Psaki: Trump continues to trample American values with raid on reporter's home

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Briefing with Jen Psaki

Episode: Trump continues to trample American values with raid on reporter's home
Host: Jen Psaki (MS NOW)
Date: January 15, 2026

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Overview

This episode of "The Briefing with Jen Psaki" searingly examines the Trump administration’s intensifying federal crackdown in Minneapolis, the unprecedented FBI raid on a Washington Post reporter, and a pattern of government intimidation targeting journalists, lawmakers, and communities. Through interviews with newsmakers—including Senator Alyssa Slotkin, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and Senator Adam Schiff—and on-the-ground reporting from Minneapolis, the episode documents the chilling erosion of American democratic norms and civil liberties.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Federal Crackdown in Minnesota

• Governor Tim Walz’s Address ([01:28]):

  • Describes “organized brutality” deployed by federal agents.
  • Details indiscriminate stops, document checks—even on US citizens—at public locations including schools and grocery stores.
  • Accusations of brutality: breaking windows, dragging pregnant women, shoving civilians into unmarked vans—"kidnapping innocent people with no warning and no due process."
  • Argues that this has surpassed immigration enforcement and become violent political retaliation.
  • Quote:

    “It’s a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government.” – Gov. Walz ([01:58])

• Host Reflection ([02:36]):

  • Psaki likens daily news cycles to those from authoritarian regimes: “Every day, we wake up to some piece of news that reminds us of countries we don’t want to be like.”

2. FBI Raid on Washington Post Reporter Hannah Nadenson

• Context & Concerns ([02:36]):

  • FBI seized Nadenson’s devices, reportedly as part of a probe into a government contractor's alleged mishandling of classified info—not because Nadenson is herself a suspect.
  • Psaki highlights the dangerous precedent: potential exposure of more than 1,100 confidential federal sources Nadenson cultivated, intimidation of whistleblowers, and a threat to the critical accountability function of the press.
  • Quote:

    “This kind of intrusion is exactly what freedom of the press advocates fear from authoritarian governments… If the federal government were to access a reporter’s notes, they could identify confidential sources… and effectively break the system by which a free press holds the government accountable.” – Jen Psaki ([03:12])

• Ironies & Hypocrisy:

  • Trump’s Department of Justice requested the raid at the behest of the Department of War, led by Pete Hegseth—himself previously guilty of mishandling sensitive information ([07:06]).
  • While the administration claims the investigation is about leaks regarding an “unidentified country,” the President revealed it was Venezuela on air—highlighting selective outrage over leaks ([08:26]).

3. Targeting of Democratic Lawmakers and the Weaponization of Federal Power

• Senator Alyssa Slotkin’s Experience ([10:13]):

  • Describes being threatened with hanging by Trump on social media following a video reminding service members not to follow illegal orders.

  • DOJ, led by political appointees (e.g., Jeanine Pirro, U.S. Attorney for D.C.), is investigating Slotkin and other lawmakers for “sedition.”

  • The campaign of intimidation extends to threats, swatting of family, and bomb threats.

  • Quote:

    “Anyone who disagrees with him becomes an enemy, and he then weaponizes the federal government against them. It’s legal intimidation and physical intimidation… meant to get you to shut up. No, I’m not going to do that.” – Sen. Alyssa Slotkin ([10:13])

  • Slotkin underscores the coordination among targeted lawmakers and warns against believing compliance will protect institutions, referencing her intelligence background ([15:30]).

  • Quote:

    “If you can do it against a Senator, God knows what he can do against a private citizen, a journalist.” ([12:57])

• Slatkin on Press Freedom and Leaks ([17:52]):

  • Clear on the legal norm: “You never prosecuted the journalists.”
  • Draws a sharp contrast between necessary accountability for leakers vs. retaliation against the media:

    “As a former CIA officer, they deserve [accountability]. … But that journalist… that’s just not how we’ve handled freedom of press issues.” ([18:44])

4. Escalating ICE Activity and Law Enforcement Violence in Minneapolis

• Recent Fatality and Continuing Occupation ([21:47], [22:40]):

  • ICE officer killed Renee Nicole Goode, a US citizen; ongoing reports of brutality and overreach.
  • Republican Speaker Mike Johnson justifies ICE’s actions, stating, “ICE is doing what ICE is designed to do.”

• Governor Walz’s Rebuttal:

  “We will reclaim our communities from Donald Trump. … We will bring an end to this moment of chaos, confusion and trauma.” ([22:40])

• Interview: Hakeem Jeffries, House Democratic Leader ([23:56]):

  • Outlines Democratic strategy: push public pressure and demand reforms—body cameras, warrants, end to masked raids, abolish ICE special immunity, and stop abuses.

  • Quote:

    “ICE is using taxpayer dollars to brutalize American citizens… this is out of control and the American people aren’t going to stand for it.” ([26:31])

  • Pressed on calls to abolish ICE vs. seek incremental reforms given Democratic minority status.

  • Shifts to legislative priorities: Protecting ACA subsidies against Senate Republican obstruction ([28:13]-[29:58]).

5. On-the-Ground Reporting: Unrest in Minneapolis

• Live Report from Gillian Frankel ([32:04]-[35:44]):

  • Chaotic, violent clashes between ICE/federal agents and protesters.
  • Flashbangs, pepper balls, aggressive crowd control; marked ICE presence.
  • Lack of transparency from local law enforcement; civil unrest fueled by continuing federal occupation.

