The Majority Report with Sam Seder – Episode 3587

ICE Whistle Blown, Sheinbaum's Gamble and State of the Union w/ Alexander Avina
Date: February 24, 2026
Host: Sam Seder
Guests: Alexander Avina (Historian), Todd Stormer (Commentator)
Contributors: Emma Viglin, Brian

Episode Overview

This episode tackles three interwoven themes in contemporary politics:

1. The breaking ICE whistleblower testimony illuminating the erosion of legal protections in US immigration enforcement.
2. The political and historical context of Mexico’s crackdown on the Jalisco cartel (with expert insights from historian Alexander Avina), including the response of new Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and the implications for US-Mexico relations.
3. A preview and sharp critique of the US State of the Union address by President Trump, centering on Democratic response strategy, intra-party dynamics, and how political storytelling shapes public perception.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

ICE Whistleblower Revelations

Summary:
A former ICE instructor, Ryan Schwenk, delivered explosive testimony about ICE’s unconstitutional directives and dangerously abbreviated training programs for new agents under the Trump administration.

Details & Insights:

• Lack of Training: ICE slashed 240 hours from its 584-hour basic training program. Cut material included courses on the Constitution, the legal system, firearms, use of force, and lawful arrests ([09:06] Ryan Schwenk, [11:32] discussion).
  • "DHS leadership has dismantled the academic and practical tests that we need to know if cadets can safely and lawfully perform their job... DHS told the public that new cadets receive all the training they need... This is a lie." — Ryan Schwenk ([09:06])
• Orders to Violate the Constitution: Schwenk was instructed to teach recruits to enter homes without judicial warrants, violating Fourth Amendment protections. Only “administrative warrants” (essentially memos, not judicial warrants) were required ([09:06] Schwenk, [13:05] Brian).
• Political Motivation & Paramilitarization:
  • The purpose of short-circuiting training is not merely expediency but to deliberately ensure fewer constraints on ICE agents, making the agency a paramilitary wing usable for intimidation, particularly leading into the election season ([15:34] Sam Seder, [13:05] Brian).
    • "ICE is not a law enforcement agency as much as it is a paramilitary force that backs up the fascist administration and serves as an intimidating tactic at polling sites." — Brian ([13:05])
  • Recruitment is drawing from extremist, far-right organizations willing to use force.
• Historical Analogy:
  • Sam compares the dismantling of constraints at ICE to how the US torture scandal developed during the Iraq war—not through explicit orders to torture, but the removal of prohibitions and oversight ([12:00]).

The Right’s Response and Political Spin

• Senator Mike Lee’s “Cartel Masks” Tweet:
  • Example of rightwing attempts to collapse cartel violence with US immigrant populations and justify ICE’s actions.
    • "Cartel hitmen wear masks. Leftists aren't complaining." — Mike Lee’s Tweet ([19:18])
  • Immediate Democratic responses highlight the absurdity of the conflation and reinforce the call for law enforcement accountability ([19:51] Brian Schatz, [20:12] Chuck Schumer).

Mexico’s Crackdown on the Jalisco Cartel

Guest Expert: Alexander Avina ([28:18]–[37:46])

Historical & Political Context:

• US Pressure:
  • Heightened GOP rhetoric (calls for US military action against cartels) and recent actions in Venezuela have pressured Mexico’s government. Trump has personally pressured and publicly commented on Sheinbaum's approach to cartels.
• The Operation against El Mencho:
  • Killing of cartel leader El Mencho triggered widespread retaliatory violence ("narco bloqueos") across 15 Mexican states, burning vehicles and causing dozens of casualties ([30:33] Avina).
    • "The unprecedented scale of it... happened in 15 states... more than 250 narco bloqueos." — Avina ([30:33])
• Morena’s Approach & the Limits of “Hugs Not Bullets”:
  • The ruling Morena party campaigned against militarized drug policing (“hugs not bullets”), but, in practice, has continued militarization due to political and external pressures ([31:16] Avina).
  • True roots of the violence: Massive US demand for drugs and US-sourced firearms fueling cartel power ([33:01] Avina).
• Cartel Tactics & Social Embedding:
  • Cartel violence avoids targeting civilians when possible, to maintain social legitimacy and political power at the local level ([35:04] Avina).
• Risks for Sheinbaum:
  • Tightrope between asserting Mexican sovereignty and appeasing the US:
    • No “boots on the ground” from the US, but continues intelligence-sharing ([36:20] Avina).
    • The kingpin strategy merely fragments cartels, leading to short-term escalations and long-term instability.

Notable Quote:
"This will not be resolved... unless it is a transnational approach... the main driver of this violence in Mexico is the insatiable US demand for illicit drugs." — Alexander Avina ([33:01])

[CLIP: Mexico’s Defense Secretary]

• 80% of weapons seized from cartels are US-made ([38:21]).

