The Megyn Kelly Show – Episode 1226

Date: January 8, 2026
Title: The Truth About the ICE Shooting in MN, and Dangers of Marijuana
Guests: Dave Aronberg, Phil Holloway, Ashleigh Merchant, Alex Berenson

Episode Overview

In this episode, Megyn Kelly examines two major topics:

1. The ICE Shooting in Minneapolis, MN — A fatal incident where an ICE agent shot protester Renee Nicole Good, with a deep dive into the legal, political, and media responses. Panelists Dave Aronberg, Phil Holloway, and Ashleigh Merchant discuss video evidence, legal standards, and the growing tensions between local/federal authorities.

2. The Dangers of Modern Cannabis — Journalist Alex Berenson joins to discuss the risks of high-potency marijuana, the societal shift toward legalization, and its links to mental illness and violence, especially among young men.

The episode is characterized by Kelly’s direct, unapologetic tone and heated debate among panelists.

Part 1: The Minneapolis ICE Shooting

Event Recap & Immediate Response

• Incident Summary:
  On Jan 7, 2026, an ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good, a protester who blocked an ICE operation in Minneapolis. The shooting was captured on multiple videos and has triggered intense reactions from local politicians, national media, and activists.

  • Kelly: "The mainstream have lost their effing minds... They're not going to be happy until an ICE agent is dead." (00:51)

• Key Context:
  The ICE agent involved had previously been seriously injured in June 2025 after being dragged over 100 yards by a suspect's car during another ICE operation—a video evidence of which surfaced during this episode.

Chronology & Analysis (Key Timestamps)

• [00:00–07:12] — Setting the Scene:

  • Kelly recounts the prior incident involving the ICE agent and characterizes ongoing protests as dangerous and deeply misrepresented by local officials/media.
  • Eyewitness accounts reveal Good "was very successful in blocking traffic. She was doing what she was set out to do." (07:11)

• [09:26] — Raw Video Analysis:
  Audio/video show agents commanding Good to exit her car. Instead, Good reverses, then accelerates toward an agent standing by her SUV; he fires as the vehicle moves forward.

  • Kelly: "This guy knew he was about to get hit... there's likely video of this incident from the agent's vantage point." (11:02-11:35)

• [13:00] — Aftermath at the Scene:
  Agents deny an unverified physician's request to approach Good, citing EMS is en route, leading to confrontation with witnesses.

  • Resident: "You just killed my fucking neighbor. You killed my neighbor. How do you show up to work every day?" (13:12)

Legal Panel Discussion

Legal Standards & Law Enforcement Use of Force

Phil Holloway:

• Cites Graham v. Connor (1989), legal standard for police use of force:
  • "The Supreme Court told us... all police use of force must be reasonable and judged from the perspective of the officer on the scene." (16:49)
  • Objects to “hindsight bias” in public/media reaction: "We're supposed to look at it from his perspective, not the 2020 lens of hindsight." (17:30)
• Criticizes political rhetoric inflaming tensions.
  • “I wonder if [the mayor] is like certifiably insane... designed to fan the flames of this hysteria.” (16:59, paraphrased)

Ashleigh Merchant:

• Highlights civil vs. criminal legal pathways; argues both unlikely against the agent: "The standard that Phil talked about, this reasonable establishment standard, that's a civil standard... I don't think either of those [civil/criminal] are likely to be successful." (21:27)
• Notes Supreme Court precedent allows factoring in the agent's prior traumatic experience.

Dave Aronberg:

• Raises local/state legal jurisdiction under the Supremacy Clause.:
  • "States generally lack jurisdiction to prosecute a federal officer for actions taken within the scope of official federal duties... a principle derived from the Supremacy Clause." (24:18)
  • "If state authorities can show the agent was not within scope, they could try to prosecute, but it would likely be removed to federal court." (25:29)

Disputed Narratives & Eyewitnesses

• Kelly: “It's very annoying watching these eyewitnesses appear all over CNN... We have a video! No one cares what the fuck you saw.” (28:43)
• Panel notes the bias/unreliability of protest-affiliated eyewitnesses versus objective video evidence.

Political & Media Dynamics

• Kelly and panel blast Democratic officials and national media for amplifying hysteria:

  • On Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry's inflammatory comments: “If I wanted riots, I would do exactly what he did.” (45:39)
  • “They're just dumping kerosene on the fire, actually.” (47:31)

• On martyr creation:

  • “That's what they're already trying to make it into... they're saying, oh, she was a mother of a six-year-old boy whose dad died..." (32:08)

Notable Quotes

• Ashleigh Merchant (on reasonableness):
  “Both can be true... She could have not intended to run over that officer... And the officer could have believed she'd intended to. Both of those are true, it's still not wrong what he did.” (47:35)
• Dave Aronberg (on prosecution):
  “It's up to the judge to decide whether the state can make its case that this was so outside any reasonable test that he is not acting within his scope...” (27:04)

[53:09] – Humorous Side Note

• Kelly commends Mayor Fry’s sign language interpreter for “channeling his emotions… she deserves a special shout out.”

Part 2: Nick Reiner Murder Case – Legal Panel

Recap

• Event: The high-profile double homicide case of Nick Reiner, who killed his parents. Defense attorney Alan Jackson withdrew from the case, replaced by a public defender, though his parting words strongly implied a mental health-based defense.