• Expert commentary by Michael Feinberg, Former FBI Official ([36:42])

  • Characterizes the federal presence as “paramilitary occupation,” not law enforcement.

  • Asserts that chaos, crime, and terror are being caused—not contained—by ICE.

    “If we saw this [scene] happening in a foreign country, a majority of Americans would be up in arms… This is not what American law enforcement is supposed to be.” ([36:42])

  • Suggests political and racial targeting (governor’s Dem ties, Somali-American population).

  • Outlines appropriate crowd control norms vs. offensive, intimidating tactics seen now.

6. War Powers, Congressional Abdication & Trump’s Authoritarian Drift

• Sen. Adam Schiff Interview ([44:20]):

  • GOP Senators reverse support for a War Powers resolution on Venezuela after White House pressure and Marco Rubio’s vague assurances.

  • Emphasizes historical and constitutional basis for Congress’s war powers and the dangers of unchecked executive military adventurism, particularly under Trump.

  • Quote:

    “Like a lot of other powers, if you don’t use it, you lose it. … We have allowed that power to atrophy.” ([44:54])

  • Schiff warns of the president’s pattern: using the military to suit his whims, lack of internal restraint, and the collapse of traditional checks and balances—e.g., Trump’s renewed obsession with Greenland ([48:15]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Governor Tim Walz:

  “News reports simply don’t do justice to the level of chaos and disruption and trauma the federal government is raining down upon our communities… This long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement.” ([01:28])

• Jen Psaki:

  “Every day, we wake up to some piece of news that reminds us of countries we don’t want to be like.”
  ([02:36])

• Alyssa Slotkin:

  “Anyone who disagrees with [Trump] becomes an enemy, and he then weaponizes the federal government against them. It’s legal intimidation and physical intimidation…” ([10:13])

• Hakeem Jeffries:

  “ICE just killed in cold blood… a 37-year-old American citizen who’s left behind three children. This is unreal stuff. It’s unconscionable. It’s unacceptable and it’s un-American.”
  ([24:12])

• Michael Feinberg:

  “This is not law enforcement. This is essentially a paramilitary occupation.” ([38:56])

• Adam Schiff:

  “Like a lot of other powers, if you don’t use it, you lose it. … We have allowed that power to atrophy.” ([44:54])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:00] – Introduction of Minnesota ICE crackdown and Gov. Walz’s address
• [01:28 – 02:36] – Gov. Walz describes brutality and trauma
• [02:36 – 08:26] – Psaki on the Nadenson raid, threats to press freedom, government leak hypocrisy
• [10:13 – 19:23] – Sen. Alyssa Slotkin: On intimidation, DOJ investigation, press freedom ethos
• [21:47 – 23:56] – ICE shooting of Renee Nicole Goode, Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic response
• [23:56 – 29:58] – Hakeem Jeffries: ICE abuses, reform strategies, ACA subsidy fight
• [32:04 – 36:22] – Live chaos in Minneapolis: Frankel reporting, pepper balls, and flashbangs
• [36:42 – 43:00] – Feinberg: Paramilitary occupation, norms vs. abuses, targeting political/racial minorities
• [44:20 – 48:57] – Sen. Schiff: War Powers Resolution blocked, Congress’s abdication, Trump’s expansionism

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Conclusion

This episode delivers a compelling, distressing portrait of the Trump administration’s escalating use of federal force—from ICE operations terrorizing Minneapolis communities to direct attacks on press freedom and the weaponization of legal and prosecutorial power against dissenters. Through vivid guest testimony, field reporting, and expert analysis, Jen Psaki highlights an American crisis: the trampling of core values, the danger of unchecked executive power, and the urgent need for resistance and accountability.

Transcript

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[Ms. Now Host]

As the Trump administration continues its ice crackdown in the city of Minneapolis, something we are continuing to watch very closely. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz delivered a remarkable straight to camera address to the people of his state. This just happened in the last few hours and when you watch this clip, I just want you to hold in your mind that this is the governor of an American state talking about what the federal government is doing to the people of his state.

[Minnesota Governor Tim Walz]

Fellow Minnesotans, what's happening in Minnesota right now defies belief. News reports simply don't do justice to the level of chaos and disruption and trauma the federal government is raining down upon our communities. They're pulling over people indiscriminately, including US Citizens, and demanding to see their papers and at grocery stores, at bus stops, even at our schools, they're breaking windows, dragging pregnant women down the street, just plain grabbing Minnesotans and shoving them into unmarked vans. Kidnapping innocent people with no warning and no due process. Let's be very, very clear, this long ago stopped being a matter of immigration enforcement. Instead, it's a campaign of organized brutality against the people of Minnesota by our own federal government. This week he went online to promise that, quote, the day of retribution and reckoning is coming. That's a direct threat against the people of this state who dared to vote against him three times and who continue to stand up for freedom with courage and empathy and profound grace.

