Podcast Summary: The Opinions (The New York Times Opinion)

Episode: Tom Friedman – Minneapolis, Alex Pretti, and a Democracy at Risk

Date: January 27, 2026
Host: Steve Stromberg
Guest: Tom Friedman, NYT Columnist

Episode Overview

In this episode, Steve Stromberg speaks with Tom Friedman on the aftermath of deadly federal violence in Minneapolis, the parallels between American and Israeli politics, and the increasingly precarious state of democracy. Drawing from his latest column, Friedman reflects on his personal connection to Minneapolis and explores broader issues, including immigration, democratic institutions, and the challenge of national unity in an era of deliberate division.

Main Topics & Key Insights

1. Minneapolis Violence & Personal Reflections

[00:55 – 02:55]

• Recent Events:
  • Customs and Border Protection agents killed ICU nurse and protester Alex Pretti, just weeks after ICE killed Renee Goode.
• Personal Pain:
  • Friedman, a Minneapolis native, describes his distress witnessing his hometown’s upheaval:

    "It's just been so painful to see my hometown destabilized in this way, but also torn apart." (Tom Friedman, 01:24)

• Pride & Anguish in Minneapolis:
  • Local community efforts to defend residents—largely peaceful, using "more cell phones than snowballs."
  • Simultaneous pain over city, economy, and community feeling assaulted by federal powers.

    "It's a mixture of pride and anguish." (Tom Friedman, 02:08)

2. Drawing Parallels: Minneapolis & Gaza

[02:55 – 05:59]

• Column Comparison:
  • Friedman likens the street violence and political exploitation in Minneapolis to the ongoing war in Gaza.
  • Both situations are, in his words, “wars of the worst,” driven by the most extreme elements on all sides.

    "All these people were actually using violence to strengthen their political standing." (Tom Friedman, 04:38)

  • In both Israel and the US, hardliners (Netanyahu, Trump, Hamas, Hezbollah) “win by division, not addition.”
• Mutual Political Interests:
  • Netanyahu and Hamas enable each other; neither truly wants a solution, both want to retain power by perpetuating crisis.
  • Trump has avoided legislative immigration solutions in favor of division.

3. Political Stakes in 2026

[05:59 – 07:22]

• Electoral Crossroads:
  • This year is pivotal for both Israel and the US. Both democracies are at risk of being fundamentally changed if current power dynamics continue.

    "If this government is reelected and can complete that agenda, it will be the end of Israel as you have known it." (Tom Friedman, 06:35) "If Republicans hold the House and Senate in 2026 … I just can't imagine what [Trump] might attempt to do." (Tom Friedman, 06:58)

4. Divided Government & Shifting Republican Tactics

[07:22 – 11:58]

• GOP Fractures:
  • Trump’s strategy in Minneapolis may be shifting after political and public backlash, including rare conciliatory appearances by J.D. Vance.

    "For [Vance] to then show up in Minneapolis and say, let us reason together... I thought was a tip off that he was definitely channeling the views of Republicans..." (Tom Friedman, 08:36)

• Immigration Policy Nuance:
  • Friedman positions himself as “radically pro-immigration” but stresses the need for secure borders to prevent public backlash and maintain consensus.

    "There is no way we're going to maintain a consensus in this country on immigration if people feel the border is open." (Tom Friedman, 09:31)

• Critique of Trump:
  • Trump has refused legislative compromise on immigration because he prefers divisive politics.

    "He is a divider, not a uniter. And that is what he also has in common with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu." (Tom Friedman, 11:06)

5. America’s Moral Example & The Global Order

[13:01 – 15:44]

• American Exceptionalism:
  • Friedman extols America’s global leadership and optimism but warns of reputational decline from short-sighted politics.

    "If America goes dark, the whole world goes dark. If we go selfish, the whole world grows selfish." (Tom Friedman, 13:43) "Last time I checked, Steve, God distributed brains equally around the world. What he didn't distribute equally is countries that would openly embrace those brains. And that's been America's single greatest competitive advantage." (Tom Friedman, 14:47)

6. Immigration as America’s Strength

[16:35 – 20:21]

• Personal Anecdote:
  • Friedman shares the transformation of Wilmer, MN into a vibrant, majority-immigrant town as proof America can adapt peacefully.

