The Michael Knowles Show – Ep. 1888

Gang Members GET SHOT Trying To Run Over ICE Agent
Date: January 12, 2026
Host: Michael Knowles

Overview

In this episode, Michael Knowles dissects the rapidly shifting narrative surrounding an officer-involved shooting in Minneapolis, where an ICE agent shot a woman attempting to run him over. The episode highlights changes in political/media messaging, the role of bodycam evidence, the reactions of politicians and commentators, and similar incidents in Portland involving violent gang affiliates. Michael then pivots to larger cultural and political questions—asserting that law enforcement must be empowered and protected—and discusses President Trump’s bold new foreign policy moves, including the prospect of attacking Mexican cartels militarily. He closes with thoughts on conservative unity and Trump’s latest policy pushes, specifically a credit card interest rate cap.

Minneapolis ICE Incident: Narrative Shifts & Bodycam Evidence

The Timeline of Leftist Narratives ([00:00])

• Michael details how the media’s narrative has shifted with emerging evidence:
  • “The initial narrative around the officer-involved shooting in Minneapolis was that ICE agents murdered a peaceful, innocent mom by shooting her through her driver’s side window while she sat in her car minding her own business.“
  • As footage contradicts this, the story is gradually adjusted until, he says, “Sure, she hit the officer with her car, but only a little bit."

Quote Highlights

• Michael Knowles ([04:37]):
  “He was not injured.”
• Jacob Fry, Mayor of Minneapolis ([04:19]):
  “Don’t take my word for it. Don’t take their word for it. Watch the video from every single angle... the ICE agent walked away with a hip injury that he might as well have gotten from closing a refrigerator door with his hips.”

Commentary on Law Enforcement and Social Expectations

• Knowles lampoons the idea that any contact with a police officer by vehicle can be excused:
  ([05:23])
  “You cannot hit a police officer with your car or you’re gonna get shot in the face. And you’re going to deserve it.”

• He observes how bodycam footage, originally demanded by police skeptics, ends up largely vindicating cops:
  “You put the body cameras on the cops, and you find that the cops are in the right 99.9999% of the time.”

Critique of Media and Activist Spin Surrounding the Shooting

Ilhan Omar’s Argument on CBS ([08:30])

• Margaret Brennan on CBS is cited for uncritically nodding along as Ilhan Omar and guest Renee Nicole Goode argue the woman was peaceful and law enforcement overreacted.

• Michael Knowles ([09:33]): “She trains to obstruct ICE... She’s not just minding her own business. She’s driving into a cop... The cop is in front of the car before she’s driving... she hits the gas, the tires start spinning directly into the cop.”

Key Video Evidence

• Knowles points out crucial video evidence and the line:
  “Drive, baby, drive,” ([11:48]) as the partner instructs the woman to accelerate towards the officer.

Attribution of Blame

• Knowles assigns blame in order:

  1. The woman herself (“She drove into a cop.”)
  2. Her partner (“she’s the one who gave her the order.”)
  3. Democratic political leaders for fostering lawless expectations.
  • ([12:50]):
    “All of these layers of scandal had to exist — had that lesbian not gone in there and told her paramour, ‘drive, baby, drive,’ that woman probably wouldn’t have driven.”
  • He stresses, “The only way to rectify these problems is with a political social solution based on standards, based on norms, based on expectations, based on habituation, based on behavior.”

Related Incident: Venezuelan Gangsters in Portland

Portland Incident Recap ([16:57])

• Two criminals, tied to the Tren de Aragua gang, attempt to run over ICE agents and are shot.
• Knowles highlights the local media’s reluctance to discuss the incident because the suspects are not white leftist activists.

Police Chief’s Emotional Response ([18:16])

• Bob Day, Portland Police Chief, hesitates to “victim blame,” emphasizes concern for the Latino community, and describes sadness over sharing details of criminal gang affiliation.

  • ([19:21])
    “This information in no way is meant... to condone or support or agree with any of the actions that occurred yesterday.”

• Michael Knowles ([19:46]) mocks this reluctance:
  “The victim in this case being a Venezuelan pimp. Terrorists who are trying to run over a cop in America.”

Law and Order: Tactical Enforcement ([20:15])

• Knowles endorses robust policing—the use of force to extract agitators obstructing ICE.

• ([21:28])
  “It feels good... to see the police do their jobs... smash out those windows, drag these people who are obstructing law enforcement... and let law enforcement do their job.“

• He frames vigorous enforcement as the only alternative to more “dead agitators”: enforcing the law prevents chaos and deaths like those in Minneapolis and during BLM riots.

Trump’s “Conservative Imperialism”: Bombing Cartels, Policy Synthesis

Trump on Using Military Against Mexican Cartels ([26:33])

• Donald Trump: “We’ve knocked out 97% of the drugs coming in by water, and we are going to start now hitting land with regard to the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico... killing 250, 300,000 people in our country every single year. The border’s ostensibly really closed now. Closed. It can’t come in. Nobody comes, nobody even tries.”

