← The Riley Gaines Show
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- [00:01]
A
20 days, one historic move, an unbelievable journey. Melania from Amazon MGM Studios captures the one of a kind transition into the White House. Showcasing the planning, the pressure and the personal moments that come with stepping into the role of the first lady for a second time. From logistical complexities to decisions made behind closed doors, the film brings you closer to Ms. Trump and her family as they return to the nation's capital. See what history looks like before the doors officially open. But Melania arrives exclusively in theaters January 30th of 2026. Hello you guys. Welcome back to the Riley Gaines Show. Very excited that you're here. I hope that you're watching on YouTube.com that's where you can like subscribe, follow all things Riley Gaines show. Be sure to follow us over on Instagram rileygain show as well. Today we are talking with Michelle Tafoya. She is a veteran American sportscaster. I mean, she's worked with cbs, abc, espn, NBC. She has one of the longest tenures in NFL history. But she is now turned political and cultural commentator. She's the host of the Michelle Tafoya podcast. But she is someone who I have looked up to long before I ever had the privilege of knowing her personally. Long before politics, long before activism, I knew her as one of the most respected voices in sports broadcasting. I come from a big football family. My dad, my uncles all played in the NFL. And so I grew up watching her as a sideline reporter. My dad still to this day says that she is the best sideline reporter. Flash forward to the 2016 Olympic Games, which this was the first year that I qualified for Olympic trials. I watched her report from the pool deck at the Olympic Games with my cousin Rowdy Gaines. I bet you guys did not know that Rowdy Gaines and I were cousins. All that to say I have watched and admired her for a very long time. But that's not what makes her so compelling, of course, what makes her compelling today is that she didn't stop using her voice when it became uncomfortable. Actually, that's really when she expanded it. She's a longtime Minnesota resident and she's become one of the most clear eyed and courageous voices speaking out about what's happening in her home state. What's whether that's the massive fraud scandals, whether that's the escalating protests, whether that's the collapsing public trust, the political leadership that many Minnesotans feel has failed to deliver accountability and certainly transparency. And so while others have stayed silent or decided to play it safe, Michelle has chosen to speak honestly and earnestly even when that costs her. And so today's conversation is about the current state of Minnesota, where it's gone wrong, why it matters, why it matters nationally, and what comes next. She's also going to be sharing an important announcement about how she plans to confront these issues head on and how she plans on being a part of the solution. But before we get into that, I want to mention a college success story Spotlight presented to you by Y Refi. Today's spotlight is a touching story about the college football national championships. So congratulations first and foremost to the Indiana Hoosiers, but more specifically to their quarterback, Fernando Mendoza. I love his story because it's about more than just football. It's about character. He has described many times in his post game press conferences, of course, in his Heisman Trophy award speech that he plays for his mom and he plays for his family, and he plays for Jesus Christ. Why? Refi understands that your life is about more than just a balance on a screen. It's about your family and it's about your future. They help you manage your debt so you can focus on what actually matters. So thank you. Why Refi? Make sure you stay tuned and listen to this episode with Michelle Tafoya for a very important, exciting announcement. Well, Michelle, thank you for joining the Riley Gaines Show. Before we get into anything. Oh, please. Before we get into anything, I want to get your thoughts on the college football national championship. I always love to see a team like Indiana and players like Fernando Mendoza have the success that they certainly had all season. The last two undefeated football and basketball national champions reside in Bloomington, Indiana.
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Isn't that crazy? It's wonderful. What a great American sports story. I mean, this kid Fernando Mendoza, this coach, they, they linked up and started, just kind of became the, the base of this incredible team in this wonderful season. And to go undefeated for him to win the Heisman and bring home the national title and watching his parents in the stands, it was all so good. Uh, and look, Miami put up a great defense and they had a shot there at the end, but it just seemed like the moment Mendoza scored that touchdown on 4th and 5, this game turned and it was just, it was just magic.
