A (4:38)

Right. I mean, one of the big issues here that we're dealing with is that this White House, which has the biggest megaphone, puts out so much disinformation and they put out things that have no attachment with reality. And so we're usually people are used to in politics, whether it's fortunately or unfortunately is people spin things. You're like, okay, maybe the accurate thing is somewhere in the middle. But what this White House, which, which shouldn't be good, we should be truthful no matter what. But what this White House is doing is they put out things that aren't even anywhere near the realm of truth. Then you have to respond to negatives While you're out there just trying to beat the governor while your state's under attack. So how do you deal with that? I think the American people, when you.

B (5:23)

That was well said, Ben. And now I'm feeling stressed again because you're right about all those things. Look, this is one that I don't think as a society we've come to grips with yet. This post truth society, you've seen it. I see you every day pop up on my TikTok. Except the last three days. Something's up with TikTok. I keep hearing about it, and anything political is being stifled. I'm concerned now, and I would have never thought this, that do people across America really realize what's happening here? And I don't think, you know, the horrific images you saw with Renee, with Alex, with Liam, with so many others, that's one thing. But it's every day, and it's. It's things of children seeing their parents pulled away. It's. It's. I'll tell you a scene around here that is like, you know, some type of horror movie. Abandoned cars with their flashers on, their windows broken out and their seatbelts cut. Those are places where they just drag somebody out.

A (6:17)

It is.

B (6:17)

It is horrific. It's inhumane. It's doing nothing. And I think for me to try and stay focused, we still have to plow the roads. We still have to function with government. We. We still have to put out facts. The president's saying they've arrested 13,000 people here. There's no way that's possible. And then they're saying, well, Minnesota has 1300 people in their prisons that they should give to us. Our entire prison population is 8,200. Seven of them are undocumented and they are doing time here. Or they put out something and pat themselves on the back, that they captured a violent criminal. That was someone that we have had in jail for years, and. And we simply turn over when their time is done. So you're right. And I find myself trying to argue when they've already moved on the question here for them, do they understand that for all of that, something still holding, that organized, peaceful, massive resistance in Minnesota forced these guys who thought they were impervious to anything, impervious to court orders, impervious to whatever. They're not impervious to those folks on the streets. And I'm reminding folks, you saw tens of thousands of people on the streets Friday here in Minnesota, and it was 40 below wind chill. You can be pretty certain every one of Those is going to be in a warm voting booth come November. And I think that they're feeling the heat of this, if you will. And again, I wish they would get here because it an assault on our moral. It's an assault on our constitution. But I think they got here because they know they're going to get whipped come November.

A (7:55)

I've heard you say this before, and this is something that I try to emphasize over and over again on this network, is that what's happening in Minnesota and frankly across the country should not be a political thing. It should not be a Democrat or a Republican thing. It should be a good versus evil thing and a basic empathy. And where corporate news and others who cover these things gamify it. Like, well, how is this going to impact this and how is it going to impact that? What you often say is, can we just be good people here? And one of the reasons I feel like he's targeted the state of Minnesota is if you were to say, like, what's the. Where's the state with the nicest people? Like the nice. Where do the nice people go? Like, that's kind of one of Minnesota's reps. And so they bring some of the worst people to attack some of the best people.

B (8:41)

I think you're right. Look, it's not any longer a political argument. It's a moral argument. And you saw that. And I do think that's true. Look, every state lifts it up. But on independent, look at this. Minnesota ranks near the top in almost everything. Quality of life, health care. We have paid family and medical leave everything up to happiness. We rank incredibly high. And it's 40 below zero, for goodness sakes. Look, what I think they hate about this is Minnesota works on progressive values where everybody matters, where we leave you alone to love who you love, to do what you need to do. We have the most progressive taxation system, means if you're rich, you're gonna pay more, and if you're not, you're not going to pay as much. We have an incredibly generous social safety net that you hear about. And yes, I have a responsibility to make sure that system is secured and people don't steal from us. But the fact of the matter is we have the lowest childhood poverty rates. We have some of the highest education rates, we have some of the highest insured rates. We have the highest longevity. And I think that they quite honestly don't like that. I don't want to be Arkansas. I want to be Minnesota.

