Nightly Scroll with Hayley Caronia

Episode 224: "Top Dems Keep Making Violent Threats"
Date: January 30, 2026
Host: Hayley Caronia
Guest: Scott Bryson (former Secret Service agent, "Beyond the Service" podcast)

Overview

This episode of Nightly Scroll sees Hayley Caronia take aim at leading Democrats, highlighting what she describes as "violent rhetoric" coming from prominent figures like Hakeem Jeffries and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, as well as the public response to recent confrontations and protests involving law enforcement. With a slant both critical and satirical, Hayley juxtaposes Democratic calls to lower the national “temperature” against what she sees as their own instigating language and hypocrisy. The episode also features practical safety commentary with Scott Bryson on both national events and viral security videos.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The "Violent Rhetoric" of Top Democrats

[00:56–08:42]

• Hayley claims a pattern of violent language from leading Democrats, beginning with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' comments about DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
  • Quote (Hayley paraphrasing Jeffries, [01:49]):
    Jeffries: “She’s got to go. We are dead serious. She needs to be put on ice permanently.”
  • Hayley interprets “put on ice permanently” as an implicit call to violence, contending Democrats downplay their own rhetoric by insisting such comments are "figurative."
  • She draws a parallel to prior incidents such as the “8647” phenomenon, where public figures posted coded numbers believed by conservatives to mean “remove Trump,” and dismissed criticism as overreaction.
• Hayley brings up Governor Tim Walz’s past and recent rhetoric:
  • Quote (Gov. Walz, [04:51]):
    “I would beat the shit out of him now if I could.”
  • Hayley notes that interviewers like Tim Miller do not push back on this language and compares this to Joe Biden's "fight behind the bleachers" town hall moments.
• She calls out the double standard where Democrats blame Republicans for inciting violence, while tolerating or encouraging aggressive language within their own party.

2. Political Fallout and Public Reactions in Minnesota

[07:51–13:41]

• Gov. Walz confirms he is finished running for office, calling himself a “lightning rod” and promising to “do the work” outside public office. Hayley is sharply critical, connecting his exit to a fraud scandal and mocking his rhetoric.
  • Quote (Walz, [07:51]):
    “I have no political consideration. Will never run for an elected office again. Never again. Never again. And I will just do the work.”
  • Hayley lampoons "do the work" as Democratic jargon lacking substance.
• Hayley suspects Walz and other Dems glamorize protesters and may be seeking roles as activists, given the growing street movements in Minnesota.

3. Presidential and High-Profile Statements on Minnesota Protests

[13:41–16:21]

• Hayley examines official reactions from Joe Biden and Barack Obama to recent protest deaths, arguing both statements encourage further protest and mischaracterize law enforcement.
  • Quote (Biden’s statement, read by Hayley, [13:41]):
    “We are not a nation that guns down our citizens in the street. We are not a nation that allows our citizens to be brutalized for exercising their constitutional rights.”
• Hayley criticizes liberal policies on immigration and contrasts them with their protests against federal law enforcement. She derides “bleeding heart liberal Karens” volunteering to do shopping and laundry for undocumented immigrants, poking fun at leftist terminology.

4. The Alex Preddy and Renee Goode Cases: Media Coverage and Canonization

[17:43–22:51]

• Hayley reviews the Democratic and media portrayals of Alex Preddy, a protester killed in a law enforcement encounter, and Renee Goode, another recent fatality.
  • Ana Navarro and Elizabeth Warren’s tributes to Preddy are quoted and mocked.
    • Quote (Ana Navarro, [19:40]):
      “Alex Preddy is the guy you would want to date your daughter... the guy you’d want your son to grow up to be... a decent human being who was serving humanity... there is nothing that has been said about that man that isn’t wonderful.”
    • Quote (Elizabeth Warren, [22:26]):
      “Alex carried patience, compassion, and calm as a steady light within him. Even at the very end that light was there.”
  • Hayley counters these narratives by citing Preddy’s alleged criminal behavior and speculating on his motivations, physicality, and the media’s need to create instant “martyrs.”
• She similarly challenges community portrayals of Renee Goode, pointing out her brief tenure in Minneapolis and dismissing attempts to make her a local icon.

5. The Use of AI and Media Manipulation

[23:00–25:29]

• Hayley calls out Senator Dick Durbin for presenting a widely-identified AI-generated image as genuine evidence of the Preddy shooting on the Senate floor.
  • Quote (Hayley, [24:13]):
    “He’s got a deep fake on the Senate floor… the hypocrisy is just hilarious.”
• She notes the irony given Durbin’s prior advocacy for AI regulation and warns of media carelessness or manipulation.

