The Jim Acosta Show

Episode: Breaking News on Renee Good

Date: January 16, 2026
Host: Jim Acosta
Guests: Liz Oyer (former DOJ Pardon Attorney), Steve Schmidt (political strategist)

Episode Overview

In this urgent episode, Jim Acosta confronts the breaking revelations surrounding the killing of Renee Good by ICE in Minneapolis. With new details from the New York Times suggesting a delayed medical response and potential ICE obstruction, Acosta seeks clarity and accountability from guests Liz Oyer and Steve Schmidt. The conversation expands to cover DOJ inaction, the climate of impunity under the Trump administration, and corruption ranging from transactional pardons to global diplomacy. The mood is one of outrage, resolve, and a call to hold on to truth and hope amid lawlessness and lies.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Breaking News: The Renee Good Case and ICE Accountability

• New York Times report: Renee Good had a faint pulse when paramedics arrived, raising severe questions about ICE's actions in blocking a doctor from providing aid and the timeline of resuscitation.
  [00:00 – 02:52]

• Video Analysis: Acosta shares a social media video where a physician tries to assist Good and is rebuffed by ICE officers.

  • Quote (Physician, confronting ICE):

    “How can I relax? You just killed my neighbor. You caught butter in the face. You killed my neighbor. How do you show up to work every day?...” (02:36)

• Liz Oyer on legal ramifications: The video and these facts "magnify the need for an independent investigation" (03:07) and suggest possible liability not just for the shooter, but for other officers on scene:

  • Quote:

    “This video raises the question of whether there are other officers, in addition to the one who shot Renee Good, who might have legal liability.” (03:07)

  • Oyer denounces the refusal to open a federal civil rights probe as "absolutely shocking" (03:40), calling DOJ leadership "complicit in covering up what happened during this incident." (06:51)

2. DOJ Response, Civil Rights, and Internal Dissent

• Justice Department Inaction: Despite clear mandates, DOJ has “declined... a federal civil rights investigation” (Oyer, 03:45), with the deputy AG shutting down inquiry and the FBI blocking access to evidence for state investigators.

• Resignations & Internal DOUBT: Multiple waves of resignations at DOJ and in Minnesota's U.S. Attorney’s office:

  • Civil Rights Division prosecutors quit when forbidden to pursue the case (08:11)
  • Prosecutors in Minnesota resigned after being told to investigate Renee Good’s widow, Becca Good, instead:
    • Quote:

      “The fact that a senior prosecutor... walked away over this suggests the degree of inappropriateness...” (08:58)

  • Oyer describes investigating the widow as "just inconceivable" (09:28).

3. Barriers to Accountability & Legal Challenges

• Qualified Immunity: Acosta and Oyer discuss legal hurdles—qualified immunity makes it "very difficult to hold government officials accountable," though civil suits are possible (10:05).

• Systematic Lying and Culture of Impunity:

  • Federal officials routinely misrepresent events (i.e., ICE’s false narratives in multiple deaths), intensifying public distrust:
    • Oyer:

      “From the very top, false statements are being made. That’s why it’s so important that bystanders are videotaping these encounters...” (13:23)

  • Administration figures, including JD Vance and Stephen Miller, publicly claim ICE has “absolute immunity”—emboldening officers (13:47).
  • The looming threat of preemptive Trump pardons for officers exacerbates the climate of lawlessness (14:31).

4. Trump’s Corruption: Pardons and Pay-for-Play Justice

• Transactional Pardons:

  • Trump is issuing secret, politically motivated, “pay-for-play” pardons—even granting a second presidential pardon to fraud convict Adriana Camberos.
    • Oyer:

      “That’s not normal.” (15:48)

  • High-profile political allies (e.g., former Puerto Rico governor) and donors’ families benefit from clemency.
    • Quote:

      “The pay-for-play justice system is at work...” (16:36)

• Lack of Transparency and Congressional Oversight:

  • Oyer notes “so little transparency... Congress has not demanded the transparency that they should...” (17:27)
  • DOJ’s role as a check on presidential power has collapsed.

