The Stephen A. Smith Show (SiriusXM POTUS 124)

Episode Summary: "Minneapolis ICE Shooting; Derrick Van Orden (R-WI); Eric Swalwell (D-CA)"

Date: January 8, 2026
Host: Stephen A. Smith

Episode Overview

Stephen A. Smith’s first show of 2026 goes far beyond the world of sports to tackle an explosive week in American politics and law enforcement. The headline: an ICE agent fatally shot a 37-year-old protester, Renee Nicole Good, in Minneapolis, igniting a national firestorm. Smith hosts frank conversations with Representative Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), a former Navy SEAL, and Representative Eric Swalwell (D-CA), a Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California. The result is a candid, emotionally charged examination of law enforcement, political rhetoric, immigration, sanctuary cities, Trump's policies, and American identity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Minneapolis ICE Shooting: What Happened and Why It Matters

• Incident Outline: Renee Nicole Good, a protester blocking a snowy street, was shot and killed by an ICE agent after allegedly attempting to drive off as officers sought to detain her.
  • Smith describes both the legal and moral dimensions, expressing his profound discomfort with the necessity of lethal force.
  • Smith’s Framing (00:41):
    • “From a lawful perspective as it pertains to a law enforcement official, don’t expect him to be prosecuted. He was completely justified, from a humanitarian perspective—why did you have to do that?”
    • “She didn’t have to die. That’s the country we’re living in now. Some people more often than not are becoming lawless and law enforcement officials ... are not just about enforcing the law ... but they’re also taking lives.”
• Legal vs. Moral Perspective:
  • Legally, ICE agents likely shielded from prosecution, but morally, Smith sees preventable death.
  • Smith points to historical disparities in law enforcement’s use of force, noting comparable cases where suspects lived.

2. Political Reactions: Escalating Rhetoric and the Federal-State Divide

• Federal Response (Kristi Noem, DHS Secretary) [07:42]:

  • Labels the incident “an act of domestic terrorism,” emphasizing officer safety and the administration’s hard stance on attacks against law enforcement.
  • “These vehicle rammings are domestic acts of terrorism. We’re working with the Department of Justice to prosecute them as such.” (Kristi Noem, 07:42)

• Minnesota’s Pushback (Gov. Tim Walz) [08:58]:

  • Rejects further federal involvement, asserts Minnesota’s sovereignty, warns Trump and Noem against making the state a “prop in a national political fight.”

• Local Outrage (Mayor Jacob Frey, as broadcast by Smith) [10:07]:

  • Blunt condemnation of ICE presence: “Get the fuck out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here.”

• Sanctuary Cities & Crime Data:

  • Smith cites Minneapolis crime statistics: violent crime, shootings, robberies, and burglaries have all substantially fallen since 2021.
  • Questions the real intent of the ICE and National Guard presence: “What is the need for the National Guard? What is the need for ICE?” (Smith, 12:00)

3. Trump’s Role and GOP Strategy: Chaos Versus Law and Order

• Trump’s Statement (Read by Smith) [16:20]:
  • Trump blames “professional agitators” and the “radical left,” asserts the agent was acting in self-defense, and frames anti-ICE sentiment as a Democratic incitement to violence.
  • Smith calls out Trump for exaggeration: “Respectfully, the President’s lying his ass off. That’s not true.” (Smith, 17:40)
• Broader Political Context:
  • Smith connects the current environment to earlier cycles of chaos and protest, referencing the racial reckoning post-George Floyd, the economic record under various presidents, and the GOP’s vulnerability to blowback from these actions in the upcoming midterms.