    "Wilmer, Minnesota today is 40% Somali, Latino and other immigrants...this diversity is normal for them." (Tom Friedman, 17:54)

• Navigating Demographic Transition:
  • Acknowledges the challenge for those unsettled by cultural and economic change, but insists leadership is needed to guide transition.

    "There are Americans who...their sense of home, of cultural norms, and of work have all been destabilized at the same time. And along came a man named Donald Trump who said, I will build a wall." (Tom Friedman, 18:33)

• Democratic Warning:
  • Urges Democrats to pair protests with strong, pragmatic border policies.

    "Make sure every American understands you will do that. It's vital that Democrats make clear that...they're going to do it to partner with Republicans to create that legal framework to manage our opportunity and our challenges of immigration." (Tom Friedman, 19:48)

7. Minnesota’s Identity & National Lessons

[21:09 – 23:20]

• Minnesota’s Community Ethos:
  • Shares a humorous childhood story illustrating Minnesota’s gentle character.

    "[My dad] said, son, he was shopping in a store before it was open. That's Minnesota for breaking and entering." (Tom Friedman, 21:31)

• National Sense of Loss:
  • Friedman sees current events as both tragic and inspiring, with communities fighting to restore America's founding mission—“out of many, one.”

    "And that's what Minnesota is about. And that is, to me, the tragedy of what is going on now, but also the beauty of watching people really dedicated to creating out of many one..." (Tom Friedman, 22:23)

8. Institutional Fragility & Democracy’s Horizon

[23:56 – 26:18]

• Optimism for the Next Generation:
  • Faith that young Americans find diversity both normal and valuable.

    "I do believe a generation is coming where this kind of deep diversity will be the norm. So my default setting is optimistic. And by the way, that's without drugs. Okay?" (Tom Friedman, 23:58)

• Twin Dangers: Institutional Erosion & Social Upheaval:
  • Warns the deliberate gutting of federal institutions and amplification of division (by both tech platforms and political leaders) threatens the nation’s future.

    "If we lose, our institutions, coming back will be next to impossible...And those institutions are in peril right now." (Tom Friedman, 24:32) "Mark Zuckerberg...created an industry that profits by enraging and dividing us...Then along came Donald Trump, and he took the lid off the pot and he made it permissible...to say and do things...that no American president has ever done." (Tom Friedman, 25:15)

• 2026 as Inflection Point:
  • Emphasizes the importance of the coming election for safeguarding American democracy.

Notable Quotes

• "I have a real allergy to people who want to exploit the problems for their political ends, not solve them."

  • Tom Friedman, 05:12

• “They both want to win by division, not addition. Okay? They both want to win by splitting their populations so finely that they can win the next election with 50.000001% of the vote.”

  • Tom Friedman, 11:14

• “If America goes dark, the whole world goes dark.”

  • Tom Friedman, 13:43

• “What he didn't distribute equally is countries that would openly embrace those brains. And that's been America's single greatest competitive advantage.”

  • Tom Friedman, 14:51

• “I grew up in a time and place where politics worked...I am from Minnesota. And you will never understand my column if you don’t understand that, because my column…should be called Always Looking for Minnesota.”

  • Tom Friedman, 22:00–22:23

• “If we lose our institutions, coming back will be next to impossible. Institutions really matter.”

  • Tom Friedman, 24:32

• “We need to ensure that our institutions hold. That’s why the 2026 election is so important. And we need to turn the heat down on the pot and put the lid back on.”

  • Tom Friedman, 26:08

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:55] – Friedman’s reflections on Minneapolis’s crisis
• [02:55] – Parallels between US and Gaza/Israel conflicts
• [06:14] – 2026: A pivotal year for the US and Israel
• [08:16] – J.D. Vance’s political signaling; Republican divisions
• [13:01] – American exceptionalism, leadership, and global impact
• [16:35] – Wilmer, MN as a microcosm of changing America
• [21:09] – Minnesota roots and their impact on Friedman’s worldview
• [23:56] – Institutional decay, social media’s role, and optimism for the next generation

Conclusion

Friedman’s conversation is equal parts alarmed and hopeful. He lays out the dangers of our “wars of the worst,” the peril to core American and Israeli institutions, and the deep cost of divisions exploited for political gain. Yet he also points to the resilience of local communities, the lived reality of diversity, and the enduring possibility for democratic renewal—if only leadership and institutions can weather the turbulence ahead.