Podcast Summary: The Rachel Maddow Show

Episode: Moral principles drive faith leaders to speak out against Trump on immigration, foreign policy

Air Date: January 20, 2026

Host: Rachel Maddow, MS NOW

Episode Overview

This episode explores a pivotal moment as prominent faith leaders in America publicly confront President Donald Trump’s administration on matters of immigration and foreign policy. Rachel Maddow traces the moral roots and contemporary actions of religious figures who invoke conscience, courage, and the legacy of Christian martyrdom to resist Trump-era policies. Key topics include increasing religious opposition to government actions, large-scale protests against ICE and deportations, and a successful grassroots campaign pressuring Avelo Airlines to end its deportation flights. Notable guests include Cardinal Blaise Cupich, the Archbishop of Chicago, and Umi Hak, an organizer behind the Avelo campaign.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Legacy of Moral Witness in Faith Leadership (00:56–09:00)

• Historical Parallel: Maddow opens with the story of Jonathan Daniels, a young Episcopal seminarian murdered in 1965 while fighting for civil rights in Alabama. Daniels’s act of heroism—sacrificing his life to save a young Black activist—underscores the moral courage demanded of religious leaders confronting injustice.

  • Quote (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.): “One of the most heroic Christian deeds of which I have heard in my entire ministry was performed by Jonathan Daniels.” (08:25)

• Contemporary Echoes: Bishop Rob Hirschfeld of New Hampshire draws from this legacy, counseling his clergy to prepare “for a new era of martyrdom,” referencing threats posed by current federal actions—especially after the fatal shooting of Renee Goode by an ICE officer.

  • Quote (Bishop Hirschfeld, paraphrased): "I'm just asking you to live your life without fear of death. Be prepared. ... Not everyone can be a Jonathan Daniels, but we're increasingly called to go into places that feel dangerous."
    (09:44)

2. Faith Leaders Oppose Trump’s Foreign Policy (09:50–12:40)

• Archbishop Timothy Broglio and Conscientious Objection: While discussion swirls about President Trump’s threat to invade Greenland, Archbishop Broglio (serving US armed forces) publicly states that service members would be on “moral ground” to refuse such orders.

  • Quote (Archbishop Broglio): “It would be morally acceptable to disobey that order.” (12:06)

• Joint Catholic Statement: The three ranking US Catholic cardinals (Washington D.C., Chicago, and Newark) issue a rare, forthright condemnation of current US foreign policy, especially concerning military threats to sovereign nations like Greenland. They question the “moral role” of America under the Trump administration.

  • Quote (Joint statement, summarized): “We renounce war as an instrument for narrow national interests and proclaim that military action must be seen only as a last resort in extreme situations, not a normal instrument of national policy.” (31:23)

3. America’s Global Isolation and Domestic Unrest (12:40–22:00)

• Allies Defend Greenland Against the US: In an extraordinary turn, NATO allies (Denmark, France, UK, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands, Finland) send troops to Greenland to prevent a US invasion, signaling profound diplomatic rupture.

• Protests & Rising Resistance Nationwide:

  • Massive grassroots protests erupt against ICE and Trump administration policies in cities across the country—Philadelphia, Austin, Denver, Albuquerque, Akron, Boston, Morristown, Fargo, Alameda, Portland (ME), Minneapolis, Broadview (IL), and more.
  • Protests draw creative and symbolic demonstrations, such as “Return to Sender” signs by postal workers in Minneapolis and sled races mocking the deportation process.
    • Memorable Moment: “Make America Go Away” MAGA hats featured in Greenland protests. (14:40)

• ICE Expansion Met with Local Backlash: Cities and towns—blue and red, nationwide—overwhelmingly oppose new ICE detention center plans, from Durant (OK) to Roxbury (NJ) to Hutchins (TX) and beyond, demonstrating bipartisan community resistance.

4. A Corporate Target: The Avelo Airlines Protest Victory (22:00–47:09)

• Background: Avelo, a small airline, contracts with ICE to operate deportation flights alongside its commercial routes. Awareness grows as activists uncover the practice, sparking sustained, multi-state protests and petitions.

• Escalation and Impact:

  • Avelo faces opposition at every major base, starts losing state subsidies, and pulls out of several airports amid mounting reputational damage.
  • With broad coalition support, the “Stop Avelo” campaign leverages public pressure until Avelo terminates its ICE deportation flights.
    • Quote from Organizers: “More than anything, this campaign proves the fragility of the system. ICE and the security forces of this current government are not invulnerable. ... Refuse inevitability and fight together.” (42:17)

• Interview with Organizer Umi Hak (Defend & Recruit Network) (43:13–46:42)

  • On the Campaign’s Unique Leverage: "It became really obvious that Avelo was a public company ... so they were an especially important and especially vulnerable target." (43:44)
  • On Movement-Building: "The fight doesn't stop now... Now is the time, especially if you're not an immigrant yourself, to get involved in campaigns and protests and organizing so that we can turn outrage into action and then action into actual power." (46:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bishop Hirschfeld (on modern American martyrdom)

  • “Prepare for a new era of martyrdom ... have your wills written... have your soul ready in case you find yourself in trouble.” (09:22–09:50)

• Cardinal Blaise Cupich (on Trump’s mass deportations)

  • “If the indiscriminate mass deportations being reported were to be carried out, this would be an affront to the dignity of all people and communities and deny the legacy of what it means to be an American.” (28:53)
  • “Families are being torn apart, children are left in fear and communities are shaken by immigration raids and detentions. These actions wound the soul of our city.” (30:24)

• Archbishop Broglio (on resisting unjust war)

  • “It would be very difficult... but strictly speaking, he or she would be within the realm of their own conscience. It would be morally acceptable to disobey that order [to invade Greenland].” (12:06)

• Rachel Maddow (on global isolation):

  • “It means that America truly, maybe more so than at any other time in the history of our nation, stands alone in the world—and for good reason.” (14:10)

• Umi Hak (on corporate vulnerability):

  • “Now is the time, especially if you're not an immigrant yourself, to get involved in campaigns and protests and organizing so that we can turn outrage into action and then action into actual power.” (46:42)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Jonathan Daniels and the Moral Call to Action: 00:56–09:16
• Faith Leaders Respond to Trump Era Threats: 09:16–12:40
• International Fallout: Greenland, NATO, and America’s Isolation: 12:40–15:30
• Nationwide ICE/Trump Protests & Local Backlash: 15:30–22:00
• Cardinal Cupich on Church, Morality, and Resistance: 28:53–37:03
• Avelo Airlines Campaign Victory and Organizer Interview: 38:46–47:09

Flow & Tone

Rachel Maddow’s delivery is urgent, passionate, and deeply rooted in a sense of moral seriousness, blending historical perspective with contemporary reporting. Her interviews invite guests to clarify the moral stakes and practical choices facing leaders and regular citizens alike, underlining themes of courage, nonviolence, and collective action.

Conclusion

This episode captures a transformative moment as American faith leaders, supported by a broad base of civic protest, directly confront what they deem as immoral action by the Trump administration, both domestically and abroad. From inspiring historical acts of martyrdom to modern community organizing and corporate accountability, the episode underscores the enduring power of collective, conscience-driven resistance.