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A
Yeah, it was. It's one of those feel good stories. You mentioned his mom. Uh, I think one of the super cool things that I've noticed about college football in general, not just the playoffs or the national championship, especially this past year, is just how many teams centered Jesus and their personal relationship with Christ in everything that they did, win or loss. Indiana, of course, was a leader in that. I mean, we mentioned Mendoza, their quarterback. I believe he was a leader in that. I we've got a video playing on screen right now. This is the team last night before they won. Both sides.
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B
See the faith of both.
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A
And so as a former sideline reporter, is this something that you've noticed has emerged in the past few years?
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B
You know, I think so. I can remember seeing prayer groups after a game where both teams, you know, who had just fought it out on the gridiron for a win or a loss, they'd get together in a prayer circle at the middle of the field. Very often, as the sideline reporter, you're waiting for that post game interview and they're like, hang on, he's in the prayer circle. And I saw more and more of those as the years went on. So it seems like, yes, a number of players and even coaches, you look at the Harbaughs, for example, they're very vocal about their faith. And I think it's a great example to young athletes across America.
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A
Absolutely. And I think a sign of a cultural revival. Now to Minnesota. Minnesota has been in the headlines the past few weeks. Really? Actually, the past few years. Back in 2020, of course, it was the BLM riots. Now it's an array of things like billions of dollars of fraud being uncovered. President Trump mentioned just this week, $19 billion, which seems to be just the tip of the iceberg. We've seen ice protests, we've seen Don Lemon in the state of Minnesota, which I want to ask you about in a second. Some people say that the state, I think oftentimes is coming from people who don't live in the state of Minnesota. They say that the state is just simply too far gone. But you're a longtime Minnesotan. From your perspective, what is the solution here?
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B
If I felt that the state was too far gone, I wouldn't be running for Senate. So we do have a crisis of leadership because we have had just this constant flow of career politicians like Tim Walls, our governor, running things and frankly, running them into the ground. And it is not going to be these career politicians who clean things up. So some of us have to step up and clean up this mess. You know, I've lived in Minnesota and as you mentioned, for a long time, over 30 years, raised my family here. And I can remember the Minnesota that had safe streets and clean cities and tight knit communities and excellent public schools. But we have gone backwards. I mean, 50% of our kids can't read or do math at grade level. Think about that. What a disservice to these kids. We've got crime on the rise and incarcerations trending downward. So people are committing crimes, and. And it's just a turnstile, our criminal justice system. So there's a lot that. That we have to work on. But if I didn't think it was fixable, I wouldn't be sitting right here.
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A
Oh, Michelle, I'm. I'm so excited for you. You had texted me the other day, you know, call me, and I was so crossing my fingers, praying, hoping that you would be telling me that you were going to be running for something. And, of course, you mentioned Tim Walls. We talked to Nick Shirley on the show that the day Tim walls withdrew his 20, 26 gubernatorial reelection bid, any chance he runs for Senate? I mean, I would imagine not just with the scrutiny that he's under. And quite frankly, you would wipe the floor with him on a debate stage.
- [08:54]
B
Well, I don't think so. I think at the moment, he knows that he is in trouble, and that's why he withdrew. So I don't think there's any office that Minnesotans want to see Tim Walls in right now. We want change, and I think we really need outsiders, and I think Minnesotans of all political stripes feel that way. They see this. They're not blind. They're not dumb. They know something is amiss in Minnesota. I mean, as you mentioned, we've turned into somewhat of a war zone here over the last several weeks with all of these protests and, you know, Don Lemon showing up in the rest. We can do better, and we know that. And I think there are so many Minnesotans who believe in the future of this state, and I would ask them to please go to michelletafoya.com and get us, help us get started, because we're going to need all the help we can get. This is a tough road to hoe. This is going to be a slog. We need help. So anyone that wants to help, please do join us, because we're going to need you.
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A
Yeah. You have to imagine that the people protesting specifically in Minneapolis, it just can't be the majority of how Minnesotans feel, whether it's illegal immigration, whatever the topic is. I've got a clip I want to show you from Target in Minneapolis. Let's play it right here.
