Piers Morgan Uncensored
Episode: "STILL Claiming To Be The Boot?" Tim Pool vs Dave Smith On ICE
Date: February 3, 2026
Episode Overview
Piers Morgan brings together commentator Tim Pool and comedian-libertarian Dave Smith for a highly charged debate over the evolving meaning of “Bootgate”—Tim Pool’s notorious embrace of being called a “bootlicker” for supporting ICE’s aggressive enforcement actions. The discussion spirals through the current political divides in the MAGA movement, the moral and practical failings of recent ICE operations, controversial deaths during immigration enforcement (notably Alex Preddy), the broader American immigration debate, and ends with a side discussion on journalism and political hypocrisy. The tone shifts rapidly from biting sarcasm and mockery to nuanced, even heartfelt disagreement.
Key Topics & Discussion Points
1. Bootgate Origins and Definitions
- [00:00-03:02]
- Tim Pool's Position: Responds to accusations of being a “bootlicker,” asserting, “It’s my boots… I voted for them. I’m wearing the boot, I’m stomping on the ground, I ain't licking anybody.”
- Quote [00:06]: “It’s my boots. It’s mine. I voted for them... I'm not licking anybody.” – Tim Pool
- Dave Smith’s Ridicule: Calls out Pool’s logic as “the gayest, cringiest shit I’ve ever seen,” comparing him to “an 8-year-old boy playing with action figures,” and mockingly promises to “respect his pronouns” if Pool wants to self-identify as a boot.
- Quote [00:24]: “You are an 8 year old boy playing with action figures right now. If Tim wants to identify as a boot, I will respect his pronouns.” – Dave Smith
- Tim Pool's Position: Responds to accusations of being a “bootlicker,” asserting, “It’s my boots… I voted for them. I’m wearing the boot, I’m stomping on the ground, I ain't licking anybody.”
2. Debating Recent ICE Crackdowns & Alex Preddy’s Death
- [03:13-08:54]
- Tim’s Defense: Frames the ICE operation (and Preddy’s death) as an unfortunate but almost inevitable byproduct of enforcing the political will expressed by voters, clarifying he is not celebrating the violence but defending democratic outcomes—even when messy.
- Quote [04:46]: “…these are agents enacting the political will of me and many others who voted for it.” – Tim Pool
- Dave’s Rebuttal: Denounces federal overreach, argues Preddy was not resisting, and points out the administration’s shifting justifications for violent tactics. Emphasizes the operational disconnect—ICE and Border Patrol are acting more as theater than enforcers, with Trump’s team walking back from hardline deportation stances under economic pressure.
- Quote [05:47]: “ICE and Border Patrol are not doing what Tim voted for them to do…this is all theater.” – Dave Smith
- Tim’s Defense: Frames the ICE operation (and Preddy’s death) as an unfortunate but almost inevitable byproduct of enforcing the political will expressed by voters, clarifying he is not celebrating the violence but defending democratic outcomes—even when messy.
3. Diverging Strategies and Popular Opinion on Immigration Enforcement
- [08:54-16:25]
- Piers Highlights: Both major parties’ policies have far fewer meaningful differences than usually portrayed; both Obama and Trump targeted illegal immigrants, but attention and tactics varied.
- Quote [08:54]: “There’s not a lot of difference between Donald Trump’s view of the immigration issue and Barack Obama’s.”
- Tim’s Criticism: Disapproves of mask-wearing agents as un-American (“We should not live in a country where law enforcement are masking up…”), but understands the growing tension and security risks. Advocates for Trump to either “stand down or suit up,” arguing ambiguous enforcement only breeds political disaster.
- Quote [10:47]: “90% agree... Trump needs to stand down or suit up. These half measures are ridiculous.”
- Both hosts and guests highlight the counterproductive outcomes—unnecessary violence, poor optics, aiding the opposition's talking points.
- Piers Highlights: Both major parties’ policies have far fewer meaningful differences than usually portrayed; both Obama and Trump targeted illegal immigrants, but attention and tactics varied.
4. Celebrity Activism & The Problem of Rhetoric
- [16:41-19:00]
- Celebrity Perspective: Piers calls out Grammy-winner Billie Eilish’s “No one is illegal on stolen land” remarks as naive and dangerous, saying they inadvertently advocate for open borders—contextualizing how social media amplifies activist rhetoric, distorting young people's understanding.
- Quote [18:04]: “So what she’s now given is anyone who wants to go in and inveigle their way into her home a license to do it...once you take the premise that all of this land was illegally acquired, then there’s no such thing as an illegal immigrant.”
- Celebrity Perspective: Piers calls out Grammy-winner Billie Eilish’s “No one is illegal on stolen land” remarks as naive and dangerous, saying they inadvertently advocate for open borders—contextualizing how social media amplifies activist rhetoric, distorting young people's understanding.
5. Pragmatism, Violence, and Unintended Consequences
- [19:00-21:43]
- Dave’s Realism: Acknowledges most Americans support mass deportation “in the abstract,” but questions the necessity and morality of the violence required for such policies and the practical impossibility of removing 30-50 million people.