4. Interview: Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) — “This Tragic Death Never Had to Happen”

(26:07–37:42)

• On the Shooting:
  • Van Orden puts blame on Democratic rhetoric: “This woman would still be alive if the left had allowed our federal law enforcement officials to do their job ... [Their] defund the police buffoonery ... that propaganda works.” (Van Orden, 26:55)
  • Frames the protester’s actions as domestic terrorism and stresses the left’s messaging as a source of violence against law enforcement.
  • Declines to “second-guess” agents’ on-the-ground decisions but equates media/academic anti-Trump rhetoric to Nazi propaganda.
    • “The most powerful ministry in Nazi Germany was the ministry of Truth and Propaganda ... If you look at the legacy media ... they’re putting out the constant message that these ICE agents are ... Gestapo.” (Van Orden, 31:47)
• Smith’s Rebuttal:
  • Acknowledges excessive left-wing rhetoric but also emphasizes the humanity of law enforcement’s dilemma: “Did you have to kill her? Could that have been avoided?” (Smith, 29:00)
• On Trump’s Venezuela Operation:
  • Van Orden applauds “exquisite, complicated and eloquent” US military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, rebuking those who criticize Trump for not consulting Congress beforehand: “The only thing that leaks more than Congress is a sieve.” (Van Orden, 37:16)

5. Interview: Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) — “This Was Not Law Enforcement With His Back Against the Wall”

(50:07–73:41)

• On the Shooting:
  • Swalwell personalizes the loss: “She has a name, right? Renee Good. A mom of three ... It’s awful, but it feels like this is where it was always going to go with the President flooding the zone with ICE agents.” (Swalwell, 51:27)
  • Blames the administration’s policing strategy for precipitating violence. “It feels to me like the intent was to draw the foul ... create an environment where someone would resist an ICE agent and then they would find the justification to use force.”
  • Stresses that, as a cop’s son and brother, he supports law enforcement, but: “What I saw today was not an officer with his back against the wall ... there has to be consequences ... this guy committed murder today.” (Swalwell, 52:49)
• On Sanctuary Cities and Immigration:
  • Defends sanctuary jurisdictions as protecting only non-violent people, stating that “there should be no sanctuary for a violent criminal—period,” but ICE should not have authority to raid churches, schools, or go after non-criminals.
  • Dismisses the conservative claim that any undocumented status is by default criminality.
• On January 6 and Trump’s Broader Threat:
  • Criticizes the White House’s effort to recast January 6 as peaceful, reaffirms Trump’s culpability: “There’s really only three days in American history [since the Civil War] ... December 7, September 11, and January 6. They’re not just dates. They’re scar tissue for all of us.” (Swalwell, 57:35)
  • Frames the Trump agenda as targeted retribution against blue states, including pulling cancer research funds from California: “This isn’t about red team vs blue team ... If he’s going to pull the cancer research funding ... he’s going to have to go through me.” (60:10, 68:25)
• Swalwell’s Gubernatorial Pitch:
  • Focus on addressing California’s cost crisis through aggressive housing policy, fraud reduction incentives, and business tax holidays.
  • “California’s a blue state held down by red tape, and I’m going to get rid of the red tape, particularly as it relates to housing.” (Swalwell, 65:06)
• Sports Coda (Light-hearted conclusion):
  • Smith teases Swalwell for his sports optimism as a 49ers fan, blending policy and personality in closing.