[Ms. Now Host]

So that is how the end of this day, or near the end of this day, I should say, you never know what can happen in the next few hours came to a close Minute the governor of Minnesota talking about organized brutality by the federal government of this country, the trauma the federal government is raining down on his constituents. And those kind of warnings feel more urgent and more necessary every day now. Because every single day, we all seem to wake up to something. Every day, we wake up to some piece of news that reminds us of countries we don't want to be like that, we don't want to live in. And today, the news was that Donald Trump's FBI raided the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Nadenson. They searched her home, seized her laptops, her phone and her smartwatch. Now, as of this moment, we don't know exactly what was on those devices or the scope of the warrant that the FBI used to seize them. But we do know that this kind of intrusion is exactly what freedom of the press advocates fear from authoritarian governments around the world. If the federal government were to access a reporter's notes, they could identify confidential sources in the government, they could punish those sources for speaking to the press, they could discourage other sources from coming forward and effectively break the system by which a free press holds the government accountable. And never has it been more essential than the moment we're living in. And given everything else in this administration, what they're doing right now, all of it, it's reasonable to think that is exactly what it looks like. And it's notable that the Trump administration chose to try this out by targeting the newspaper, the Washington Post. I mean, after all, this is the paper owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos, who has basically gone out of his way to placate this president and push the newspaper in a more Trump friendly direction. Now, it's notable that he hasn't come out with a statement condemning this raid and attacking his buddy, Donald Trump. I'm not particularly surprised, but it's still notable, even as the paper's editorial board condemned the raid as an aggressive attack on the press freedom of all journalists, which it is. It's also notable that Trump's DOJ went after this reporter in particular. Hannah Haytenson is one of the most well sourced reporters in the federal government. And she's been doing some of the most dogged reporting on how the Trump administration has upended the federal government from, from the inside, based on conversations with people who work there within the federal government. In the early days of the Trump administration, she broke stories about how the Trump administration was using sensitive Medicare data to hunt down immigrants, how Elon Musk was feeding sensitive government data into AI to decide what to target for cuts, how the Trump administration had canceled government contracts to help veterans. And later, how the Trump administration reversed those cuts after she and her colleagues exposed them. Just three weeks ago, she wrote a firsthand account of how she became the Trump administration's federal government whisperer. How she had obtained more than 1100 sources from inside the government, from people who had come forward to tell her about how Trump was rewriting their workplace policies, firing their colleagues, or transforming their agency missions. She wrote about receiving urgent signal messages from distressed workers across the federal government. People who said things like, every piece of our data may be at the mercy of unscrupulous people. Now, some of those sources even disclose that the enormous pressure they were under had resulted in suicidal thoughts. Telling Nansen things like, I think about jumping off a bridge a couple times a day, I want to die. It's never been like this. These are federal government employees, people who have. Many of whom have dedicated their lives, decades for some of them, to serving this country, serving in the federal government. And she became a person that federal employees could turn to, someone they trusted enough to tell their stories about how the government was under attack from the president who was elected to lead it. And here's the thing. Nansen herself isn't even the target of this investigation. The search of her home and the seizure of her devices is part of an investigation into a government contractor who is accused of illegally mishandling classified information about an unidentified country. So raiding the home of a reporter who isn't even suspected of a crime here is a pretty extraordinary step for the federal government to take. Could it be that they wanted to send a message to government officials and employees to scare them away from speaking to journalists? It's certainly possible. Or worse, could the administration want access to this reporter's devices to identify her sources inside the federal government? That is certainly possible as well. Right now, we don't know what information the federal government could gain access to or whether they could act upon that information. But we do know this raid was implemented by an administration that has put silencing critics at the top of their agenda. Today, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on NAX that the warrant was executed, quote, at the request of the Department of War, basically meaning Pete Hegseth's Defense Department. Yes, that guy. I just want to take a moment to point out the absurdity of that, given that Pete Hegseth himself famously sent sensitive information about an active military operation to a signal chat that included a journalist and some that included his own wife. And where we're on the subject of irony, remember When I said that this investigation was about mishandling classified information concerning a, quote, unidentified country. Well, today, someone inside the federal government revealed the name of that country to the press. And you'll never guess who it was. Or maybe you'll guess who it was. Another piece of information that I think is very important is the leaker has.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Been found and is in jail right now.

[Ms. Now Host]

And that's the leaker on Venezuela. President of the United States the leaker on Venezuela. Again, that was the president revealing information his administration had sought to withhold from the public while criticizing someone he says is a leaker. Sometimes you honestly just can't make this step up. Setting aside the Trump administration's hypocrisy on disclosing sensitive information, it's pretty clear what this is all about, because it's a story we've seen time and time again. Whether it's journalists or law firms or comedians or protesters or members of Congress. Trump wants to silence anyone who dares speak out against him. And we have even more news on that front tonight. You may remember a few weeks ago when the Trump administration became outraged over a video made by Democratic members of Congress with military or intelligence backgrounds reminding service members that they shouldn't follow illegal order, something service members are also reminded of by a plaque in the Department of Defense. Now, Trump first said all of the lawmakers in that video had committed, quote, seditious behavior punishable by death. Then Pete Hegseth retaliated against one of those Democrats, Senator Mark Kelly, attempting to strip him of his rank as a retired Navy captain. Now, the Trump administration appears to be targeting even more of the Democrats who appear in that video. Senator Lyssa Slotkin and Congressman Jason Crow have both revealed that the Justice Department is targeting them over their participation in that video. And those lawmakers do not appear to be cowed by Trump's threats. Today, Senator Alyssa Slotkin, who organized the video message to service members, released this public statement.

[Senator Alyssa Slotkin]

Last week. U.S. attorney from the District of Columbia, former Fox host Jeanine Pirro, reached out asking to interview me because of a 90 second video that I filmed in November. The President called for us to be investigated, arrested and, and ultimately hanged. And now he's using his political appointees at the FBI and the Department of Justice to follow through with his threats. To be clear, this is the president's playbook. Anyone who disagrees with him becomes an enemy, and he then weaponizes the federal government against them. It's legal intimidation and physical intimidation meant to get you to shut up. No, I'm not going to do that. Because this country is worth fighting for. Our freedom of speech is worth fighting for. Our values, our core values are worth fighting for. And right now, speaking out against the abuse of power is the most patriotic thing we can do.

