Podcast Summary: The Matt Walsh Show

Episode 1715 – “The Left’s Renee Good Narrative Has Completely Collapsed. Here’s Why”
Date: January 12, 2026
Host: Matt Walsh (The Daily Wire)

Overview

Matt Walsh dedicates this episode to the recent Renee Good shooting by ICE in Minneapolis, arguing that efforts by the left and legacy media to turn her into another George Floyd martyr figure have failed. With new video and other evidence coming to light quickly (unlike the Floyd case), he asserts the narrative around Good’s death collapsed under scrutiny. The episode weaves in sharp criticism of media manipulation, Democratic politicians, and the culture war, touching on viral moments, police drama, a conservative influencer’s shift to pro-trans activism, and how social justice messaging warps education and activism. Walsh’s tone is caustic, dismissive, and darkly humorous throughout.

Main Topics & Key Points

1. The Narrative of Renee Good’s Death Unravels

• Contextualizing the Event:

  • Walsh contrasts the 2026 Good shooting with the 2020 George Floyd incident ([01:12]).
  • Claims left-wing activists and media tried to “run the same George Floyd playbook,” but new footage disproved their narrative almost immediately ([03:40]).
  • “It’s now much, much more difficult for Democrats to pull off a successful hoax than it used to be.” – Matt Walsh ([02:51]).

• Media & Politicians’ Response:

  • Highlights how early statements from Adam Schiff and the Philadelphia sheriff didn’t match the emerging evidence ([05:16-06:00]).
  • Media avoided showing cell phone footage, instead describing the incident “in very general terms” ([04:20]).

• Footage Breakdown:

  • Video clearly showed Good and her friend harassing ICE agents, purposely blocking the road, and then Good driving into an agent after specific encouragement from her friend ([10:00-11:15]).
  • “Get out of the car... Get out of the car.” – Matt Walsh, quoting the altercation ([11:04]).

• Legal and Moral Justification:

  • Explains that using a car as a weapon against police is always serious, regardless of intention.
  • Police officers historically had even broader authority to use lethal force in these circumstances ([17:00-19:00]).
  • “Even if she had no intention of harming the officer, she still put that officer in reasonable imminent fear of his life. Her attempt to get away was at best extremely dangerous and reckless and illegal.” – Matt Walsh ([22:18]).

• Collapse of the ‘Martyr’ Narrative:

  • The narrative fizzled partly because Good was white and did not fit the preferred victim profile for leftist movements ([08:45], [13:20]).
  • Highlights the left’s disappointment and reluctance to lionize Good (“They tried to put up a few murals of her here and there, but it’s a half-hearted attempt...”), ([09:23]).

2. Reactions From Left-Leaning Figures and Media

• Deflection and Denial:

  • Politicians like Jacob Fry (MN mayor) and Ilhan Omar stick to debunked claims, argue the ICE officer was to blame ([23:39], [24:13]).
  • Aisha Gomez (MN lawmaker) on MSNBC admits she hasn’t watched the latest video evidence, yet maintains her outrage ([26:19]).
  • “I haven’t seen the latest propaganda video from DHS. I don’t care to.” – Aisha Gomez ([26:30]).

• Social Media and Female Activism:

  • Walsh mocks the “genre” of women harassing ICE agents and leftist protests as “twisted psychosexual fantasy,” attributing their activism to maternal instincts gone awry and a desire for attention ([29:13-29:50]).

3. Law Enforcement Response and Professional Failures

• ICE’s New Tactics:

  • ICE now taking direct action against protesters, breaking windows, dragging out road-blockers, using force to clear obstructions ([13:44-14:18]).

• Portland Chief Crying on TV:

  • Police Chief Bob Day weeps while discussing gang ties of suspects; Walsh roasts him for apologizing for “victim blaming” and describes the spectacle as embarrassing, emblematic of leadership failure in urban policing ([41:47-43:19]).
  • “The most important part of that clip is... he says that he was hesitant to release this information... confirms that people in positions of power... are always rooting for the bad guys to fall into a very specific demographic group, namely white men.” – Matt Walsh ([43:19]).

4. Social Justice, Schools, and Activism

• Indoctrination in Education:

  • Criticizes Southside school where everything “including math and science, [is] about social justice,” with students encouraged to protest ([32:31]).
  • “They aren’t schools at all. These are indoctrination centers ... teaching an ideology that directly inspires domestic terrorism.” ([33:25]).

• Connection to Broader Conflict:

  • Describes chaotic confrontations between Somali communities and federal agents in Minnesota, calling it akin to scenes from Mogadishu, warning of looming civil violence ([34:30-35:59]).
  • Accuses Democrats of stoking civil conflict and preparing the ground for a “domestic color revolution” ([35:12]).

