Tangle Podcast Summary

Episode: Suspension of the Rules
Date: January 16, 2026
Host: Isaac Saul with Ari Weitzman and Camille Fosser

Overview

This episode revisits three major political flashpoints from the past week:

1. The ICE shooting in Minneapolis and its aftermath
2. The federal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell
3. The fracturing within the conservative movement

The hosts—Isaac, Ari, and Camille—debate the facts, evolving perspectives, and emotional fallout of these stories, aiming to strike a balance between critical analysis and empathetic understanding.

1. Minneapolis ICE Shooting: Evolving Views and Broader Tensions

Segment Start: [04:33]

Background

• Last week, the hosts discussed the developing story of Renee Goode’s shooting by ICE agents in Minneapolis with limited information.
• A week later, new videos and departmental reactions have changed or clarified some of their initial takes.

Key Discussion Points

• Use of Force and Officer Conduct
  • Ari notes the incident appears more "escalatory" than initially thought, especially by a second ICE agent who inflamed the situation ([06:47]).

    "It looked like it was a little panicky... Certainly does not at all look like Goode was intentionally attempting to run him over. Certainly does not look like a terrorist attack the way that the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said initially." – Ari [08:33]

  • Both Ari and Camille stress ICE's lowered training standards and the resultingly aggressive, sometimes unlawful, behavior ([10:03]).

    "These are people who are out on the streets who don't understand the law, who don't understand procedure and practice... In that context... it was the officers who seemed to be escalating the situation." – Camille [11:01]

• Political Fallout and Federal-State Tension
  • Isaac flags federal authorities stonewalling state investigators and the resignation of Minnesota prosecutors in protest as deeply concerning ([15:26]).

    “...they seem to be blocking these state officials out completely. And now we’ve seen Minnesota prosecutors who are resigning in protest about how the investigations are taking place, which is fairly alarming.” – Isaac [15:26]

  • Camille finds it disturbing that the spouse of the deceased became the subject of an investigation, underscoring the human cost of such procedural failures ([16:21]).
• Responsibility and Public Messaging
  • Ari and Isaac debate whether local officials have an obligation to “lower the temperature” and collaborate with the administration, or whether drawing a firm line is morally and politically necessary ([18:38]-[27:19]).

    “It's easy to say, if you're the mayor... come to the Trump administration with an idea of reconciliation... it's a different ball game when someone gets killed who’s a citizen of the town you're supposed to protect.” – Isaac [22:36] “Much worse could happen. Let's make a deal... Maybe that is an opportunity here that some people on the left should take advantage of.” – Camille [27:25]

• Escalation and Public Opinion
  • All agree that overly aggressive ICE tactics risk long-term backfire, eroding public trust in federal law enforcement and potentially turning a “winning issue” for Trump into a losing one ([29:34]-[32:36]).

    “If you grant this kind of power to the government…then it's going to be your issue next.” – Isaac [31:07]

• Skepticism Toward Official Narratives
  • The hosts cast doubt on the official story of the ICE agent suffering “internal bleeding,” suggesting media complicity and government spin ([36:31]-[41:45]).

    “This just seems a little off to me... why are these people on background?” – Isaac [36:31]

2. Jerome Powell Investigation and Trump’s Second Term

Segment Start: [41:44]

Key Discussion Points

• Isaac’s Admission: Crossing the Rubicon
  • Isaac confesses to a shift, openly calling the DOJ’s pursuit of Powell a political prosecution to serve Trump’s interests ([41:44]-[50:34]).

    “This is a political prosecution. The DOJ is clearly doing this to appease Trump, to apply pressure on Powell… They’re not being subtle about this anymore.” – Isaac [41:44]

• Trump’s Attitude Toward Corruption
  • The hosts analyze a NYT interview where Trump defends profiting from the presidency, justifying it by a lack of credit for restraint in his first term ([50:47]-[65:19]).

    “I tried to separate the family business in the first term and nobody gave me credit... so I just don't care anymore.” – Summarized by Isaac [41:44] “He wasn’t saying, ‘We're going to engage in open corruption because no one cares’... but the conduct is consistent with that.” – Camille [62:40]

• Structural Problems Beyond Trump
  • Ari and Camille argue that the “imperial presidency” and lack of congressional oversight create an environment ripe for abuse, regardless of who’s in office ([56:43]-[59:59]).

    “Maybe this is... an issue with the structures that allow the presidency to have this much authority.” – Ari [56:43]

• The Media’s Trump Fixation
  • The inability to recall a single major Democratic story in the past week underscores how Trump dominates the political and news landscape ([66:29]-[68:53]).

3. Foreign Policy Updates: Iran, Greenland, and “Don Roe Doctrine”

Segment Start: [69:57]

Key Discussion Points

• A Moving Target
  • The hosts are cautious to speculate with military action possibly imminent (airspace over Iran reportedly being shut down; US jets on the border) ([69:57]-[70:12]).
• Trump’s Foreign Policy Approach
  • Camille notes that Trump’s willingness to project “credible threat of force” has at times produced results without escalation ([73:46]-[76:02]).