Trump’s State of the Union & The Democrats’ Dilemma

State of the Union Preview:

• Trump’s approval is at historic lows:
  • “Approval is now 32%. 68% say he hasn't paid enough attention to the country's most important problems... The most negative reading… in either of his terms.” ([41:25] Seder)
• Key issues:
  • Trump will tout tariffs with misleading rhetoric; no direct benefits for ordinary Americans, only for corporations and speculators ([44:15] Seder, [46:46] Brian).
  • Economic indicators are flat or down, with inequality increasing (“K-shaped economy”).
• Democrats are planning dual responses:
  • Centrist CIA-alum Abigail Spanberger at Colonial Williamsburg as the official response; progressive Summer Lee representing the Progressive Caucus ([49:36] Seder).

Critique of Democratic Storytelling Strategy

Analysis (w/ Todd Stormer):

• The choice of Spanberger and Williamsburg signals a return-to-normalcy narrative—comforting “purple” suburban voters by emphasizing continuity rather than transformation ([52:38] Stormer).
  • "By putting her [Spanberger] in Colonial Williamsburg... That the system still works, that the patriotic story is still valid, that we don't need to burn it down or rethink it, we just need to restore it… it's like saying, vote for us and we'll make it 2016 or 2008 again… and that's just a fantasy." — Todd Stormer ([52:38])
• The restoration/normalcy strategy is contrasted with possible alternative responses:
  • Examples: Ilhan Omar in Minneapolis (real-time battleground), Mamdani at the NYC Tenement Museum (immigrant progress narrative), or the mayor of Philadelphia at a historic site acknowledging real historical struggles ([55:58]–[58:09]).

Democratic Party’s Strategic Blind Spots:

• The party continues to center privileged, moderate voices, ignoring surging energy among progressives and left coalitions.
• Focus groups show moderates are seen as the “status quo,” a losing message in the current environment ([66:10] Brian).
• There’s a marked disconnect between establishment messaging (restore the past) and the real dramatic stakes (fighting for justice, democracy, economic redistribution) ([64:00]–[65:54]).

Notable Exchanges:

• "There's a fine line between 'protect democracy' and 'protect the established order.'... The word democracy does not mean what they think it means to people. It just means more of whatever has been bad." — Seder ([61:05]–[62:07])
• "When they hear moderate, they hear status quo... and it's proven in Virginia [Spanberger's win] that it isn't about being too woke but about the status quo." — Brian ([66:10])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• ICE Whistleblower:
  "DHS told the public that new cadets receive all the training they need... This is a lie." — Ryan Schwenk ([09:06])
• Alexander Avina on Drug War:
  "The so-called war on drugs in Mexico is a global conflict... this will not be resolved... unless there is a transnational approach." — Avina ([33:01])
• Democratic Establishment Critique:
  "Present Spanberger as the future that returns us to the past… The calculation here is entirely about November… it's the adult in the room strategy." — Todd Stormer ([52:38])
• Sam Seder on Political Storytelling:
  "The real story is there are people fighting against masked thugs, or we are saving immigrants and building a new coalition... all of these stories have drama, have a protagonist and antagonist." ([64:00])
• Brian on Party Targeting:
  "They pretend that it was just the transphobia... but what that ad signified was: 'she's for they/them, the status quo, not for trans people.' I'm for you, the real issue is the status quo." ([66:10])

Timestamps for Critical Segments

• ICE Whistleblower Testimony & Discussion: [09:06] – [21:02]
• Senator Mike Lee/Cartel Masks Tweet & Democrat Reactions: [19:18] – [20:28]
• Alexander Avina Interview: Mexican Drug War, US Pressure, Cartel Violence: [28:18] – [37:46]
• Mexico Defense Secretary Clip (US-sourced cartel weapons): [38:21]
• Trump’s State of the Union, Poll Numbers, Tariffs: [41:25] – [46:46]
• Democratic Response Strategy, Storytelling, Todd Stormer Analysis: [52:38] – [61:05]
• Political Storytelling & Critique of Nostalgia: [63:52] – [66:10]

Tone & Style

• Irreverent yet incisive: The hosts blend sharp analysis with regular sarcasm, inside jokes, and banter (“Ominous lot to get to today”; “We can do this by appealing to an aesthetic and to a simpler time…”).
• Quotable, candid, and critical of both Republican and Democratic parties, especially regarding the emptiness of centrist narratives.

For Listeners: Why This Episode Matters

• Illuminates the real-world dismantling of legal norms and oversight inside ICE, at a moment of peak political crisis and polarization.
• Provides transnational context for US-Mexico policies, clarifying why the war on drugs, cartel violence, and US domestic policy are inextricably linked.
• Sharp, accessible critique of political messaging and the echoes of “restoration” narratives vs. the energy and meaning of direct justice-driven organizing.

If you missed the episode, this summary gives you the major revelations, arguments, and moments—plus the receipts (quotes + timestamps)—to join the conversation.