The David Pakman Show
Episode: "The Firings Will Continue Until the Morale Improves"
Host: David Pakman
Date: January 27, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of The David Pakman Show focuses on the political and moral fallout from the federal killing of ICU nurse Alex Preddy during a Minneapolis immigration raid. David Pakman analyzes the surprisingly critical response from conservative media—most notably The Wall Street Journal—towards the Trump administration’s handling of the incident and its wider immigration policy. The show delves into the political damage control efforts, contradictions between right-wing rhetoric and government action, and the crisis of ideology among conservatives. The episode also features an interview with Dr. Zeke Emanuel about practical wellness, public health, and debunking wellness industry myths.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Wall Street Journal's Rebuke of Trump Administration

• Timestamp: [01:09–13:00]
• The Wall Street Journal editorial board, typically conservative, labels Trump’s immigration crackdown a "moral and political debacle" following the killing of Alex Preddy by federal agents.
• The videos released show Preddy, an ICU nurse, helping a pepper-sprayed woman, being tackled, disarmed, and then repeatedly shot—contradicting official claims that he was a domestic terrorist.
• Notably, The Wall Street Journal urges pausing ICE operations in Minneapolis and rethinking strategy, reflecting serious cracks in right-wing support for Trump's immigration tactics.

"This is not the language you would typically expect from a conservative editorial board from a newspaper owned by News Corporation, which also owns Fox News... The [Wall Street Journal] says the Trump administration story just isn't believable."
— David Pakman [02:20]

2. Trump’s Damage Control & GOP Distress

• Timestamp: [04:10–14:40]
• Trump's administration scrambles: Border Patrol commander Greg Bevino is demoted, and loyalists like Kristi Noem, Corey Lewandowski, and potentially Cash Patel are at risk. This is perceived as optics management, not genuine policy change.
• Conservative politicians and strategists fear electoral disaster: “You promised law and order. Law and order looks different to our constituents than a nurse on the ground getting shot 10 times.” [06:43]
• Trump’s historical pattern is highlighted: "He hires the hype men, encourages chaos, then throws them under the bus when things go haywire."
• Rebukes from loyalists mark an inflection point in the lead-up to November elections, with Republican unity breaking around the signature issue of immigration.

"Trump never admits he picked the wrong person. He says, I'm a decisive leader. I fired the losers, or when I hired them, they were good, but they went bad."
— David Pakman [13:55]

3. Right-Wing Identity Crisis: Guns, Protest, and Policy Contradictions

• Timestamp: [15:23–18:45]
• Even conservative figures like Sean Spicer and gun rights advocates are pushing back—questioning the logic that merely carrying a gun near law enforcement makes you "fair game," contradicting decades of pro-gun right rhetoric.
• Right-wing media—NRA, Governor Stitt—side against the administration’s narrative that Preddy's possession of a gun justified lethal force.

Sean Spicer:
"To say that if you show up somewhere armed, that you're somehow vulnerable to getting attacked or approached is absolutely antithetical to everything that conservatives have stood for for decades."
— [15:37]

4. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt & The Administration’s Hedging

• Timestamp: [17:27–37:30]
• Under grilling from journalists, Levitt refrains from justifying the shooting, repeatedly deferring to ongoing investigations.
• She ambiguously insists on First Amendment rights but swiftly adds, "but not to impede law enforcement," and similarly hedges on gun rights.
• The administration’s message: the problem isn’t the violence, it’s the optics and political fallout.

"She doesn't say, of course, the shooting was justified... She says, well, we have to review it. I am interpreting that as bureaucratic speak for this is completely toxic politically and I have no idea how to defend this shit."
— David Pakman [17:43]

• Levitt Further States:

"All Americans have a First Amendment constitutional rights, of course, but Americans do not have a constitutional right to impede and obstruct lawful immigration enforcement operations."
— Caroline Levitt [33:36]

"When you are carrying a weapon... and you are confronted by law enforcement, you are raising the assumption of risk and... the risk of force being used against you."
— Caroline Levitt [35:16]

5. Public Relations Meltdown & Policy Theatrics

• Timestamp: [21:20–29:06 / 38:30–40:10]
• Trump's attempt at damage control highlighted by social media posts touting supposed cooperation with Minnesota officials while his approval on immigration continues to slide below 40%.
• Administration blames local Democratic leaders for the chaos and deaths, continuing to avoid direct responsibility.
• Benching Bevino and replacing with Tom Homan is presented as a mere staffing change, although the political fallout indicates otherwise.