[Ms. Now Host]

And joining me now is Democratic Senator Alyssa Slotkin of Michigan. She sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and before getting to Congress, she served in the CIA and the Department of Defense. You are clearly not going to back down. And putting that video out today and kind of announcing to the world that you had been notified about this investigation makes that clear. And I want to get into why that isn't so important and why it's so important for people to follow your lead who are future targets. I just want to first start. You've talked about the impact on your family and just on your life from being threatened by Trump posted online calling for you to be hanged and the threats that you have received and had to deal with over time. I know you're not backing down, but you're a human being. How are you dealing with all of this on a personal level?

[Senator Alyssa Slotkin]

Oh, I mean, look, I wouldn't wish this on anyone else. This is not how our American system is supposed to work. And I think at this point, the president and the people around him know that when he tweets that you should be hanged, you know, you shouldn't be surprised when thousands of people call threatening you. And I think that changed the life for me and for my family and, you know, 247 security and bomb threats at my home and my parents being swatted in the middle of the night. But I think this is part of the thing he's trying to do. It's a tactic to intimidate you to be quiet. And I'll be honest with you, when your family and your staff are at risk, I'm on the tougher side. But you start to think, look, I signed up for this. Other people around me didn't, so maybe I need to just tone it down. And I think over the past month, it just became very clear to me, along with lots of other people who have come before me, that that's the point. They're trying to intimidate you to be quiet so that others are dissuaded from doing the very same thing that you have done. So they use physical intimidation. They also use sort of the legal process to intimidate you. Getting a lawyer, paying for a lawyer, it's just a side of politics I didn't anticipate I'd ever see. But he is using to weaponize the federal government against people. And if you can do it against a senator, God knows what he can do against a private citizen, a journalist.

[Ms. Now Host]

I just want to restate. I mean, you spent decades working in the Defense Department for the CIA. You are no stranger to difficult circumstances, to war zones, to threats. And this is just a new type of that from the sitting commander in chief for people who are catching up. And I know a lot of people are paying close attention to this. I know you've talked about how you were first contacted after that video by the FBI Counterterrorism Unit, a division you worked closely by. We knew that back in December, I believe. And we just learned overnight that you received a letter from Jeanine Pirro. Is there more you can tell us about what was in that letter? Was there any explanation or any details about what this was about or why they were investigating it?

[Senator Alyssa Slotkin]

Yeah, well, look, I mean, whether it's the FBI and now the U.S. attorney for D.C. that they're doing what Trump asked them to do. Trump said over and over in over a dozen tweets, they need to be investigated, they need to be arrested, they need to be tried for sedition, they need to be hung. And so they're acting that out and we're trying to talk to them. It's through the lawyers right now. But there's not a part of me that believes this is in good faith. It was a 90 second video. It's done in public. If you want to know what I did, I put it on a video. That's why the President got pissed. But they are using this to try to grind you down so that you just keep yourself quiet, sit on your hands and wait for the storm to pass. And I'm just not going to do that.

[Ms. Now Host]

It is. And just to restate the video, which I think everybody watching has seen was reminding servicemen and when people serving our country they do not have, they should not follow illegal orders. And that is something that you're reminded of when you serve in the military and serve this country. And it has not been an issue like it is today. In the same way, this is clearly a pattern. We heard from Congressman Jason Crow today as well. Obviously, Senator Mark Kelly has also been targeted. You all have come out and not been silenced. Are you coordinating how you respond? Are you talking to each other about it? How is that all working behind the scenes?

[Senator Alyssa Slotkin]

Yeah, of course. I mean, look, we did that video together because we know each other. We all had service or military background. It creates kind of a kinship between Us and many of those folks I've come up through the ranks with since we ran for Congress the first time in 2018. And so, yes, we talk to each other, we coordinate. Obviously, Mark is in a different. Senator Kelly is in a different situation since he's coming from the military side. What happened in the last couple of days came on the civilian side for those of us who are not former military. And so, yes, we're in close contact, but, you know, everyone's got to make their own decisions for their own families, their own lives. And I think, you know, that's. To me, when I saw the Jerome Powell stuff happen this week, when we've seen what's happened to other senators, people like Adam Schiff, when we see what happens to other members of the Fed, it just is. It is a tactic. And look, think about what the Trump administration has done effectively with our universities, with our legal community, with our corporations, with politicians. They have falsely let themself believe that if they do what he says and keep quiet, that'll keep them safe. And it's the exact opposite. That is a playbook that I've seen repeated over and over and over again in other countries, countries that I served in abroad. And you cannot beat these guys and sort of think it's all gonna be normal if you just are cowed by what this administration is doing. And I think we need to build some momentum around pushing back in a very aggressive way.

[Ms. Now Host]

It is the background you have the background Senator Kelly has. I mean, you are familiar with the trends of authoritarian regimes and how they suppress their people. And I have no doubt that is impacting how you're approaching this. I wondered. I started the show talking about this a little bit as well. I mean, there was. The house of a Washington Post reporter was raided today, and we don't know what the warrant looks like. We don't know all the information about what they had. This is a reporter, though, which I think is interesting context, who was a resource for federal employees who wanted to share what was happening within the government. You've seen leak investigations. There have been in the past. There is somebody right now who they are holding. What do you make of that? What did you think when you saw that news this morning?