Analysis & Defense Strategy

• Jackson’s statement: "Pursuant to the law in California, Nick Reiner is not guilty of murder. Print that." (55:52)

  • Kelly: “…this is not a media problem for your client. It's a—you took a knife and murdered your parents… problem." (55:52)

• Legal Panel Consensus: Withdrawal likely due to funding disputes, not a true legal/factual revelation.

• Insanity Defense Prospect:

  • Noted as extremely difficult to prove in California—"the burden of proof is on you as the defendant, and it's so high." (60:56)
  • Past behavior and attempts to conceal crime likely undermine insanity defense.
  • Merchant: “If you have a client charged with something like this… a mental health defense might keep him locked up longer than a regular sentence… public defender can get court-appointed experts.” (60:56)

• Competency to Stand Trial: Could be used to delay, but not as an ultimate defense.

Part 3: Dangers of Modern Marijuana (with Alex Berenson)

[72:34–101:51]

Marijuana, Violence, and Mental Illness

• Berenson’s Core Argument:

  • “Cannabis, marijuana… if you use that over time, and if you use a lot of it… you’re at higher risk for developing severe mental illness. Schizophrenia in particular.” (72:34)
  • "Psychosis is a risk factor in violence... especially violence against innocent family members or strangers." (73:14)
  • "And I will say that in the last seven years... the evidence has only mounted." (74:10)

• Connection to Crime:

  • Many high-profile violent crimes involve young men with heavy marijuana use histories (95:19, 96:19)
  • Cites the Dallas ICE shooter, Parkland shooter Nikolas Cruz, and Minneapolis school shooter as frequent users.

• On Legalization & Medical Marijuana:

  • Cannabis industry markets primarily to young, healthy adults—medical marijuana as pretense.
  • On medical claims: "Turns out... lasting pain relief from any drug is really difficult to do over time." (76:34)
  • Actual benefit to society is dubious; legalizing for recreation may at least be more honest than pushing it as medicine.

• Potency Today vs. the Past:

  • “50 years ago, if you smoked a joint, it had a few milligrams of THC... now it might have 100 milligrams.” (83:30)
  • Industry has created “lab-extracted” THC, far stronger than anything pre-2000.

• On Addictiveness and Functionality:

  • Marijuana is as risky as alcohol, but more psychologically addictive. Chronic users often develop stunted, antisocial lives.
    • “If you smoke pot all the time, you know, you wake and bake, you spend your days getting high... you're not actually forced to confront what it is you're doing to yourself.” (87:00)

• Link to Psychosis:

  • Teens with family history, mental health issues, or heavy use are at highest risk; breaks can be permanent.
    • “If you ever have that happen to you even once, you should never use again.” (91:36)

• Gummies, Youth Usage, and Social Attitudes:

  • Cannabis is replacing alcohol especially among the young; public falsely perceives it as safer.
  • “The logic [of drugs] is one word, Megan: more.” (83:11)

Notable Moments and Quotes

• Alex Berenson:

  • "This idea that cannabis is way safer than alcohol is demonstrably untrue." (79:28)
  • "Let’s legalize it like alcohol... instead, the industry sells it as a medicine, and that encourages exactly the wrong people to use it." (91:27)
  • "We have to, as a society, say, this is not a good way to do business. This is not good for our kids. It's not good for society. It's not good for anyone." (94:43)

• On Nick Reiner:

  • Clip played: “I'm just smoking weed to prevent myself from doing any other sort of hard thing right now.” (92:43)
  • Berenson: "That clip should be played in every high school in the country." (93:34)

• On School/Mass Shootings:

  • “Without even knowing who did the shooting... it’s gonna be a young man between 18 and 25... you can kind of tell.” (98:28)
  • “No one's talking about the fact that what else has happened during this time… the increase of THC in marijuana and the increased use of cannabis...” (99:13)

Conclusion

• Societal Call:
  • The episode concludes with a direct call to “take down the temperature” in the ICE shooting debate and a plea for more honest national discourse around escalating marijuana normalization and its overlooked connection to mental illness and violence.

Key Takeaways

• ICE shooting: Panel overwhelmingly supports the agent, citing legal standards and condemning political/media escalation; points to growing risk for law enforcement amid local hostility.
• Marijuana segment: Modern cannabis is radically different (more potent), more addictive, and associated with mental illness and violence in young adults. The smooth path to normalization and legalization is dangerous and not grounded in science.
• The episode is a pointed critique of partisan media/politics and lack of transparency/honesty in public dialogue on law enforcement and drug policy.

Timestamps for Major Segments

• ICE Shooting Overview / Agent’s Prior Incident: 00:51–07:12
• Detailed Video Breakdown of Shooting: 09:26–13:00
• Panel Legal Analysis (Use of Force, Jurisdiction): 16:49–35:28
• Media Critique & Political Commentary: 45:39–53:09
• Nick Reiner Case Legal Panel: 55:06–67:03
• Alex Berenson - Cannabis/Risks Discussion: 72:34–101:51

This summary covers all critical discussion points, central disputes, and memorable moments—conveying both the facts and the original tone of this lively and unfiltered episode.