The Matt Walsh Show – Ep. 1726 "The Solution To The Immigration Problem That No One Is Talking About"

Original Air Date: January 30, 2026 Host: Matt Walsh, The Daily Wire

Episode Overview

On this episode, Matt Walsh presents his unfiltered perspective on the immigration debate, arguing that both major U.S. political parties are ignoring a simple, systemic solution: abolishing the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) program. He critiques the shallow immigration discourse—centered on deportations and ICE raids—arguing it's a smokescreen for bipartisan inaction. The show also touches on Don Lemon’s arrest at an anti-ICE protest, the NFL’s embrace of “kindness culture,” and broader cultural trends.

Note: This summary omits sponsorship segments and advertisements and focuses on the content.

MAIN SEGMENT: A New Solution to Illegal Immigration (00:30–17:38)

Key Points & Insights

• Bipartisan Inaction on Illegal Immigration (00:30)

  • Matt argues that despite appearing divided, neither party truly wants to solve illegal immigration:

    “Neither major political party has even suggested taking a very simple and straightforward step that would instantly result in the departure of millions of illegal aliens from this country.” (02:14)

• The ITIN System as a Policy Oversight (02:30)

  • Explanation of ITIN: Created by the IRS in the 1990s (not by Congress), it allows those without social security numbers—including illegal immigrants—to:

    • Open bank accounts
    • Build credit
    • Secure home loans and mortgages
    • Start businesses
    • Obtain driver’s licenses in some states
    • Work as independent contractors

  • ITIN was introduced so the IRS could tax “everybody’s income,” including that of illegal immigrants, and so they’d pay into Social Security:

    “The IRS pitched the idea as a win-win. The US would collect more tax revenue ... and in turn, illegal aliens could get tax refunds as well as child tax credits.” (03:48)

• Market Distortion & Housing Impact (05:15)

  • The ITIN system, combined with open borders, has led to market distortions:
    • Foreigners with ITINs compete with US citizens for housing (citing specific lender practices) and jobs
    • Startup home prices are driven up due to increased demand
    • Example: Financing companies promoting loans for manufactured homes to ITIN holders

• ITIN Functions as Work Authorization (06:50)

  • Although not officially its purpose, ITIN is used for gig economy jobs (e.g., food delivery apps)
    • Some companies have, in the past, accepted ITINs for contractor employment

• Policy Proposal: Abolish ITIN (07:45)

  • Matt’s proposed solution: End ITINs for noncitizens—especially illegal immigrants
    • Would lower housing prices and job competition
    • Removes incentives for illegal immigrants to stay
  • Addresses rare legitimate cases for ITINs (e.g., legal joint tax returns with non-citizen spouses or foreign investors)—suggests the IRS can distinguish these

• Republican Legislative Inaction (09:00)

  • Highlights Utah’s Trevor Lee as a rare exception—introduced a bill to end “driving privilege cards” for undocumented individuals
  • Critiques most Republicans for taking the “Democrat position” on illegal migration:

    “Most prominent GOP politicians in Washington ... are currently taking the Democrat position on illegal migration.” (09:30)

• Bipartisan Consensus on ICE as Distraction (09:15–11:50)

  • Cites statements from Senator Thom Tillis, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, and Sen. Susan Collins, all showing hesitation on tough enforcement
  • Plays a clip of New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy promising to obstruct ICE operations and encourage citizens to film agents (11:06)
    • Walsh: “This is criminal conspiracy ... creating a database ... to harass, attack and ultimately murder ICE agents.” (11:50)

• Underlying Business Interests (12:26)

  • Asserts both parties are benefiting from cheap labor and expanded financial activity from illegal aliens, pleasing major donors and businesses

• Cato Institute's "Welfare" Argument Critiqued (13:04)

  • Cato claims immigrants use less welfare per capita than U.S.-born citizens; Matt argues this is misleading:
    • “If an illegal alien has 10 children ... their benefits are not counted as immigrant welfare use – thanks to birthright citizenship. It’s a dishonest statistic.” (14:07)
  • Accuses Cato of providing Republicans with excuses to cave on enforcement

• Examples of Welfare Fraud (15:03–17:38)

  • Highlights cases of food stamp (SNAP) fraud involving Haitian immigrants in Boston as evidence that illegal immigration has heavy social costs
  • Uses these cases to call for the abolishment of SNAP and, again, ITIN:

    “If you end the SNAP program, all this stops. ... Then get rid of the ITIN system as well.” (17:38)

Notable Quotes

• “You take away all the incentives for them to come in the first place ... and it solves this problem a lot quicker.” — Matt Walsh (16:47)
• “They want you to focus on the most incendiary and dumb political drama instead of the larger strategic picture.” — Matt Walsh (17:22)

SECOND SEGMENT: Don Lemon’s Arrest & Media Accountability (18:58–29:28)

Key Points

• Don Lemon arrested for alleged felonies committed at an anti-ICE protest
• Matt argues Lemon was not a journalist but an active participant:

  “He was taking part in it. He was promoting it. He was defending it while it was happening. ... In that case, I am as guilty as the thieves themselves, because I am a thief. I’m taking part in the crime. And that’s exactly what Don Lemon did.” (22:30)