[Senator Alyssa Slotkin]

Well, look, I mean, anyone who's in the national security world knows that things get leaked, and the people that leak that classified information should be held accountable. Right. I think it's interesting that there's someone who they've arrested on the contractor side. Right. Who had a security clearance, who had access to this information. It is not legal to leak classified information. And so we've had generations of Democrats and Republicans that go after federal government employees or contractors who leak. What we don't have is going after the journalist who receives that information. It's been just a common value that with our appreciation for freedom of speech, a journalist doing their job, sniffing around, trying to understand and do sort of oversight articles on departments and agencies. They look for information, they protect their sources. They print that information. I can't tell you someone, I worked on Iraq for most of my career during the Iraq War, there were oodles of people who were leaking. It was wrong. But you never prosecuted the journalists. And I think, particularly given this journalist's access to federal government employees, clearly this is an administration that holds grudges, that gets pissed off and then directs the federal government against that person. And that, to me, is what's different. Going after the leaker. Go after them. As a former CIA officer, they deserve that. They swore an oath. But that journalist, unless she's herself, has committed a crime separately from this. That's just not how we've handled freedom of press issues.

[Ms. Now Host]

And we don't even know what their degree of contact, whether or there was contact. We don't have any details on that. Even Senator Alyssa Slatkin. I just wanted. What you're doing is not easy to do. It is not easy to be in public life and receive threats on your family, on your staff. And being out there is incredibly courageous. So thank you for being here. Thank you for sharing your story. Okay, coming up, the message from House Speaker Mike Johnson today was that ICE is doing what they are designed to do. And we've all been watching videos. We've been trying to show as many of them as possible on that show. On this show, something tells me Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries is going to take issue with that. Kind of. Probably already has. Leader Hakim Jeffries is standing by with his reaction to that and much, much more. We'll be right back.

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[Ms. Now Host]

Just a week after an ICE officer in Minneapolis shot and killed 37 year old wife and mother Renee Nicole Goode, the flood of stories and images of federal agents occupying their city and trampling on people's rights has been constant. And we've been trying to share as much of this with you as we can and we will continue to. And as Democratic lawmakers call for additional oversight and changes to ICE and its funding, here was the message from the Republican speaker of the House today.

[Senator Adam Schiff]

I think there's a lot of Democrats.

[Ms. Now Host]

Playing games right now with national security and with law enforcement, and I think it's dangerous. ICE is doing what ICE is designed to do. ICE is doing what ICE is designed to do. I just, I mean, you should feel chilled by that. That was the message from Speaker Mike Johnson today. And here was the message from Minnesota Governor Tim Walls late tonight.

[Minnesota Governor Tim Walz]

We will not have to live like this forever. Accountability is coming at the voting booth and in court. We will reclaim our communities from Donald Trump. We will re establish a sense of safety for our neighbors and we will bring an end to this moment of chaos, confusion and trauma.

[Ms. Now Host]

What a contrast. Which is why I wanted to show that the question, of course on the minds of many Americans, maybe many of you watching, is what can be done to rein in ice? What accountability is there, not just down the road, but in the near term. And I have just the person, one of the perfect people to ask. Joining me now is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Mike Johnson, that clip I had to watch it A few times because I just can't believe that that is the message when we're seeing what we're seeing with our own eyes happen in Minneapolis, the continuing terror done on communities across that state. What people, I think everybody watching knows this, but Democrats are not in control of the House, they're not in control of the Senate, and they're not in control of the White House. So there's a question of leverage here. I know you've talked about and others in Democratic leadership, the chc, the Progressive Caucus have all talked about accountability and I want to talk about those measures. But what leverage do you see you have right now to try to force Republicans to make this an issue in the funding debate?

[House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries]

Well, one thing that's going to be important is to continue to point out how outrageous it is that Republicans are trying to justify what ICE is doing in American communities, on American streets and to American citizens. Ice just killed in cold blood. Renee Nicole Goode, a 37 year old American citizen who's left behind three children. This is unreal stuff. It's unconscionable. It's unacceptable and it's un American. So continuing to ratchet up the intensity around public pressure and sentiment will be important to push a handful of our Republican colleagues to join us to make sure that ICE actually is conducting itself like every other law enforcement agency in America. That means no masks. That means a requirement that there are body cameras when ICE is engaging in this activity all across the country. That means a warrant requirement. That means making sure that ICE can't just bully and bombard and steamroll and storm houses of worship, hospitals, schools, ripping children away from their parents, things that are appropriately horrifying the American people that no other law enforcement agency is permitted to do. And we also have to make sure in law that this notion that ICE has absolute immunity is nothing that can ever be vindicated in an American court of law. Because part of the challenge here is if you have people in the Trump administration saying that it doesn't matter what you do, you will not be held accountable, then there are going to be some bad apples who are out there toting guns, engaging in this lawless behavior, who will feel like they have a free hand to do whatever they want. Governor Walz is right. However, they are going to be held accountable.

[Ms. Now Host]

I mean, it is infuriating to watch this officer seemingly. It's hard to see what the path to accountability is there. Let me ask you, I'm sure you get lots of calls to your office. I know a lot of people do you just outlined a number of the restrictions you'd like to see on ICE masks. It's crazy that they get to wear mask warrants. They should have to offer those more training. You listed more than that. There is a growing movement, not 50% of people who want to abolish. There is certainly some kind of political backlash of that five years ago. But explain. You're trying to win back the House. You're trying to become the Speaker. Why is that not the answer right now?