- Quote [19:00]: “The thing is that we also still have the United States Constitution as the supreme law of the land...what level of violence are you going to need?”
- On ICE Operations: Both agree—current operations achieve little except generating negative coverage.
- Dave’s Realism: Acknowledges most Americans support mass deportation “in the abstract,” but questions the necessity and morality of the violence required for such policies and the practical impossibility of removing 30-50 million people.
6. Don Lemon, Journalism, and the FACE Act
- [21:43-28:54]
- Piers' Provocation: Draws a parallel—how would liberals react if Alex Jones did what Don Lemon did, but in a mosque? Praises First Amendment protections, but warns against criminalizing journalism.
- Quote [24:55]: “I just really struggle...I don’t like seeing journalists criminalized.”
- Tim’s Nuanced Take: Lemon crossed the journalist-activist line by offering operational advice within the protest, but says any penalty should be minimal (“court supervision”).
- Quote [22:01]: “There’s a line somewhere where you are not just a journalist anymore.”
- Dave’s Dismissal: Mocks Don Lemon’s intelligence, suggests prosecuting him only gives him martyr status and amplifies his platform—a recurring strategic blunder for the right.
- Quote [26:18]: “Don Lemon is the dumbest human being who’s ever had a microphone put in front of him…But then the FCC chairman comes in and kind of threatens him. And now you give him something to be applauded.”
- Piers' Provocation: Draws a parallel—how would liberals react if Alex Jones did what Don Lemon did, but in a mosque? Praises First Amendment protections, but warns against criminalizing journalism.
7. Israel-Palestine: Casualty Numbers and Official Hypocrisy
- [28:54-31:58]
- Piers and Dave on Gaza: Both criticize Israeli (IDF) and US political figures’ shifting positions on Palestinian casualty numbers, pointing out that official sources now accept figures they previously said were “propaganda,” underscoring political hypocrisy and the tragic futility of such debates.
- Quote [29:38]: “It’s just unbelievable...they have this huge talking point that’s a complete lie, and then just quietly abandon that and move on.”
- Quote [30:33]: “My sense is the number’s gonna be in the hundreds of thousands once journalists get in there.” – Piers Morgan
- Piers and Dave on Gaza: Both criticize Israeli (IDF) and US political figures’ shifting positions on Palestinian casualty numbers, pointing out that official sources now accept figures they previously said were “propaganda,” underscoring political hypocrisy and the tragic futility of such debates.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Dave Smith skewering Tim’s “boot” language:
“You are an 8 year old boy playing with action figures right now…You're like in some type of fetish right now.” [02:24] - Tim Pool on government operations:
“It's me saying, gentlemen, please, would you go out and engage in these operations…it's not that I'm defending and licking their boot” [04:24] - Dave Smith on ICE deployment:
“What are we talking about? If we...got every single illegal alien out of Minnesota, you wouldn't even make a dent in one year of Joe Biden's open border.” [19:00] - Piers Morgan on Billie Eilish:
“What she’s now given is anyone who wants to go in and inveigle their way into her home a license to do it. Because our own home is on illegal land.” [18:04] - Dave Smith on Don Lemon:
“Don Lemon is the dumbest human being who’s ever had a microphone put in front of him…It's not as if he was interviewing the pastor and then also going up and interviewing the protesters and asking them tough questions. He is like a part of this protest.” [26:18] - Tim Pool on operational advice:
“There's a line somewhere where you are not just a journalist anymore. And I think Don Lemon crossed that line.” [22:01] - Piers Morgan on political hypocrisy:
“I kept saying to people, you do realize that the IDF historically has generally accepted these numbers…And I was laughed at and mocked and told I was a Hamas stooge and so on.” [30:33]
Timeline of Important Segments
| Timestamp | Topic | |---------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00-03:02 | Bootgate banter and mocking exchanges | | 03:13-08:54 | ICE operations debate and Preddy's death | | 08:54-16:25 | Historical immigration enforcement, policy failures, & Trump/Obama parallels| | 16:41-19:00 | Influence of celebrity activism, especially Billie Eilish | | 19:00-21:43 | Mass deportation debates, pragmatic vs. ideological enforcement | | 21:43-28:54 | Don Lemon, the FACE Act, activism vs journalism | | 28:54-31:58 | IDF accepting Gaza numbers, media hypocrisy, final jabs |
Takeaways
- Bootgate serves as a cultural flashpoint for how deeply divided the political right is, with Tim Pool defending the moral logic of democratic enforcement and Dave Smith lambasting the aesthetics and pragmatic failings of that defense.
- Both guests, along with Piers, agree that current ICE actions are poorly strategized and provide ammunition to the opposition without achieving meaningful results.
- The panel is united in condemnation of performative, rhetorical activism from both celebrities and political leaders.
- There is consensus that current media and government approaches to contentious issues (immigration, Gaza) are riddled with hypocrisy and quickly shifting narratives, to the detriment of general trust and public understanding.
- The episode ends with a rare moment of agreement on policy failures and the need for greater accountability—as well as a few lingering jabs at media figures and political strategists on all sides.