5. Media Coverage, Pamphlets, and Underlying Ideology

• Activist Tactics Disseminated:

  • ICE Watch distributed pamphlets advising on how to block ICE vehicles and “de-arrest” illegals ([31:09]).

• Media Complicity:

  • Walsh highlights mainstream media’s alignment with protesters (CNN, MSNBC), reinforcing distrust ([30:51]).

6. Ashley St. Clair’s Political Shift

• A Conservative Goes Pro-Trans:

  • Discusses St. Clair (former Babylon Bee staffer, conservative influencer and Elon Musk’s ex-partner) publicly expressing remorse for “transphobia” and wanting to advocate for trans causes ([48:00-52:00]).
  • “I don’t think we’ve ever seen this... someone who was fully on Team Sanity when it came to the trans issue... go over to the other side.” – Matt Walsh ([54:45]).

• Walsh’s Challenge:

  • Demands to know what new argument could possibly have convinced her; asserts none exist ([55:45]).
  • Suggests the move is purely cynical or attention-seeking ([56:57]).

7. Viral TikTok Meltdown & the Culture of Attention

• Mocking Performative Outrage:
  • Describes a woman painting her face and crying for TikTok as emblematic of a narcissistic, attention-starved trend among progressive women ([59:54-60:10], [60:10-61:45]).
  • “You're an attention-starved sociopath, manipulative, soulless monstrosity.” – Matt Walsh ([61:45]).

8. Amanda Gorman’s Poem for Renee Good

• Poetry Critique:
  • Walsh sarcastically “performs” Amanda Gorman’s poem about Good’s death, calling it “the worst professional poetry in the history of the world” and a symbol of tokenistic praise for black women regardless of merit ([62:00-68:14]).
  • “By some metrics, Amanda Gorman is the most... successful poet of all time... and that's depressing because she's also terrible.” ([62:43]).
  • “She said good. Whoa. Because she said Good, but it’s like a double meaning because the woman's name is Good, but also she’s saying she’s like, talking about a good person.” ([67:44]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On narrative collapse:
  • “This is a different country than it was in 2020. The FBI can’t tell every single social media platform to ban anyone who tells the truth.” ([08:00])
• On legal standards and use of force:
  • “There’s effectively no difference, morally or legally, between hitting an officer with your car on purpose while you try to evade arrest and hitting an officer by accident while you try to evade arrest.” ([17:49])
• On women activists vs. the law:
  • “They’re baiting ICE agents to discipline them and put them in timeout.” ([29:23])
• On the Portland police chief:
  • “He’s on TV weeping, I mean, sobbing like a baby. Not even a dignified single tear... this is full on sobbing.” ([43:25])
• On Ashley St. Clair’s ‘conversion’:
  • “Boarding the Titanic an hour after it hit the iceberg… Democrats are swimming away from the ship and they’re looking over and seeing Ashley St. Clair swim to it.” ([54:00])
• On Amanda Gorman:
  • “She’s revered as the most prominent, most celebrated poet in the world today... and that’s very depressing because she’s also terrible.” ([62:43])
  • “She has to be banned from composing poetry ever again. There have to be limits.” ([68:01])

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:12] – Opening: Comparing Renee Good & George Floyd incidents
• [05:16] – Schiff and sheriff misrepresenting Good shooting
• [10:44] – Audio excerpts of Good and friend taunting ICE, escalation
• [13:44] – ICE’s response: breaking windows, dragging protesters from cars
• [22:18] – Legal breakdown: justification for use of force
• [23:39] – MN Mayor Jacob Fry’s defense of Good, Walsh’s rebuttal
• [24:13] – Ilhan Omar on CBS, deflecting blame
• [26:19] – Interview with MN lawmaker Aisha Gomez, admits not watching video
• [29:13] – Gendered patterns of activism, TikTok examples
• [41:47] – Portland Police Chief cries, discusses gang violence
• [48:00] – Ashley St. Clair’s transition from conservative to pro-trans activism
• [59:54] – TikTok montage of performative protest
• [62:00] – Amanda Gorman’s poem, extended critique and reading

Tone & Language

Walsh’s style is sardonic, combative, and deeply skeptical of media and leftist rhetoric. He uses strong language, sharp analogies, and ad hominem against political opponents and viral protest personalities, blending mockery with legal analysis. His humor is dark, especially when describing viral attention-seeking “liberal white women” and the “genre” of performative activism.

Final Thoughts

Walsh concludes by claiming the Renee Good case is proof that attempts at manufactured outrage and martyr-creation are losing potency. He advocates for a strong law enforcement response, the shutdown of activist groups, and even legal action under anti-terrorism statutes. Through lengthy tangents, cultural commentary, and performative readings, the episode encapsulates the internet-infused culture war in the Walshian style: fiery, mocking, but focused on the claim that the facts have finally triumphed over narrative.