[House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries]

Well, listen, I think clearly significant reform needs to take place as it relates to the manner in which ICE is conducting itself. ICE is using taxpayer dollars to brutalize American citizens and to unnecessarily and viciously target law abiding immigrant families and communities. The WHO premise that Donald Trump sold to the American people was that this immigration enforcement activity was going to target violent felons. It's not targeting violent felons. They're targeting American families, brutalizing American communities. And now, as we've seen, killing American citizens. This is out of control and the American people aren't going to stand for it. So certainly we need massive reform to the way in which ICE and the Department of Homeland Security are currently conducting themselves. The American people are gonna demand it and Democrats are gonna press for it.

[Ms. Now Host]

We're certainly seeing that out there with protests and with people marching in the streets. I wanna turn to health care because it was just a week ago. It feels like we're in some sort of version of dog years. I don't even know how you feel right now that you helped lead the effort to pass a three year extension of the ACA subsidies that so many millions of Americans are relying on. We've already seen 4 million people opt out of health care and it's going to be more as they see what the costs are. Right now. There is a. I'm going to call it, you can call it what you want, a phony negotiation over in the Senate. They're not really doing it. Senator Thune could just bring up this three year extension and get a vote. And who knows, maybe he'd get the votes. Why is he not doing that? And what can be done to press him to do that?

[House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries]

Well, we decisively, as you pointed out, passed a three year extension of the Affordable Care act tax credits to ensure that tens of millions of everyday Americans, middle class Americans and working class Americans, don't experience dramatically increased health insurance premiums that would in some instances bankrupt them or certainly prevent them from being able to go see a doctor when they need one. And all 213 House Democrats were joined by 17 Republicans because the American people are with us on this issue. We know over in the Senate that a majority of senators, 47 Democrats and four Republicans support extending the Affordable Care act tax credits for three years in a clean extension. And so the obstacle right now is that John Thune and conservative Republicans, the MAGA extremists, they just want to rip health care away from the American people. There's no other explanation. This is the same group of folks that in the one big ugly bill enacted the largest cut to Medicaid in American history. They also ripped food from the mouths of hungry children, seniors and veterans. And they did all of that so they could reward their billionaire donors. And that seems to be the only thing that they care about other than constantly bending the needs of Donald Trump and his extremism.

[Ms. Now Host]

Just to restate, the overwhelming majority of the public supports an extension of these subsidies. And the right wing of the caucus and the Senate Republicans wants to put in conservative abortion restrictions, which means John Thune, he's dealing with that portion of his caucus. I don't know. He could bring it up still and there still might be the votes, but that is what's going on, which is really crazy given millions of people are relying on this right now. Leader Jeffries, thank you so much for being here. I really appreciate it. So much to discuss. Thank you again.

[House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries]

Good to see you.

[Ms. Now Host]

Okay, coming up, two Republicans backtrack and kill a war powers resolution they voted for last week. And believe me, there's the tape and we're going to roll it. So tonight, it stepped in JD Vance to break a tie and remind the whole world that Republicans in Congress have completely abdicated their responsibility to put a check on this president. Senator Adam Schiff is a co sponsor of that bill. My guess is he's going to have some things to get off his chest. And he joins me in just a moment.

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[Ms. Now Host]

Just one week after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Goode by an ICE agent, we are hearing reports of yet another potential shooting involving federal agents in Minneapolis. In just the last hour, the city of Minneapolis tweeted that they had received reports of a shooting involving federal law enforcement in north Minneapolis. And joining us now from what appears to be a very chaotic scene is msnow reporter Gillian Frankel. Gillian, if you're there with us, can you just tell us what you're seeing there on the ground?

[Reporter Gillian Frankel]

Jen? That's right. We can't tell you exactly what unfolded in the moments before we arrived, but what I can tell you right now is that this is a very chaotic scene. I'm going to have my photographer pan over there and show you. They're setting off flashbangs here as protesters clash with these federal agents. We see folks wearing these ICE vests. They've been shooting off these pepper balls, which is why this air is so smoky here. And actually, the crowd managed to push back these federal agents. They started here. There were vehicles here and police tape. The crowd actually pushed them back a block. You can hear these folks screaming behind me. We're just gonna move a little towards safety as these flashbangs continue here behind me. It's a very, very chaotic scene here. Just for one second, I want to let you see what's unfolding right behind me here in northern Minneapolis tonight. Jen, take a look.

[Ms. Now Host]

So we can see, obviously, the smoke Jillian was referencing.

[Reporter Gillian Frankel]

Sorry. These slash wings are continuing.

[Ms. Now Host]

They're continuing there. Gillian, do you know. I mean, we learned of this because the city of Minneapolis tweeted that they had received reports of a shooting involving law enforcement. Have you learned anything more about that from local law enforcement? Who that involved? Were there civilians involved? Any more details at this point?

[Reporter Gillian Frankel]

Unfortunately, we've reached out to the Minneapolis Police Department. Pio. We haven't heard back yet. All we've seen so far, and I will say that Mayor Fry retweeted that city of Minneapolis tweet. Unfortunately, so far we haven't obtained other information about those reports of that shooting yet. We're waiting to learn more.

[Ms. Now Host]

There are protesters, it seems to be. You tell us, though, you're standing there. Protesters there as well. So people just walking by you on the street, they're clashing with the police there. Tell us again or more about what's happening there that you see.