A (9:42)

Pavino's out, you know, do we know that he you know, there was mixed reporting on it. Obviously the good reporting was he was out or demoted. They shut down his emails. And then I saw Trisha McLaughlin say he still has some role. What, what do we know that he's got like, like that guy needs to go. Yeah. And frankly, all of border patrol and ice, they need to go, they need to get out of the state. But is that guy gone?

B (10:05)

Well, I think so. I mean, and look, again, we're, we're good neighbors on this. People didn't like Greg Bravino. I, I don't know if he, his ego knew that they, they don't like him. But last night people found out where he was staying and, and my folks helped make sure they protected that hotel and that Greg Robino could get whatever night's sleep you can get after the things they've done and then to leave. So look, I think the way this works is, is that no one just fires somebody off, that they kind of just shut them off. We hope that that same thing is happening. True. They're just ineffective. They don't, they don't know what they're doing. It has nothing to do with law enforcement, nothing to do with safety. So a good, he's gone. I think Tom Holman has the President's ear and has done this before. But as pointed out, you know, they have to show, they have to show a change in this. And this isn't, you know, us negotiating with this. This is an assault by the federal government on a state. I don't think ever seen with this type of vindictiveness. Maybe in our history when the federal government went into southern states during civil rights movement, it was because the states weren't honoring people's rights. We're honoring the rights here and the federal government's trying to take them away. So a full out assault of a state simply because, and look, I, between you and I've been, what is this all about? It's Donald Trump lost his state three times and he's stating that he did. And you saw that Pam Bondi tried to extort us out of our voting files, which in is never going to happen. We're never going to give them to them. You know, and all these Republican 10th Amendmenters folks, where are they? So, yeah, there's a lot going on right now, but this is a really, really important moment. I would argue over the next 48 to 72 hours that we need to see a change in posture and then it needs to extend for the other assaults on us, freezing our federal dollars. I'LL remind you again, we are a donor state. We pay more in than almost any other state and get less back. And the idea that our federal dollars are being held up so that they can fund this operation is simply outrageous.

A (12:13)

And Governor, you say Republicans pretended to care for the 10th Amendment. They pretended they were First Amendment absolutists, but hate free speech and peaceful protests and second Amendment. You know, they're all saying if you bring any concealed carrier, have a lawful permit. You've heard them all say that. They have all gone on, you know, Christine Ohm and all of them saying, you know, we shoot and kill you if you conceal, carry with a lawful permit.

B (12:36)

It's, it's outrageous. Look, we had a while back, I remember this Garrison Keiller, Minnesotan one time said, look, they've made peace with their hypocrisy long ago. It's almost not worth pointing out. But I will say it's maddening. It is maddening that. But I will say this, due to Ben, in all fairness, and I saw Marjorie Taylor Greene said this today, the nra, some of them are starting up, it's taking a little while, but they're starting to speak up. And I think that probably adds to this. The White House has their problem with independence and the left outraged by this. Now they've added another subsect of the second Amendment folks out here who, who see this. And again, I've been asking this for months. Where are the don't tread on me people? Because they are treading on you every day. And I don't know if people out there think somehow this isn't going to come to your state or if you're sitting there thinking, well, I'm a red state or whatever. Well, shame on you. Shame on you. I am perfectly glad as a union that Minnesota tax dollars go to helping feed children in Louisiana through our tax dollars or helping in housing in Oklahoma, whatever it may be, we're in this together. Donald Trump has, has made it clear that he sees two very different Americans and he uses the term, he calls us the enemy. You put that out, you put people's lives at risk. So, yeah, I hope some of them find their spines. I hope they find their decency. I do think we've got a chance here that these two murders and this murder of Alex is a point that could change American history and moving away. Do I think they're going to find good hearts and do things right? I'm not real hopeful on that. But I do think they're scared to death about November and Hopefully that changes their behavior.