    “If Trump is able to get a win without firing a shot here... that is a story.” – Camille [73:46]

• Military Confidence
  • Isaac remarks on newfound belief in US military prowess following recent interventions ([76:02]-[78:18]).

    “...My overarching sentiment is definitely confidence, like, oh, we are actually really, really capable still. And all that money that we dump into the military is actually useful...” – Isaac [76:23]

4. Conservative Infighting: The Right’s Fracturing

Segment Start: [80:47]

Key Discussion Points

• MAGA’s Internal Divide
  • The “establishment” GOP is eclipsed; now there’s a rift within MAGA between “Fox News types” (Ben Shapiro) and “dissident right” (Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens, Megyn Kelly), often centered on issues like Israel ([80:47]-[88:17]).

    “They weren’t spending nearly as much time savaging the left... They were savaging each other in many instances.” – Camille [83:24]

• Rise of Extreme Fringe
  • Increased online decentralization boosts fringe voices (e.g., Nick Fuentes, Candace Owens), creating PR headaches and legitimacy crises for legacy Conservative institutions ([88:17]-[91:24]).

    “It’s all fairly unsettling... Republicans do have a really substantial problem right now, kind of keeping it together.” – Camille [88:17]

• Emotional Impact of Tragedy
  • The assassination of Charlie Kirk is highlighted as a traumatic event that worsened infighting and frayed relationships between media personalities ([91:24]-[93:58]).

    “I feel like there's just a group of people who watched their friend get murdered on a live stream.” – Isaac [91:24]

• Candace Owens and Bad Faith
  • Ari and Camille puzzle over Owens’ popularity and conspiratorial trajectory, suggesting personal crisis as much as opportunism ([93:58]-[100:21]).

    “She seems actually deranged... she seems like she is in some sort of distress.” – Camille [96:11] “I do not understand Candace Owens... It's really tough for me to get through listening to her... I need help.” – Ari [93:58]

• Compassion Amid Division
  • Camille emphasizes empathy for media figures navigating trauma and venom, advocating in-person, off-mic conversations ("touch grass") to re-humanize media dialogue ([102:15]-[103:40]).

5. Grievance Section: Lighter Fare

Segment Start: [104:03]

A rapid-fire, friendly airing of grievances and personal anecdotes includes:

• Isaac’s escalator injury while running through Dallas airport ([104:03])
• Ari’s “dog prison” cabin fever ([110:35])
• Camille’s mild existential crisis about wearing the same outfit at 45 ([113:06])

Notably, the team reads a Redditor’s grievance about people stopping at the top of escalators, highlighting a subtle community vibe.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On federal-state tension:

  “They seem to be blocking these state officials out completely. And now we've seen Minnesota prosecutors who are resigning in protest...” – Isaac [15:26]

• On ICE tactics & American values:

  “What they don't support is seeing American citizens getting dragged out of their car by their hair because they refuse to hand over their papers, quote unquote. They don't support door to door citizen checks... That's not the kind of thing we support as Americans, generally speaking.” – Isaac [29:34]

• On the presidency and power:

  “Maybe this is not an issue really with Trump that we're talking about, but it's an issue with the structures that allow the presidency to have this much authority.” – Ari [56:43]

• On Candace Owens:

  “She seems actually deranged. And I don't mean that as an insult... she seems like she is in some sort of distress.” – Camille [96:11]

• On the personal aftershocks of political violence:

  “I feel like there's just a group of people who watched their friend get murdered on a livestream... I just don't think there's enough talked about where... all these people had this really... close friendship... and are just, you know, grasping at various meanings for it.” – Isaac [91:24]

• On the Trump news vortex:

  "Can you think of a single Democrat who has done something newsworthy in the last week since we had our show? ... I guess the point is, Trump is dominating the attention economy..." – Isaac [66:24]

Final Thoughts

Tone:
Conversationally sharp, introspective, frank but never mean-spirited. The hosts express personal reflection and measured empathy, toggling between structural critique and immediate emotional realities.

Utility:
This episode is a rich “time capsule”—offering political insight, concrete analysis of video and process, and a running commentary on the ramifications of contemporary media, all with the distinct Tangle blend of cross-partisan reflection.

Timestamps (Approximate Key Segments)

• [04:33] Minneapolis ICE shooting revisited
• [15:26] State-federal tension and prosecution resignations
• [22:36] Local officials' response debate
• [29:34] ICE tactics, US values, political ramifications
• [36:31] Skepticism of ICE internal bleeding report
• [41:44] Jerome Powell investigation and Trump’s second term “Rubicon”
• [66:24] Trump news dominance
• [69:57] Iran/Greenland/Foreign policy
• [80:47] Conservative infighting: the new right divides
• [104:03] Grievances

For full context and the unique flavor of discussion, listen to the complete episode at Tangle’s website or on your preferred podcast platform.