[Reporter Gillian Frankel]

Yeah, that's exactly right. And just behind me, where you can see this stop sign at this intersection originally, you can see what remains of that police tape. There were two vehicles, a few vehicles here, and these federal agents lined up protesters and sort of what seemed like people who were in the area. We didn't see, of course, where exactly they came from, but approached these federal agents. Things became very tense. The crowd managed to push that line back behind. Those cars cleared out. We can't get much closer than this, unfortunately. And the. The pepper ball air remains here, which is why folks are coughing and this clash continues.

[Ms. Now Host]

It feels, you know, we can't quite make it out in the video because it's so dark. Can you tell what agencies these law enforcement are from? Do they have any titles or names on the back of their gear they're wearing?

[Senator Alyssa Slotkin]

We saw.

[Reporter Gillian Frankel]

That's right, Jen. We saw for sure some ice agents that had the police ice on their vests behind them. As far as the vehicles, I didn't see markings on those. But we do know that these are federal agents here tonight.

[Ms. Now Host]

Gillian, I know you mentioned that the mayor retweeted. Have you seen any other elected officials? Have there been any other retweets or any other information you've seen from anyone else who in any position of authority in Minneapolis?

[Reporter Gillian Frankel]

Unfortunately, this is all unfolding so quickly. So far, we haven't yet seen other officials, at least on our end way in here. What I can tell you is it's freezing here tonight. So it's surprising to see how many folks are out right now watching this unfold, interacting with these federal agents. But as far as elected officials, we're still waiting to hear more from them.

[Ms. Now Host]

We have former FBI official Michael Feinberg here standing by. I'm gonna bring him in. Just to see. Cause he can see some of the scene here as well. I know it's so chaotic there. It's dark. It's very hard to tell what's happening. Gillian shared with us as much as she can. What do you see when you look at that scene there? And what questions do you have?

[Former FBI Official Michael Feinberg]

Quite a few. Because the only thing I see is chaos and horror. This is the sort of scene, these pans across the city landscape with forces launching chemical agents, throwing flashbangs. This is the sort of scene that if we saw happening in a foreign country, a majority of Americans would be up in arms at the humanitarian crisis and demanding we provide some sort of assistance. In fact, the White House itself has been doing that with respect to Iranian protests. This is not what American law enforcement is supposed to be. It is not what they are supposed to be doing. And I, frankly, as somebody who worked in this field and follows the news incredibly closely and spends his life writing and commenting about law enforcement and national security issues, genuinely have no idea why they are even in Minneapolis. The chaos, the crime, the terror, it is being caused by ice. ICE is not responding to it, which leads me to believe that the chaos, the crime and the terror is exactly the point.

[Ms. Now Host]

It seems very clear that is the point. I mean, they've stayed there and continued to terrorize people in the community. And I think when we all saw this tweet from the city of Minneapolis, we all leapt to Renee Nicole Goode in the incident we saw on video from last week from so many angles, and the shooting of a civilian by an ICE officer. It doesn't seem clear. We don't have information to tell us what exactly has happened here. As chaotic as the scenes looks, it looks like there's protesters there. You can see a woman with a camera kind of in the back there pointing at one of the law enforcement officers. Some people just seem to be walking through the scene. It's hard to tell how many are ice, how many are other law enforcement. There's obviously some journalists on the scene there. What do you think? I mean, what questions do you have for kind of the Minneapolis Police Department to hear about what's exactly going on? I know they've been trying to launch an investigation to last week, but this feels like an incredibly chaotic scene right now, just a week later.

[Former FBI Official Michael Feinberg]

Yeah, this is not law enforcement. This is essentially a paramilitary occupation. And unfortunately, local police, state police, the Minnesota organs of government, they're outnumbered and out resourced by Stephen Miller and Donald Trump's private army. And I'm just going to hammer home this point again, why are they there? Like there hasn't been a crime wave in Minnesota. It's not known as a metropolitan hub for violent criminal actors or for organized crime. The only reasons I can figure out that this city is under siege is maybe because the state governor was a Democratic vice presidential candidate that the White House doesn't like, or maybe because the Somali diaspora is the latest minority that Stephen Miller feels the need to cleanse from the United States. I have yet to hear a single legitimate proffered reason as to why this city needs this sort of law enforcement action.

[Ms. Now Host]

Because the President has a vendetta. Michael, hang with me for a moment. I want to go back to Gillian, who's standing there on the scene. Gillian, we were just seeing. We were seeing kind of a pan over of a set of police cars moving. I don't know if that's significant or not, but tell us what you're seeing right there on the scene.

[Reporter Gillian Frankel]

Jen, I wanted you to see here they've reestablished this caution tape line here as these federal agents and these protesters continue this sort of call and response as they both try to claim this space. Moments ago, we saw more flashbangs, more of these pepper balls in the air. And it continues to be very tense, very heated here as these protesters continue to engage with these federal agents. But they have sort of reclaimed this space. This is where they began moments ago when we arrived on the scene. This was the original. You can see this police tape here. That original line was there. This intersection is where they started when we arrived earlier this evening.

[Ms. Now Host]

Michael Von Berg, I want to bring you back in because what we're seeing here is clearly aggressive tactics. I think you called them paramilitary force. It feels like what we're watching here in the dark feels very much that way. What would be normal times if there were protesters? There's police there, there's law enforcement. What normal times would we be seeing in this scene?