6. Interview with Dr. Zeke Emanuel: Wellness Myths and Practical Health

• Timestamp: [40:10–62:22]
• Dr. Emanuel criticizes the “Wellness Industrial Complex,” advocating for a practical, sustainable approach to health focused on a handful of lifestyle factors.
• Emphasizes that obsessing over wellness minutiae is counterproductive; prioritize: avoiding tobacco, regular physical activity, social relationships, and simple dietary guidance (more fiber, less processed food, moderate dairy, attention to fermented foods).
• Highlights: social connection is as critical as diet and exercise; in-person interaction fosters better physical and mental health than remote.
• Discusses cancer screening wisdom (cautious on routine PSA testing) and advances in cancer therapy—both optimism and concerns about high costs.

"Wellness is a means to an end. It's not the end itself... There are just a handful of things that you need to do and you don't need to do them perfectly to get the benefits of wellness."
— Dr. Zeke Emanuel [40:22]

7. Contradictions & Hypocrisy in Right-Wing Media Reactions

• Timestamp: [64:38–70:56]
• FBI Director Cash Patel tries to reconcile government actions with gun rights and protest protections, wavering between "we're not infringing" and "don't bring guns near protests."
• Megyn Kelly delivers a controversial, victim-blaming response: “I don't feel sorry for Alex Preddy... I wasn't shot because I kept my ass inside.” Her argument implies passive submission to state violence, contradicting her longstanding advocacy for both gun rights and free speech.

"Megan, what about that First Amendment you claim to worship? Megan, what about that Second Amendment you claim to worship?... This is authoritarianism with a microphone."
— David Pakman [69:55]

• Pakman points out the chilling effect on civil liberties: the threat isn't just direct violence but self-censorship out of fear.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On The Wall Street Journal’s editorial:

  "It is a right wing paper saying the stink of Trump isn't passing the smell test."
  — David Pakman [02:52]

• On Trump’s hiring practices:

  "It's like you set your own house on fire and then you brag that you're great at partially putting fires out."
  — David Pakman [13:57]

• On right-wing logic about gun rights:

  "For years these right wingers have said carrying a gun is a constitutional right. Merely having it can't be used as evidence of anything... Now they're saying, of course the government killed this legally armed citizen... the logic cuts both ways."
  — David Pakman [16:40]

• On wellness and living well:

  "Those people with close family ties, close friendships, they're 22 to 33% less likely to die over the next 6 to 10 years... If you're lonely, socially isolated... it's like smoking 15 cigarettes a day."
  — Dr. Zeke Emanuel [43:31]

• On government accountability for violence:

  "If your political ideology ends the moment that the state kills the wrong person, then you never really believed those principles in the first place."
  — David Pakman [70:56]

Important Timestamps

• [01:09–13:00] — Wall Street Journal attacks Trump immigration policy; incident details and video evidence expose administrative falsehoods.
• [15:23–18:45] — Conservative infighting and quotes from Sean Spicer; contradiction of gun rights ideology.
• [21:20–29:06, 38:30–40:10] — Trump approval dips, superficial damage control, and the politics of firing/demotion.
• [40:10–62:22] — Dr. Zeke Emanuel interview: simple rules for health, critiquing wellness obsession, advice on diet, screenings, and advances in cancer care.
• [64:38–70:56] — Cash Patel and Megyn Kelly segments: government and media contradictions about the First and Second Amendments, and explicit authoritarian rhetoric.

Conclusion

This episode lays bare a pivotal moment: public and political blowback from both the center and right against Trump's brutal immigration tactics—crystallized by the killing of Alex Preddy—is forcing internal reckoning and exposing ideological hypocrisy around guns and civil liberties. As the administration stumbles through damage control and reshuffles personnel, both conservative media and former loyalists raise alarms that the chaos is both a moral and political crisis. The show closes with a humanizing but practical discussion about health and wellbeing from Dr. Zeke Emanuel, contrasting sharply with the policy debacles in the political segment.

For further resources and the full interviews, check out The David Pakman Show on all major podcast platforms.