- [10:22]
C
We'll be back. We'll be back. So Target parking lots have been a meeting place for ICE agents. ICE agents are using the toilets of Target, So they're facilitating this invasion. They're serving as a staging ground. And they're are not standing up and saying, no. Our part, our parking lots are private property. You can't be in our space, you can't enter our space. They're not at all participating in challenging this ethnic cleansing we're seeing in this country.
- [10:53]
A
So ICE agents are using their parking lot and you have people inside Target protesting. I think what I got from this is, look, a few years back, Target went just about as woke as you can possibly go with all of the different tucking bathing suit options for kids. Kids nonetheless, and even still, that is not good enough for these left wing protesters. They still have an issue with them.
- [11:19]
B
Well, this is the far left in Minnesota and maybe even some of these are agitators from outside Minnesota. I want to point to one of the words that he used there. He called it an invasion. And the reason he called it an invasion was because Governor Tim Walls and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry gave him permission to, to call it an invasion. Because that's what they've been calling it. Let's, let's talk about why we're here. Under Joe Biden, the border was thrown wide open. We could not possibly vet everyone that came into our country. And so we had terrorists come through and we had criminals come through. And we've arrested lots of them nationwide and lots of them here in Minnesota. So why are we leaning into, to federal law enforcement to get this done? Because local law enforcement isn't. And local law enforcement isn't helping out. So to pick a political fight with the White House, Tim Walls, Jacob Fry, they've decided to say, oh, look, this is fascist, it's racist, and this is an invasion. And they have really fanned the flames and basically set up a permission structure for people to go out and put their cars on the line, put their bodies on the line, throw things at these officers. And it's just been a complete abandonment of law and order. I believe in law and order. We need it back. Another one of these crises in Minnesota. It's a crisis of law enforcement. And that's why I'm running.
- [12:41]
A
Yeah, it's. It would be a scary time to be a law enforcement officer, especially in a blue state, a blue city like Minneapolis. You mentioned some of those illegal aliens that ICE is working to arrest and deport in Minneapolis. We've got a tweet from Secretary Noem right here that says that They've arrested over 10,000 criminal illegal aliens who were killing Americans, hurting children and reigning terror in Minneapolis because Tim Walls and Jacob Fry refused to prot. Own people. And instead Protect criminals. She goes on to say, in the last six weeks, our brave DHS law enforcement have arrested 3,000 criminal illegal aliens, including vicious murderers, rapists, child pedophiles, and incredibly dangerous individuals. She then went on to post a thread of, I mean, at least 20 photos and descriptions of what these illegal aliens have been arrested for. We've got one here that says a criminal illegal alien, a known Ms. 13 gang member. He's been convicted of homicide, drug trafficking and selling amphetamine. Arrested also for aggravated homicide in el Salvador in 2011, yet still managed to make it into this country. We've got another one here that says a criminal illegal alien from Mexico with a final order of removal dated From December of 2016, who's been convicted of sexual assault against a child, sexual assault, carnal abuse, and 4D wise. I mean, this could keep going on. And so my question for you, Michelle, is do you think the people protesting ICE realize that these are just a few of many just like them that ICE is working to deport? Or do you think they genuinely care more about these people than, let's say, the children that they're sexually assaulting?
- [14:21]
B
You know, it's interesting who we've decided or these groups have decided to protect in this way. And what's unfortunate is that, you know, you've had local police departments, state county police officers put life and limb at risk to arrest these people. They put them in jail and then they're released. They do not hold them for ice. They do not allow that here in Minnesota. So then what happens? Those same criminals go back on the street and now you've got to have an ICE enforcement, law enforcement official risk life and limb to go apprehend that criminal. It makes no sense. And it just sets up for a dangerous environment for law enforcement and for the citizens. So this is just insanity and it needs to change. And that's why I'm running. We need new blood. We need outsiders with a spine to say enough is enough.
- [15:15]
A
Yeah. And now I mentioned Don Lemon for a little bit of context for the listeners if they don't know what I'm talking about. This past Sunday, a group of anti ICE protesters disrupted a worship service at City Church in St. Paul. The disruption brought the service to a halt. Don Lemon, the former CNN anchor, now, I guess, independent journalist, if you will, was on the scene. He was live streaming the invasion. Here's a clip of him with the protesters outside before entering the church, speaking.