• Urges that Lemon must be convicted and imprisoned or risk becoming a "martyr" and more prominent than before:

  “The arrest is not a win yet ... You have to punish them. The arrest by itself is not only not a punishment, but it can be a reward for someone in a position like this if it is not followed by an actual punishment.” (29:29)

THIRD SEGMENT: Cultural Commentary—AI in Art & the NFL “Chief Kindness Officer” (46:39–1:01:00)

AI Art & Hollywood (46:39)

• Criticizes the idea that AI-generated art or series (referencing Darren Aronofsky’s “On This Day, 1776”) will democratize art:

  “The argument is that ... AI is going to democratize art. Everyone can make art. ... That’s not going to happen. ... It will be just them [major studios] and nobody else. That’s what it’s going to be.” (49:08)

• Argues AI will shrink the number of real people employed in creative fields (“studio executives ... maybe a few big-name directors ... all the rest gone”) and that distribution and marketing power will remain with Hollywood

NFL Embraces “Kindness Culture” (1:01:00)

• Mocks the NFL for making Dhar Mann the “Chief Kindness Officer” and for the “Be Kind To Your Rival” campaign:

  “This is perhaps the gayest thing that’s ever been conceived in human history. Like, this is gayer than a pride parade. ... Imagine explaining this to an old-school football fan.” (1:04:01)

• Argues these cultural changes aren’t aimed at football fans (men), but at women, as part of feminizing a traditionally masculine sport
• Observes how American culture now “feminizes” male spaces for inclusivity, but never masculinizes feminine spaces

FOURTH SEGMENT: Brief Coverage of Ilhan Omar Vinegar Attack (29:29–46:37)

Key Points

• Discusses the incident at Ilhan Omar’s town hall, where she was attacked with apple cider vinegar
• Matt questions the logic and possible motives—suggests attack was benign and odd ("apple cider vinegar" as an oddly considerate choice), floats possibilities of a hoax, left-wing false-flag, or just a deranged act
• Critiques Omar’s dramatic response (“I fear losing my dignity more than I fear losing my life”), mocks her history and reactions

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This is conspiracy. This is a criminal conspiracy.” (on Murphy’s anti-ICE efforts) – Matt Walsh, 11:50
• “We should go in and find every single one of them and deport them. But ... start scrapping programs like this [SNAP, ITIN] one by one and the illegal aliens will leave much faster than we could deport them.” – Matt Walsh, 17:36
• “Art is not a democracy and shouldn’t be. Art should be about excellence and beauty. Democratizing art is leftist jargon.” – Matt Walsh, 49:40
• “The worst movie ever made is infinitely better than that [AI project]. Transformers with Megan Fox is ... a Beethoven symphony compared to what you just saw there.” – Matt Walsh, 47:22
• “This is for women. Everything the NFL does now is for women. ... Men’s only spaces in many cases just don’t exist anymore. They’re just gone or they’ve been feminized into oblivion.” – Matt Walsh, ~1:08:00

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:30 | Introduction to the ITIN/immigration argument | | 03:48 | How ITIN was created and works | | 05:15 | Effects of ITIN on housing, economy | | 07:45 | Policy solution: abolish ITIN; rare exceptions | | 09:00 | Utah lawmaker Trevor Lee; driving privilege cards | | 09:15–11:50| GOP/Dem bipartisan anti-ICE posturing; NJ Governor’s comments | | 12:26 | Business interests & bipartisan inaction | | 13:04 | Cato Institute, misleading welfare statistics | | 15:03 | Examples of welfare fraud; SNAP; call to abolish | | 17:36 | “Incentives” vs. deportations | | 18:58 | Don Lemon’s arrest at anti-ICE protest | | 22:30 | Ethics of journalism vs. participation in protest/crime | | 29:29 | Ilhan Omar vinegar incident, hoax/false flag speculation | | 46:39 | Darren Aronofsky’s AI series; AI in art/entertainment | | 1:01:00 | NFL “Chief Kindness Officer” and “Be Kind to Your Rival” |

Summary of Tone & Style

Matt Walsh delivers his arguments with a combination of sarcasm, indignation, and polemic certainty. He frequently lampoons opposing political figures, institutions, and cultural trends, often using vivid hyperbole and ridicule to make his points (“gayest thing ever conceived in human history,” “Transformers with Megan Fox is a Beethoven symphony compared to what you just saw”).

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

• Walsh believes both parties ignore real, simple levers on immigration—especially abolishing ITIN—to preserve business interests and maintain a drama-laden status quo
• He sees financial and social programs as core magnets for illegal immigration, which could be ended with quick administrative or legislative action
• He’s deeply skeptical of cultural trends toward inclusivity and AI “democratization,” asserting they instead destroy traditional jobs, spaces, and values
• He views much media coverage as distraction from meaningful reform, and often laments the feminization or dilution of masculine cultural institutions

For listeners interested in conservative critiques of immigration policy, institutional inertia in Washington, and commentary on broader cultural battles, this episode of The Matt Walsh Show is representative of his direct, combative style.