6. Ilhan Omar Incident: Alleged Attack and Aftermath

[26:42–38:02]

• Hayley and guest Scott Bryson dissect video of Rep. Ilhan Omar being sprayed with an “apple cider vinegar” mixture at a town hall.
  • Hayley notes that questions about whether the attack was staged are met with defiance, not denial, by Omar.
  • Quote (Omar's social media reply, [30:41]):
    “I didn’t do any of those things because I fear losing my dignity more than I fear losing my life. Something you coward losers will never understand. So fuck off, okay?”
• Bryson breaks down the "unusual" security and personal responses during the event, arguing both the non-evacuation and Omar’s confrontation are inconsistent with normal procedures for political figures facing a security threat.
  • Quote (Bryson, [34:21]):
    “That is not… a normal reaction… you’re going to shy away [from attack]… To me, it stinks to high heaven.”

7. The Alex Preddy Shooting: Tactical Analysis and Law Enforcement Perspective

[38:03–53:47]

• Hayley and Bryson analyze multiple video angles of the shooting, admitting much remains unclear, but highlighting the complexity of fast-moving law enforcement encounters.
  • Bryson emphasizes the difference between the “spirit” and “letter” of the law, and the inevitability of mistakes in stressful situations.
  • Quote (Bryson, [41:38]):
    “I never met a [cop]… who woke up and said, ‘I’m going to go to work today and try to kill somebody.’ That’s just not a thing.”
• The conversation covers the issue of lawful gun ownership, boundaries of justified police force (referencing Tennessee v. Garner), and the “gray” areas likely to be debated in court in the Preddy case.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Democrats and violent language:
  Hayley, [03:10]:
  “They do this language thing where it’s like, well, I didn’t mean it like that. I’m not wishing death on Trump. I just… I just want someone to hurt him really bad… Excuses, excuses.”

• On protest martyr creation:
  Hayley, [22:54]:
  “Another thing, too, when Renee, modern day martyr, when Renee Good died, of course, they found out that she had, like, written a poem one time. So now it’s like mom and poet dead, you know… They made her out to be this figure fixture in the community. Like, everyone loved her. All of her neighbors came out to, like, say nice things about her. It’s like, you people did not know her at all.”

• On media and AI blunders:
  Hayley, [24:22]:
  “The headless ICE agent. This is, like, very mysterious. I don’t know if Dick Durbin just didn’t look at the photo before going with it. His staff didn’t check. I mean, this has been all over X for days now, and everyone is saying it’s AI.”

• On the Omar town hall incident:
  Omar, [30:41]:
  “I didn’t do any of those things because I fear losing my dignity more than I fear losing my life. Something you coward losers will never understand. So fuck off, okay?”

• Bryson, [34:21]:
  “That is not… a normal reaction... you’re going to shy away [from attack]... To me, it stinks to high heaven.”

• On law enforcement under pressure:
  Bryson, [41:38]:
  “I never met a person who woke up and said, 'I'm going to go to work today and try to kill somebody.' That's just not a thing.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic / Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------| | Show open, overview of “violent rhetoric” theme | 00:00–01:49 | | Hakeem Jeffries quote and “put on ice” analysis | 01:49–02:06 | | Tim Walz’s “beat the shit out of [Vance]” comment | 04:51–05:18 | | Joe Biden “behind the bleachers” and Dems’ emotionality | 05:22–07:51 | | Governor Walz: done with office, “do the work” | 07:51–08:42 | | Biden, Obama statements on Minnesota protests | 13:41–16:21 | | Media/Dems lionizing Alex Preddy, Ana Navarro & Warren quotes | 17:43–22:51 | | AI image on Senate floor, media manipulation | 23:00–25:29 | | Ilhan Omar attacked at town hall, her statements and response | 26:42–30:49 | | Tactical discussion: Omar incident and protest security | 31:49–38:02 | | Deep dive: Alex Preddy shooting analysis with Scott Bryson | 38:03–53:47 | | Doorbell camera safety/video breakdowns | 53:57–61:43 |

Additional Highlights & Tone

• The episode is laced with Hayley’s characteristic sarcasm, vivid imagery (“aging like milk,” “Elmer Fudd outfit,” “headless ICE agent”) and jabs at media and political adversaries.
• Hayley and Scott Bryson’s discussion is blunt, often humorous, yet also informed by experience in law enforcement and personal safety.
• The “doorbell cam” segment digresses from politics to showcase Hayley and Scott’s practical advice on personal security, peppered with jokes about cluelessness in horror movies and the loyalty (or lack thereof) of pets.

Conclusion

This episode spotlights what Hayley Caronia sees as rampant double standards in American political rhetoric—particularly among Democrat leaders—amidst a chaotic climate of protests and viral controversies. With a throughline of skepticism and sarcasm, she challenges mainstream narratives and argues for holding Democrats to their own standards. The episode blends this combative analysis with grounded commentary on security, both public and domestic, ensuring listeners are both provoked and entertained.