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D
To an organization there that's gearing up to for resistance and protest. Diverse community if you see this, when we first pulled up, we're like, wait a minute, which operation are we at? Because we're like, well, this is kind of MAGA coded, right? Saw the American flag or whatever. But these are resistance protesters. They're planning an operation that we're going to follow them on. I can't tell you exactly what they're doing, but it's called Operation Pull Up. We're after that. After we do this operation, you'll see it live. And these operations are surprise operations. Again, can't tell you where they're going.
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A
Yeah. Notice how he says it was MAGA coded because there was an American flag. The other side is used to flying the Somalian flag, the Ukrainian flag, the Venezuelan flag, insert name of any other country other than the United States. He later defended his presence and reporting as, you know, a heroic act of journalism that's protected by the First Amendment, saying that he did not know in advance that the group would enter the church and was simply chronicling the events. Here's a clip of him inside the church talking with the pastor.
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C
Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are your people? Why are you not at Wibble every day fighting for the humanity, standing for our people? You drink your coffee, you got your jewelry, you have your nice clothes, but what do you do? What do you do to stand for your Somali and Latino communities? All these comfortable white people who are living lavish, comfortable lives while children are dragged into concentration camps? You're living real life, nice lives with your lattes, doing absolutely nothing for your Latino and Somali brothers and sisters. You say you come here to a man wearing a suit, is a preacher. Did Jesus wear a suit? Did Jesus profit off the words? No, you are a fake Christian. Why are you not standing with your Somali and Latino communities? You're sinners. You're pretending to be Christians, but we know you live an easy life, don't you? A very easy life while people are starving. Shame.
- [17:41]
A
I mean, this would be certifiably terrifying. I mean, this protester, he's yelling at what appears to be, like, teenage girls in this clip.
- [17:51]
B
You know, there were families in there. We've seen the picture, famously posted by Nicki Minaj, of the little child who was crying into the chest of. Of an adult next to him. And it. This is awful. And if Don Lemon didn't know they were going into the church, but then followed them into the church he went in. And that, to me, I'm not a lawyer, but what I do know is there's something called the face Act. And you cannot take over a. A worship, a place of worship like this in the middle of what they're doing and. And do this. It's intimidating, it's terrifying, particularly when you consider some of the attacks on churches and synagogues across America, and particularly here, Annunciation here in Minneapolis. So I feel for those people who were involved. And that rant, that's just not how most Minnesotans feel. And so, yeah, again, this is a crisis of leadership. There was no law enforcement help. This was. This was disgusting, despicable, and unacceptable.
- [18:55]
A
Yeah. We've now seen where Hermeet Dhillon and the Department of Justice is launching an investigation into what federal charges, if any, can be pressed here. President Trump has responded. He said that he's seen the footage. He says these people are professionals, the protesters. He said that no person acts the way that they act. He says that they're highly trained to scream, to rant, to rave like lunatics in a certain manner, just like they are doing. Like I said, Don Lemon was inside the church. He followed the protesters. He spoke to the pastor after the fact. When he kind of became the face of this, he ran to Jennifer Welch's podcast to justify his actions. Let's listen to that interaction here.
- [19:39]
D
There's a certain degree of entitlement, I think people who are, you know, in religious groups like that, it's not the type of Christianity that I practice, but I think that they're entitled and that that entitlement comes from a supremacy, a white supremacy, and they think that this country was built for them, that it is a Christian country. When actually we left England because we wanted religious freedom. It's religious freedom, but only if you're a Christian and only if you're a white male, pretty much. And so, Yeah, I absolutely, 100%, but it's an intimidation tactic. And, you know, I said, I don't understand how I've become the face of it. When I was a journalist, I do understand that I'm the biggest name there. And I'm also, as I was on with my producers this morning, you know, you and Kylie talk all the time. My producers were saying. I said, how did I become the face of this? And my producer said, don, you're a gay black man in America.
