CBS that even if an investigation determines that agents did lawfully shoot Alex Preddy, ICE should still stop its efforts to enforce immigration law in his city.

[Ben Shapiro]

I don't think that even matters at this point, because they're just. There is so much outrage and concern around what is happening in the.

[Cameron Arcand]

And then on the other side of the aisle, DHS is out urging Minnesota residents not to interfere with ICE operations. And they're pointing out that these kinds of tragedies are not occurring in other cities where ICE has been deployed, because in other cities, local law enforcement are working with ICE and are not encouraging organized protesters to obstruct their operations. This was DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on fox.

[Kristi Noem]

We do know that he came to that scene and impeded a law enforcement operation, which is against federal law. It's a felon. He did that. Interacting with those agents. When they tried to get him to disengage, he became aggressive and resisted them. And that's how this tragedy unfolded, and we hope we never see it again. It grieves me to think about what his family is going through, but it also grieves me what's happening to these law enforcement officers every day out on the streets with the violence that they face.

[Cameron Arcand]

And that was something that was echoed by Deputy AG Todd Blanche.

[Ben Shapiro]

Why in one city, in one place, do we have these problems? We deport 10 times the number of illegal aliens out of Texas than we do out of Minneapolis. Why do we hear nothing out of Texas about any of the same problems that we have in Minneapolis? I'll tell you why. Because in Texas, we have the cooperation and support of local law enforcement so that we can do these operations safely, keeping U.S. citizens and others protected and safe.

[Megan Basham]

Now, as Amanda noted, we have heard from President Trump. Is there any indication from him or other White House officials that they'll actually order ICE to pull back from Minnesota?

[Cameron Arcand]

Yeah. No, not right now, there isn't. The president's response so far is to point the finger, ultimately, at Minnesota officials. He's asking where the local police have been, and he also continues to highlight what's driving this heightened federal presence in the state. He said on Truth social quoting here. Minnesota is a criminal cover up of the massive financial fraud that has gone on. So it doesn't sound right now like the administration plans on backing down, but we will have to see if the budget battle changes that calculation.

[Megan Basham]

So it sounds like both sides are digging in at this point. Meghan, thanks for reporting.

[Cameron Arcand]

Yep, my pleasure.

[Megan Basham]

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[John Bickley]

Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about the latest in Iran and what Washington's next steps could be. Morning, Tim. So let's start with President Trump's announcement. He said last week that US Forces are on their way to Iran. How many forces are we talking about?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, President Trump didn't give specifics last week. He only said the forces on their way to the Middle east are massive. Here was Trump on Thursday.

[Sound Effects/Interjections]

You know, we have a lot of ships going that direction just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction and we'll see what happens.

[Tim Pierce]

The armada he spoke about then is the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group, which was last stationed in the South China Sea and reportedly reached the Middle east yesterday. The strike group includes, of course, the Lincoln, as well as three guided missile destroyers. The Lincoln itself is carrying five fighter squadrons. More cargo jets and aerial refueling tankers have also been sent to the region, too.

[John Bickley]

So when Trump says just in case, what does that mean? What exactly is he watching for? What might actually trigger action?

[Tim Pierce]

Yeah, it's a good question. The president drew a red line for Tehran a few weeks ago and it was the mass slaughter of protesters speaking out against the regime. Trump said if Iran cracks down and kills protesters like it has done in the past, we will step in with force and stop it now. Although reliable information has been tough to get out of Iran, all reports indicate that that mass slaughter that Trump warned against has happened and likely continues to happen. The only real question is how many people have died officially the number of deaths from the protests are already in the thousands, but unofficial numbers given by human rights groups, opposition groups, even reports from officials inside the regime suggest that the number of deaths are well into the tens of thousands. According to time, two senior officials in the country's Ministry of Health told the outlet that the death toll over just two days on January 8th and 9th could reach 30,000. But the President last week was still hesitant to accuse the regime of forcing our hand. Yet here's Trump again.

[Sound Effects/Interjections]

I'd rather not see anything happen, but we're watching them very closely. I stopped 837 hangings on Thursday and I said, if you hang those people, you're going to be hit harder than you've ever been hit. It'll make what we did to your Iran nuclear look like peanuts. At an hour before this horrible thing was going to take place, they canceled it. So that was a good sign. But we have a, an armada. We have a massive fleet heading in that direction and maybe we won't have to use it. We'll see.

[Tim Pierce]

Now, as we've come to expect about Trump, things can escalate really fast all at once. And whatever he says about what the regime is doing, the fact is he has dispatched a lot more military hardware to the region. So the possibility of a strike is still very much on the table.

[John Bickley]

Right. Trump's strikes have been swift and caught the enemy off guard so far. Now, on another foreign policy issue, Trump has been very critical of a number of our allies recently over what he says are actions that undermine our national security. Greenland was a major focus, but what's the latest on that front?

[Tim Pierce]

Well, now that Trump's concerns over Greenland appear to be addressed, for now, he has turned his attention to Canada over its move to strengthen ties with China. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Canada has reached a preliminary agreement to lower trade barriers with Beijing. But Trump said that if that were to happen, the U.S. would increase tariffs on Canadian imports by 100%. Trump said, quote, if Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a drop off port for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken.

[John Bickley]

Well, Trump certainly knows how to escalate things when it meets his purposes. Tim, thanks so much for joining us.

[Tim Pierce]

Thanks for having me.

[Megan Basham]

Another story, we're tracking the massive snowstorm that swept half the country, left more than 800,000 homes without electricity and has forced the cancellation of over 10,000 flights. The mixture of snow, sleet and freezing rain with the promise of extremely low temperatures in the coming days has prompted declarations of federal emergency disasters. President Trump approved the status for several states this weekend, including Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. Stay warm and stay safe.

[John Bickley]

Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back this evening with more news you need to know.

[Megan Basham]

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