The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1898 – "The Truth About The Man Killed By ICE In Minneapolis"

Date: January 26, 2026
Host: Michael Knowles (The Daily Wire)

Episode Overview

This episode tackles the controversy surrounding the recent fatal shooting of left-wing activist Alex Preddy by ICE officers in Minneapolis. Michael Knowles wades through the media narratives and public reactions, critiquing both leftist and some conservative responses. He explores not just the details of the incident but asks the broader question: “Why does this always happen in Minneapolis?” Knowles also critiques how Minnesota's political leadership fuels radicalism, discusses the broader decline of leftist-globalist narratives, and closes by reflecting on law, order, and effective governance.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Minneapolis Shooting: Facts & Narratives

Time: 00:28-09:50

• Incident Recap: Activist Alex Preddy, aged 37, was shot by ICE officers during a targeted federal operation in Minneapolis.
  • He was violently resisting disarmament while carrying a gun (00:58).
  • Preddy had a concealed carry permit but was not known to carry; he brought a gun to a highly volatile situation (03:26).
• Knowles on Law Enforcement:
  • “I think that anybody who is counter signaling law enforcement right now is useless. Just doesn’t get it.” (02:23)
  • He critiques right-wing “principled conservatives” who hesitate to fully back law enforcement in such situations.
• Officer’s Experience: The agent who fired the shot was an eight-year Border Patrol veteran—implying competence and training (04:20).
• Parent’s Warning: Preddy’s parents warned him not to engage with officers:
  • “We had this discussion with him two weeks ago or so...do not engage. Do not do anything stupid.” (05:21)
  • Knowles points to this as evidence Preddy was seeking a confrontation.

2. Analyzing the Shooting: Details & Justification

Time: 09:50-13:43

• Video Breakdown: Preddy obstructs law enforcement in the street; after a scuffle, shots are fired.
• Uncertainty Over First Shot:
  • Debate exists whether Preddy or the officer's weapon discharged first; the suspect’s Sig Sauer has a “hair trigger.”
  • “We don’t know who shot first…But even if [the gun] went off accidentally, deadly force was justified.” (12:15)
• Legal Standard:
  • Knowles cites Supreme Court precedent, emphasizing that lethal force is “objectively reasonable” if officers perceive an immediate threat, given riotous context in Minneapolis. (13:38)

3. Illegitimate Outrage and the “Easiest Thing”

Time: 13:43-19:10

• Message to Liberals:
  • “Not getting shot by the cops is like the easiest thing to do in America.” (15:12)
  • He underscores that showing up and escalating a law enforcement operation while armed predictably results in deadly force.
• Suicide by Cop: Preddy’s actions characterized as “lib kamikazes” or “lib jihadis”—people seeking perverse martyrdom (16:19).
• Political Leaders: Knowles points a finger at Minnesota's politicians for enabling unrest and insurrection (18:00).

4. Why Always Minneapolis? Political Climate and Local Leadership

Time: 19:10-31:26

• Scott Bessant (Treasury Secretary) Interview Highlights:
  • Accuses Governor Walz of “fomenting chaos” and not supporting federal investigations into state corruption:
    • “He [Governor Walz] is fomenting chaos because there is substantial waste, fraud, and abuse ... the governor has not done a good job at tamping this down.” (19:13)
  • Bessant draws attention to agitators, not regular citizens, fueling protests.
• Political Hypocrisy & Insurrection: Knowles ridicules Governor Walz for addressing protestors behind gates while encouraging confrontation with federal officers (24:28).
  • “Go attack federal law enforcement … Some of you might get shot, but who cares?” (25:26)
• Amy Klobuchar’s Statement:
  • Klobuchar demands "ICE out of Minnesota," claiming their presence makes things less safe (27:00).
  • Knowles counters: “There’s something called the Supremacy Clause. We have a federal government.”
• State Rep. Alex Falconer: Actively encourages organization of rapid-response networks to resist ICE, including assistance for targeted families and coordination via encrypted apps (29:12).
  • Knowles interprets these actions as “actively conspiring ... to oppose federal law enforcement,” calling it traitorous (31:26).