- [20:23]
A
I'm honestly confused at what he's trying to get at there. Like, is he saying that because he is a gay black man, that he's oppressed in America? Like, if he can't recognize the fortune that he has in front of him, not just in terms of wealth and money, but the opportunities for success that he has had, Like, I think he's too far gone. Like, how is he. What is he trying to say here?
- [20:47]
B
I have no idea. To me, that was a massive word salad. But the bottom line is, this has been fomented by the radical left. This has been fomented by career politicians who have wanted to fan these flames, and now they're getting this as a result. This is a lack of leadership, not just in Minnesota, but across the country, but particularly here. And we need to get people in place who are sane and who want to enforce the law and keep people safe. And by the way, the First Amendment protects freedom to worship as well. That was infringed upon there. So this was chaotic. It was, I think, cruel and despicable. And. And again, I think we need just sanity and normalcy back here in Minnesota. None of this performative stu helping. Right? These are performances. They're not creating any results. They're just getting people clicks. So let's get some leaders to step up to calm everything down and to say, could we please follow the law? Could we please keep our law enforcement safe? Could we please keep our citizens safe? Those are the things that are driving me.
- [21:59]
A
Riley, you talk about performance and doing things for clicks. Let's play this video of Minneapolis Mayor.
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B
Jacob Fry, and I have a message.
- [22:11]
A
For ICE to ice, get the out of Minneapolis. Every video I see of him, it's like he has to drop the F bomb. Like, why must they incessantly curse? I don't understand who it appeals to. And you're right. They've talked about toning down the rhetoric. We've heard it from Tim Walls. We've heard it from. From the mayor. We've heard it from the Attorney General, Keith Ellison. This doesn't sound like toning down the rhetoric to me.
- [22:39]
B
This is the inflammation I was telling you about. I mean, first we threw the border wide open. Then we. You know, they told us, these career politicians told us that to enforce the law was fascist and racist. And now, you know, they're setting up this environment for all of this chaos. So this is where new leadership needs to come in. Look, Minnesota keeps doing the same thing over and over and electing these people over and over. So we need a change. And I think people see that people want to feel safe in their churches. People want to feel safe in their homes and the streets, you know, downtown. And right now, when you've got a mayor like this and you've got a governor like, we have those Things aren't happening. They are too concerned about the politics of all of it. And they don't care about Minnesotans and the media doesn't care either. They're just concerned about picking the fight.
- [23:34]
A
So what needs to be fixed? I mean, when you win, what are the issues in Washington D.C. that will be a priority for you?
- [23:44]
B
Well, I think that the main priority is the word that everyone talks about, right? It's affordability. But the middle class is in crisis, particularly here in Minnesota. I mean they're being crushed by taxes and you know, some prices are still too high. It's good to see gasoline at the lowest prices in five years. It's good to see GDP up. But we still got to continue to bring, bring prescription drug prices down. We've got to get groceries down a little bit lower. Things need to be affordable. Rent, mortgage, energy, those things need to be affordable for middle class families. So that is all very important. I would say healthcare as well. The Affordable Care act isn't affordable. So we need to work on those things and give power and transparency back to the citizens instead of having all these layers and layers of bureaucracy that fatten up the education system, that fatten up the health care system and keep just sort of widening this divide between the people and the actual product. So those are things we can certainly work on when I'm in the Senate.
- [24:44]
A
Last thing, will you tell us your website again and what we can do to support you and your candidacy?
- [24:50]
B
Thank you. It's Michelle to Foya.com Please go there, Chip in anything you can. This is going to be a tough slog. Riley, you mentioned that this is a blue state. This is not going to be easy. It's not easy for Republicans. So we're going to need every bit of help we can get, no matter how small. So if people can go visit and find out what they can help with, that would be great and just keep amplifying the message. We need a change in Minnesota. We need new leadership. This state is at a tipping point. I really believe that. But I also believe it's worth saving. So go to michelletafoya.com help us do the work.
- [25:25]
A
You're the best, Michelle. Thank you very, very much.
- [25:28]
B
Thanks so much for having me, Riley.