A (14:25)

Quick question for you before we go. You mentioned Christine Oem, who was a colleague of yours in the House of Representatives. She doesn't even call you. She does a press conference now defaming you like saying the most horrific things about you defaming Alex. Pretty. You know, lots of people are calling for her impeachment now because her conduct has been so utterly outrageous. But as you mentioned earlier, she was your colleague. You knew her, you were like friendly with her in the House of Representatives. Representatives. And now she's doing this too.

B (14:54)

That's a fair characterization. And look, I am most. And, and I told Michael and Susan, Alex's parents that I would defend him to the end of time on this and that one, I signed up for this. I expect them to do it to me. But to, to do that to Alex is beyond the pale. But yeah, I mean for your viewers and just to think about this, Ben. We were side by side in states. She and I worked together on the ag committee. We co wrote bills together. Things like beginning farmer and rancher and you know, prairie pothole legislation. And then we got together and we were the co chairs of the governor's biofuels caucus where we work on things like sustainable aviation, fuel. I knew her children, I knew her husband. I talked to her. I would see her every day and talk. This would be somebody that was a colleague and friendly with. And now this I don't understand with these folks who got into this, who are the MAGA movement or whatever, how you got so angry and flipped and switched things off. She knows who I am. And when I was in Congress, to the chagrin of maybe some on the left, I was more than willing to compromise with people. I'm pretty centrist Democrat to try and get things done because I represented a rural district. But I have not changed much in my positions. I was always a pro choice person. I was always pro marriage equality. So I hadn't changed my positions. And now all of a sudden we get this. So yeah, it's the weirdest damn thing. I don't know what to tell you, but I think she probably should go back to South Dakota, not have any dogs and just kind of ride things out, you know.

A (16:37)

We all knew what an incredibly courageous person Alex is. Now the world got to know what a kind heart he had. ICU nurse, we, we've all heard from his colleagues. Just, just if I can ask how obviously his parents are going through unthinkable tragedy. I, I hope they know that the world, you know, is so behind them and how, how are they hanging in there? I just, I just, you know, I'm.

B (17:01)

Really proud of, I'm proud of Minnesotans. I'll be proud, but I'm proud of the media. I watched yesterday and the bulk of the coverage was on Alex's life. I spent an hour yesterday and sat down with his colleagues. And again, these are some of the toughest people you'll find. Icu, ICU nurses at one of the nation's largest VA hospitals. These are tough people and spend their lives looking for others. And so I think telling that story, seeing that and look, the outrage of this and in the moments after it happened, this is the one that I'm having a hard time reconciling. And I gotta be honest, honest with you, I have to like take a deep breath, especially on Saturday when I spoke to the press to have somebody like Kristi Noman, J.D. vance and Stephen Miller label Alex Preddy as a domestic terrorist and, and put it out there. Christine Noem said he was coming to massacre massive law enforcement. He was a proud supporter of law enforcement in the military, proud second amendment defender. Just his colleagues said he had a deep, unmovable sense of morality and civil rights. And they said, you know the horror of the video. They said they knew the minute that that woman was pushed down that there was no way that he couldn't get between that it was just who he was. And as it turned out, that move to step in front and protect that woman cost him his life. And so look, we're not going to forget this. We're not going to forget Renee Goode. We're not going to forget the other more than a dozen more people killed in ICE custody, children that are ripped out of their parents arms. Just, you know, we saw the nightmare here of using a 5 year old in a little bunny hat and a backpack as bait. That's despicable. Human behavior that cannot stand. So I think people ask us, we have a full expectation that we do an independent investigation and should we need be, we will bring charges and bring these ICE agents back and they can serve the time for what they did in both Renee and Alex case.

A (19:08)

Governor Walls, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

B (19:11)

Thanks for the work you do everybody.

A (19:13)

Hit subscribe. Let's get to 6 million subscribers. Want to stay plugged in? Become a subscriber to our substack@midasplus.com. you'll get daily recaps from Ron Filipkowski, add free episodes of our podcast and more exclusive content only available@midasplus.com.

B (19:32)

Well, the.

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