Morning Wire Podcast Summary

Episode: Trump Warns Minneapolis & Iran On Edge
Date: January 16, 2026
Hosts: John Bickley, Georgia Howe
Guests: Cabot Phillips, Tim Pierce, Caroline Levitt, Senator Bill Cassidy

Overview

This episode of Morning Wire tackles three major news stories: President Trump’s looming invocation of the Insurrection Act to quell violent protests in Minneapolis, shifting U.S. policy and tensions with Iran (plus diplomatic overtures to Venezuela), and a Senate hearing that could overturn Biden-era rules for abortion pill access. The Daily Wire team aims to cut through media confusion and deliver direct, factual updates and expert analysis on these rapidly developing headlines.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unrest and Presidential Warning in Minneapolis

(Starts at 02:19)

• Background: Following an ICE-related shooting in Minneapolis that triggered citywide unrest, President Trump is threatening to deploy the military using the Insurrection Act.
• Incident Details:
  • Three illegal immigrants allegedly attacked an ICE agent, resulting in the agent firing in self-defense and all three being detained.
  • DHS Secretary Christy Noem declared the incident "a case of attempted murder."
  • Protesters responded with escalating violence: hurling fireworks at law enforcement, breaking windows, and stealing firearms from DHS vehicles.
• Presidential Response:
  • Trump’s Truth Social post signals his readiness to invoke the Insurrection Act if Minnesota politicians “don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators...”
  • The law, dating from 1807, empowers the President to deploy military forces domestically under certain unrest scenarios, previously used in 1992 during the Rodney King riots.
  • Secretary Noem publicly backed the President's constitutional authority, yet expressed hope for de-escalation by state leadership.
• Political Pushback:
  • Minnesota AG Keith Ellison (D): Promised to fight Trump in court, calling federal intervention "tyrannical federal overreach."
  • Gov. Tim Walz (D): Urged the President to "turn the temperature down."
  • Republicans highlighted Walz’s earlier remarks: "We're at war with the federal government,” and likened current events to the Civil War era.
• Public Perception:
  • Pollster Brent Buchanan explained that despite media narratives, 60% of Americans still support deporting illegal immigrants:

    "Almost nothing has changed... still 60% of people want those who are here illegally deported." — Brent Buchanan (06:11)

  • Trump remains steadfast on immigration enforcement.

2. Iran, Venezuela, and High-Stakes Foreign Policy

(Starts at 07:49)

• Iran:
  • The White House is intentionally vague about possible U.S. action following Iran's violent crackdown on protesters.
  • Press Secretary Caroline Levitt dismissed media speculation based on anonymous sources:

    "Only President Trump knows what he's going to do..." — Caroline Levitt (08:20)

  • After Trump’s warning, reports suggested immediate military escalation (airspace closures, U.S. personnel evacuations, repositioning of the USS Abraham Lincoln), but ultimately the administration paused, citing halted executions in Iran.
  • Treasury imposed sanctions on implicated Iranian leaders.
  • Lawmakers of both parties express general support for Trump’s approach, with some Democratic and Republican senators open to military strikes if necessary:

    "That's why I remain open to these kinds of strikes." — Sen. John Fetterman (10:52) "...not so much if it will happen, but how big will it be?" — Sen. Lindsey Graham (10:55)

• Venezuela:
  • Trump held positive talks with acting president Dulcie Rodriguez, despite her ties to former governments.

    "The President did speak with her directly this week... They have thus far met all of the demands and requests of the United States..." — Caroline Levitt (11:33)

  • Trump also met with opposition leader Maria Karina Machado but remains unsure if she can take on Maduro’s entrenched regime.

3. Senate Hearing on the Abortion Pill

(Starts at 12:56)

• Focus: Possible reversal of a Biden-era policy that removed the in-person consultation requirement before prescribing abortion pills via telehealth.
• Expert Testimony:
  • Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), also a physician, warned of medical risks:

    "You can have an incomplete abortion and that incomplete abortion can lead to infection or even something called sepsis, which is overwhelming infection." (01:00, quoted in intro, elaborated later) "These are not like taking a Tylenol..." (13:37)

  • Cassidy highlighted the risk of coerced abortions when doctor-patient oversight is absent.
  • Proponents of the policy defend it as safe and beneficial for women’s health, but Cassidy and allies dispute this, arguing for a return to pre-pandemic regulations:

    "...Signing up on a website…venmoing 150 bucks and getting the pills in the mail.” — Sen. Bill Cassidy (14:55)

• Next Steps:
  • Cassidy hopes the FDA will reinstate the in-person requirement, underlining the Trump administration’s pro-life stance.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Cabot Phillips on Minneapolis:

  "But things only got worse yesterday following another ICE related shooting... the shooting only further enraged demonstrators across the city." (02:43)

• President Trump’s Warning:

  "If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don't obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the patriots of ICE... I will institute the Insurrection Act." (04:13 paraphrased by Cabot Phillips)

• Caroline Levitt on Iran:

  "Only President Trump knows what he's going to do and a very, very small team of advisers are read into his thinking on that." (08:20)

• Sen. Bill Cassidy on Abortion Pill Policy:

  "That it can be serious consequences from taking them, particularly when they're not taken as they're supposed to." (13:37)
  "…Some coercive person that was emotionally bullying or physically bullying the woman who was pregnant made her abort as opposed to her visiting a doctor…" (13:37)

• Public Opinion:

  "Almost nothing has changed... still 60% of people want those who are here illegally deported." — Brent Buchanan (06:11)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 02:19: Minneapolis unrest and ICE shooting details
• 04:13: Trump’s Insurrection Act warning explained
• 05:25: Political/polling perspectives on Minneapolis unrest
• 07:49: Iran tensions and Trump's strategy
• 10:52: Bipartisan voices on Iran
• 11:15: Venezuela diplomatic moves
• 12:56: Abortion pill Senate hearing (Sen. Cassidy)
• 13:37: Medical arguments on in-person requirement
• 14:55: Critique of telehealth prescription process
• 16:24: Potential policy reversal on abortion pill

Conclusion

This episode provides a whirlwind update on three high-stakes issues: violent protests in Minneapolis and the prospect of military intervention, U.S. maneuvering on the global stage with Iran and Venezuela, and heated domestic policy debate over abortion pill access. The hosts and expert guests underline a theme of escalating crises—each with deep partisan and legal implications—and highlight continued divides in public perception versus media narrative. For listeners seeking up-to-the-minute facts with added analysis, this episode delivers a concentrated but comprehensive briefing.