• No Consequences:

  • Acosta:

    “Trump just sort of sails on after issuing these crazy pardons... This would take out any president, any governor, any mayor...” (16:49)

5. Political and Global Fallout: Greenland, the Nobel Peace Prize, and the Crisis of Leadership

• Trump's Greenland Gambit & Global Repercussions:

  • Schmidt reacts to Trump threatening allies with tariffs if they oppose Greenland annexation (21:18).
  • Schmidt laments U.S. loss of “decency and our moral leadership,” replaced by brazen corruption and lawlessness (22:33).
    • Quote:

      “There is a tremendous national emergency in this hour.” (24:25)

• Only Hope in Congressional Action:

  • Schmidt calls for Schumer and Jeffries to fight, even shut down government if necessary, to force an independent investigation into Good’s murder (24:57).
  • Warns against Democratic Party “appeasers,” invoking lessons from WWII (25:47, 26:56).
  • Internationally, draws a dire analogy to the origins of global conflicts, warning of catastrophic consequences if current trends aren’t arrested (28:26–33:46).

• Domestic Stability at Risk:

  • Concerns Trump will invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops in Minnesota, worsening the crisis (34:00).

6. Prospects for Justice & Hope for Accountability

• Schmidt’s Predictions:
  • Despite the grim present, he predicts a Democratic “sweep” and eventual legal reckoning:
    • Quote:

      “Jonathan Ross will be arrested ... tried in Minnesota state court ... not insulated by a Trump pardon...” (37:16)

    • Sees the “worst of this insanity” ending in a year, and insists on a future of accountability (39:00).
  • Calls for the Democratic Party's new generation to lead, praising politicians taking action (Jake Auchincloss, Robert Garcia, Ro Khanna) (41:05–42:03).

7. Media Failure and the Battle for Truth

• The CBS Controversy:
  • Acosta exposes CBS’s reporting, which repeated administration talking points to muddy public perception of the Good killing (59:09).
  • Praises independent journalism for challenging official lies and stresses its importance in the current era.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Liz Oyer:

  “DOJ is effectively participating in a cover up of any potential crime that may have occurred.” (06:51)

  “There is, of course, Jim, the possibility that Donald Trump will pardon all of these people before he leaves office.” (14:29)

• Steve Schmidt:

  “We have thrown away our power, our prestige, our decency and our moral leadership. And it will never return for the balance of our lives.” (22:33)

  “The very last chance that we have as a country to put any brakes on this will come later this month.” (24:26)

  “[Jonathan Ross] will be arrested. He will be tried in a Minnesota state court ... and he’s going to rot there for the rest of his life, hopefully in a cell next to Derek Chauvin.” (38:34)

  “You either must believe one of two things about Dr. King. Was he a charlatan or was he a prophet? ... while I may not get there with you, you have the certainty to know ... that beyond it is something glorious.” (57:33)

• Jim Acosta:

  “The government should not be able to go into the streets and shoot people dead without investigation in this country. That is not who we are. That is Russia. That is Putin’s Russia.” (59:33)

Important Timestamps

• 00:00 – 02:52: Breaking news of Renee Good case, paramedic timeline, ICE blocks doctor
• 03:07 – 06:51: Oyer details legal needs, DOJ complicity, need for investigation
• 08:11 – 10:05: DOJ and US Attorney’s office resignations, investigation redirected at the widow
• 13:23 – 15:09: Systemic lying, ICE’s culture of impunity, possibility of preemptive pardons
• 15:09 – 18:54: Trump’s “pay-for-play” pardons, DOJ collapse, lack of transparency
• 21:18 – 25:21: Greenland, global stakes, congressional accountability
• 28:26 – 33:46: Schmidt’s historical warnings, consequences of current policies
• 35:27 – 39:41: Schmidt predicts future accountability, outlines scenarios for justice
• 41:05 – 44:06: New, younger Democratic leaders, blueprint for party renewal
• 59:09 – 01:01:00: Acosta’s impassioned close, CBS pushback, appeal for independent media

Closing Tone & Call to Action

The episode ends with Acosta imploring listeners to demand a thorough, independent investigation into Renee Good’s killing, resist official lies, and support independent media—as the pursuit of truth and accountability is more urgent than ever.

Acosta:

“We, the American people, deserve answers. We deserve the truth. No more lies from Donald Trump and ICE. No more lies.” (59:49)

Summary compiled for those seeking the full context, urgency, and emotional resonance of the episode.