5. Left vs. Right: Organizing and Conspiracies

Time: 31:26-33:20

• Cam Higby, an independent journalist, infiltrates left-wing Signal chats—finds organized doxxing of ICE agents and civilians.
• Comparison: Right-wing group chats “send edgy memes and plan drinks,” while left-wing ones conspire for active resistance and violence (32:31).
• “The Radical left is serious. They mean business. They want to hurt us. They are hurting us. … No naivete. We cannot have any naivete.” (33:08)

6. National Trends and Simple Governance

Time: 33:20-41:52

• Nationwide Progress:
  • Despite chaos in Minnesota, the US murder rate hit a 125-year low in 2025 (34:29).
  • “The murder rate might be the lowest it’s been since 1900. 125-year low. Weird, huh? Weird. What changed?” (34:54)
• Enforcement Works: The key is straightforward: “If you suppress the bad stuff and encourage the good stuff, you’re going to have a better country.” (37:12)
• Policies like border closure and increased incarceration have clear results.
• "It’s about as easy as not getting shot by the cops. And they’re related things.” (38:19)

7. The Collapse of Old Narratives

Time: 41:52-47:58

• Climate Alarmism:
  • Revisiting Al Gore’s and John Kerry’s failed climate disaster predictions from 2009.
  • “Al Gore just made himself look like a complete clown ... John Kerry too, though. These guys are total jokes.” (42:16)
• Points out how leftist alarmism is quickly forgotten, but the cycle of hysteria persists: COVID, climate, ICE “overreach,” etc.
• Davos Anecdote:
  • Al Gore now reduced to “the lone boo in the crowd”—a symbol of the declining power of global liberal elites (45:58).
  • “That sums it up for me. They lost. They look ridiculous. … What you’re seeing is the last gasp of that dying political order.” (46:15)
• Concluding Principle:
  • The solution is “law enforcement should be tough enough that no one ever again asks the question, ‘Why did the guns have bullets in them?’” (47:02)
  • “The charitable thing to do is to enforce the law, set the right expectations, get these lunatics off the street where they’re a threat to other people and they're a threat to themselves.” (47:33)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Law Enforcement Loyalty:
  “If that’s your reaction to this, you’re not going to make it ... You are useless to this political movement.” (02:44)
• On Minneapolis as Riot Epicenter:
  “Why is this unrest, this insurrection, this discord, this violence in the streets? Why is it only happening in Minneapolis?” (18:12)
• On Kamikaze Activists:
  “These people are like, they're kamikazes. They're lib kamikazes. They're lib jihadis.” (16:19)
• On Avoiding Police Shootings:
  “Not getting shot by the cops is like the easiest thing to do in America. … I’ve been doing it my whole life. So have you.” (15:12)
• Scott Bessant on Protests & Guns:
  "Guess what? I didn't bring a gun. I brought a billboard." (21:20)
• Johnny Cash Paraphrase:
  “Don’t take your guns to town, son. Leave your guns at home.” (21:31)
• Meta Commentary:
  “Al Gore ... reduced from being the main stage speaker with all the accolades, nearly president, to being a heckler in the crowd, the lone boo.” (45:58)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Opening / Minnesota ICE shooting overview | 00:28-03:30 | | Breakdown of ICE engagement and Preddy's role | 03:30-09:45 | | Video analysis & first shot debate | 09:50-12:30 | | Legal justification for deadly force | 13:38-15:00 | | Sociopolitical context: Minneapolis unrest | 18:12-20:07 | | Interview: Scott Bessant (Treasury Secretary) | 19:13-21:06 | | Klobuchar, Falconer, and Minnesota politics | 27:00-31:26 | | Cam Higby on left-wing Signal chats | 31:26-33:20 | | National crime rate trends and policy | 34:29-38:19 | | Al Gore’s climate prediction, Davos story | 41:52-45:58 | | Concluding commentary and principles | 47:00-47:58 |

Conclusion

Michael Knowles’ analysis of the ICE shooting in Minneapolis goes beyond the event, examining how political leadership, media narratives, and radical activism contribute to unrest. He reiterates the necessity of enforcing the law without apology and frames the incident as a test of state and federal authority. The broader context, from climate alarmism to crime reduction, is wielded to argue that strong, unapologetic governance leads to positive results, and that the age of leftist-globalist dominance is waning.

Tone: Direct, irreverent, at times sardonic, with a clear conservative and combative perspective.

For Listeners:
This episode is essential if you're tracking the intersection of national law enforcement, political radicalism in Minnesota, and the ongoing culture war over law, order, and legitimacy of government power.