• Knowles ([27:35]):
  He explains how Trump’s policies synthesize neoconservative and paleoconservative priorities—using military force near home for American interests ("conservative imperialism").

  • “Trump is a conservative imperialist... imperialism based on real interests... in defense of the nation.”

• He emphasizes Trump’s use of power as a “traditional” approach—asserting Monroe Doctrine-like control over the Western Hemisphere.

Conservative Unity: The “Right-Wing Civil War” Is Just a Podcast Thing

Glenn Youngkin Endorses J.D. Vance for 2028 ([36:08])

• Glenn Youngkin:
  “I firmly believe, and I’ll repeat it again, I agree with President Trump, I agree with Marco Rubio. I think Vice President Vance would be a great nominee.”

• Knowles sees this as proof that:

  • “The right-wing civil war is entirely a podcasting phenomenon.”
  • Actual policy unity among real-world GOP/political elites is at a historical high.

• ([37:17])
  “There is, as a matter of policy and actual politicians... more unity in the Republican Party than I have probably ever seen in my entire lifetime.”

Trump’s Economic Populism: Anti-Usury Jubilee and Response to Young Voters ([40:47])

• Trump’s Statement:
  “We will no longer let the American public be ripped off by credit card companies... Effective January 20, 2026, I... am calling for a one year cap on credit card interest rates of 10%.”

• Michael Knowles:

  • Applauds the policy for being both “deeply conservative” (“books of Moses”–level anti-usury) and pragmatic.
  • Asserts this aligns with early American tradition: “We had anti-usury laws in 1776.”
  • Critiques proponents of a rigid free-market ideology, stating these policies respond to real economic struggles, especially among young people:
    • "You can say the homes are much bigger and nicer now, okay? But there aren't, like, cheap, small homes that your grandparents had... You have real economic problems. Trump needs to respond to that. And he is—even down to banning institutional investors from buying single family homes. BlackRock doesn't get to buy single family homes anymore."
  • Praises political sensitivity: “Politics is... applying those very principles to changing circumstances and by acknowledging the reality of change, which is one of the constants in this world.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the left’s narrative shifts:
  ([01:27])
  “The liberal mayor of Minneapolis has just given us the latest narrative, which is: ‘Sure, she hit the officer with her car, but only a little bit.’”

• On bodycam evidence exposing false narratives:
  ([06:54])
  “You put the body cameras on the cops and you find that the cops are in the right 99.9999% of the time.”

• On activist language:
  ([11:48])
  “Drive, baby, drive, drive. That's the key to this. The person who is most responsible for this woman's death is the woman herself. She drove into a cop.”

• On laws and expectations:
  ([12:50])
  “You had to have a lot of things go wrong here for this woman to get killed. And they all went wrong.”

• On robust law enforcement:
  ([20:15])
  “The only way to avoid dead leftist agitators like that lady in Minneapolis... is for federal law enforcement to vigorously enforce the law.”

• On Trump synthesizing right-wing factions:
  ([27:35])
  “Trump is a conservative imperialist... This is a beautiful meeting of [neocon and paleo views].”

• On so-called "right-wing civil war":
  ([37:17])
  “The so-called right-wing civil war is entirely a podcasting phenomenon.”

Key Timestamps & Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Notable Topic | |----------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 – 02:50 | Minneapolis incident – evolving media/political narrative | | 04:19 – 05:09 | Jacob Fry & Knowles on injury/narratives | | 08:30 – 09:33 | Ilhan Omar on CBS; Knowles debunks media spin | | 11:34 – 12:50 | Partner’s “Drive, baby, drive” and Knowles’ breakdown | | 16:57 – 20:27 | Portland incident, police chief’s response, Knowles commentary | | 20:15 – 21:28 | The necessity of robust police response | | 26:33 – 27:35 | Trump discusses targeting cartels, Knowles elaborates | | 36:04 – 37:17 | Glenn Youngkin’s 2028 endorsement; conservative unity | | 40:47 – 46:28 | Trump’s anti-usury policy, Knowles' take on economic populism |

Tone and Language

Knowles employs a biting, sardonic style—mocking political adversaries, mixing serious analysis with dark or gallows humor, and maintaining a conversational, “inside baseball” feel for his largely right-leaning audience. He’s highly critical of Democratic politicians, activist talking points, and media narratives, and enthusiastic about robust law enforcement and Trump’s new conservatism.

Conclusion

This episode is a blend of cultural and political analysis—using two high-profile law enforcement incidents to argue that weak leadership, media spin, and leftist activism contribute to societal chaos, while robust policing and clear standards restore order. He sees in Trump a “conservative imperialism” that merges nationalist priorities with traditional assertiveness, and he stresses the need for responsive, evolving conservative policy, as evidenced in Trump’s latest economic proposals.

For more details, tune in to the full episode or see the listed timestamps for each segment.