[Former FBI Official Michael Feinberg]

An attempt to de escalate. Law enforcement would certainly have many of the same capabilities at the ready, whether it's chemical agents, flashbangs, riot shields, what have you. But they would have those things as a means of defense and as a last resort if civil discourse and calmly yet firmly giving orders to disperse where needed if there was a crime ongoing. But again, we haven't seen any crime here. And they're using weapons that are supposed to be solely defensive in an offensive manner. If I sound a little flustered or less articulate than usual, it is solely because I am not used to seeing people who fall under the classification technically of being public servants use their training, their skill set and their weaponry solely to terrify the very public they are supposed to be serving. This is, quite frankly, un American. This is the antithesis of every single belief that our framers and founders had about the proper role the federal government with respect to the citizenry. This is completely beyond the pale.

[Ms. Now Host]

It is. That is a perfect way of describing this chaotic scene we're watching. We're going to continue following this very closely. We're going to take a quick break. We're going to come back with Senator Adam Schiff, who's going to join us and talk about this and what we're seeing around the country this evening. We'll be right back. For one brief moment today, one little brief moment today or in the last week, it looked like just maybe Republicans might do the right thing and stand up to President Trump by supporting a War Powers resolution limiting the president from taking additional military action in Venezuela without congressional approval. I mean, it even looked promising for a moment. Five Republicans crossed party lines last week to vote with Democrats to advance the bill. And after a threat from Donald Trump that these Republicans should never be elected to office again, Republican Senators Josh Hawley and Todd Young fell back in line today, allowing Vice President J.D. vance to cast a tie breaking vote to effectively block the resolution. Joining me now is Senator Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California and a co sponsor of that resolution. I just restate five Republicans joined you last week in voting for the War Powers Resolution. And then Senators Josh Hawley and Todd Young seem to be convinced by a letter from Marco Rubio. What is going on here?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Well, that letter from Marco Rubio really didn't provide much assurance that should have satisfied, let alone changed their vote on such an important issue. Basically, that letter from Rubio says that they will seek congressional approval before a major military operation, Venezuela. But at the same time, they're saying what they've done already in sending hundreds of troops, in capturing the leader of that country, in blockading that country, that wasn't hostilities, that didn't even rise to the level of hostilities. So I don't know what a major military operation looks like. And saying that they will come to Congress in that event isn't much of a promise. And it certainly shouldn't have derailed this War Powers resolution, which as you point out, had passed. At least the first step of that process had passed just a few days ago. Look, the founders gave us the war power. They did that at the time because as one of Our founders wrote they knew that the executive was a branch that was too prone to war, too keen on war. And so they did something that was really unprecedented at the time. They said, okay, we're going to give that power to the legislative branch, but like a lot of other powers, if you don't use it, you lose it. And we have allowed that power to atrophy. We have put very little limit on the executive, and particularly this executive who's now used military action in Venezuela, in Iran, in Nigeria, in Syria and Yemen, all within his first year, and seems very prone to continue using it. There's no more important time than now to reestablish Congress's power to say no to the authorization of military force, and.

[Ms. Now Host]

Certainly not to trust an administration that said in the fall they weren't planning to use military action in Venezuela. And then we're clearly planning to do exactly that and then did it. So what happens now? What is the next step? Are there repercussions? Are there more things you can do?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

Well, I think we are going to be proceeding with other war powers resolutions depending on circumstances and events. The president is obviously threatening more military action in Iran at this moment. And, you know, we firmly stand with the Iranian protesters. We hope they're successful in toppling that horrible regime. We support their right of freedom and to express themselves and associate with themselves and have good governance that they choose, not this repressive regime of mullus. But we don't want to get mired in a war in Iran. Neither do we want to see the United States get militarily involved in Colombia or Mexico or Greenland, for God's sake. But this president seems all too inclined to believe that he could just use military force whenever he wants or whenever, as he put it the other day, his morality supports its use. I would hate to entrust any of this to the morality of any president, let alone this particular president. So there will be other efforts like this, but it certainly indicates they will go to any length, including threatening members who vote in contrary fashion to prevent even a debate from taking place, which is what this resolution would have called for. It would have called for a debate. They wouldn't even allow that. They brought in the vice president to stop the Senate from even debating whether we should be sending American forces into Venezuela for the purpose of securing oil there. I don't think the American people want to see that.

[Ms. Now Host]

Very quickly, before I let you go and Leon, have a minute left here. But top officials from Denmark and Greenland were here in Washington today. To me, it feels like Trump is more empowered because there's no restrictions on him from people within his own power and party. What is Trump's obsession with Greenland about who gains from it?

[Senator Adam Schiff]

You know, he had this obsession in the first Trump administration. He wanted to try to buy Greenland. I don't know how this idea got planted in his head, but as we've seen with him before, once he gets an idea, no matter how scatterbrained it may be, it's difficult for him to let it go. And, you know, now with a very pliant Congress and with nobody left in his administration, unlike the first term, to tell him, hey, Mr. President, that's a dumb idea. Hey, Mr. President, if you use military force in Greenland, that's the end of NATO. There's no one like that, no one of stature, no Secretary Mattis to say no, no General Kelly. And so we see these harebrained ideas gain a lot of traction and do.

[Ms. Now Host]

A lot of damage, no question about it. So much to watch. Senator Schiff, thank you as always, for being here. That does it for me tonight. You can catch the show Tuesday through Friday at 9pm Eastern on Ms. Now. And don't forget to follow the show on Blue sky, Instagram and TikTok.

[Senator Alyssa Slotkin]

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