6. Listener Calls and Open Forum (Selected Topics)

• Rhetoric and Responsibility:
  • Several callers and Smith debate the origins of political vitriol, with Smith arguing Trump and his followers feed off mutual antagonism.
    • “You can’t just put it on him. It’s the hatred for him.” (Smith, 41:02)
• The Paradox of Trump:
  • Smith explores Trump’s unique appeal as an anti-establishment firebrand—even while lamenting his “classlessness” and divisiveness.
  • “To them, Trump’s not even a Republican. He’s a guy that’s a total renegade raging against the system.” (Smith, 42:15)
• Affordable Care Act & Health Care Battles:
  • Robust debate on federal budgets, health care, and the impact of political cycles on practical legislation.
  • Smith calls out both parties for contributing to the national deficit.
• Sanctuary Cities & Law:
  • Smith and callers question how sanctuary cities are permitted to “usurp” federal law.
  • “If there’s federal laws that mandate that ... you can’t cross the border illegally, there shouldn’t be sanctuary cities saying yes, you can ... which laws?” (Smith, 96:18)
• Moral Direction:
  • Closing theme: What kind of country do we want to be? Smith repeats that Americans must choose between “law, order, and humanity” in a divisive era.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|----------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:41 | Stephen A. Smith | “She was blocking the road ... she decides to drive off ... [The agent] moves out the way and draws his gun and shoots through the front windshield and took her out. But it wasn’t necessary ... you could have spared the woman’s life. You didn’t have to kill her.” | | 07:42 | Kristi Noem | “These vehicle rammings are domestic acts of terrorism. We’re working with the Department of Justice to prosecute them as such.” | | 10:07 | Mayor Jacob Frey | “Get the fuck out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here. Your stated reason for being in this city is to create some kind of safety, and you are doing exactly the opposite.” | | 17:40 | Stephen A. Smith | “Respectfully, the President’s lying his ass off. That’s not true.” | | 26:55 | Rep. Van Orden | "This tragic death never had to happen. But the left wing of the Democrat party have been demonizing our law enforcement ... this woman would still be alive if the left had allowed our federal law enforcement officials to do their job." | | 31:47 | Rep. Van Orden | "The most powerful ministry in Nazi Germany was the ministry of Truth and Propaganda ... they're putting out the constant message that these ICE agents are the American Gestapo." | | 51:27 | Rep. Swalwell | “She has a name, right? Renee Good. A mom of three ... It’s awful, but it feels like this is where it was always going to go with the President flooding the zone with ICE agents ... the intent was to draw the foul.” | | 52:49 | Rep. Swalwell | “What I saw today was not an officer with his back against the wall and nowhere else to go. I saw a guy who just scooted out of the way and then started firing into the car ... there has to be consequences. And good police officers should want to hold accountable bad police officers because this guy committed murder today.” | | 57:35 | Rep. Swalwell | “There’s really only three days in American history since the Civil War ... December 7, September 11, and January 6. They’re not just dates. They’re scar tissue for all of us.” | | 68:25 | Rep. Swalwell | “The President ... is using taxpayer dollars to weaponize the Department of Justice to go after his enemies. That’s fine. I can handle it. ... But what I want Californians to take away ... is that I’ll always be on offense on their behalf.” | | 79:50 | Caller “Mindy” & Smith| “He’s only spoken to us with hatred. And I’m a moderate who’s never once been acknowledged by my president.” ... Smith: “That’s true. But Mindy, 77 million people knew it and voted for him anyway ... we have to decide what kind of country ... we want to be.” | | 91:04 | Stephen A. Smith | “When you look at Trump, in all fairness, you can’t disagree with all his policies ... What really bothers you is the classlessness with which he executes, because that is what is causing the division.” | | 96:18 | Stephen A. Smith | “I don’t understand how sanctuary cities are allowed in this country ... If there’s federal laws ... there shouldn’t be sanctuary cities saying yes, you can ... which laws?” |

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:41 – Smith's monologue, description and immediate reaction to the ICE shooting
• 07:42 – Kristi Noem statement: federal response
• 08:58 – Tim Walz: Minnesota rejects further federal involvement
• 10:07 – Jacob Frey: Blunt condemnation of ICE
• 26:07–37:42 – Interview: Rep. Derek Van Orden (R-WI)
• 50:07–73:41 – Interview: Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
• 79:50–83:14 – Caller “Mindy” and Smith: Trump’s rhetoric and appeal to 77 million voters
• 96:18 – Smith on sanctuary cities and the law

Tone & Style

Stephen A. maintains his trademark blend of fiery directness, razor-sharp analysis, and openness to complexity. The conversations are at times testy, passionate, and deeply personal, reflecting the stakes of national division, law enforcement, and political identity.

Takeaway

This episode exemplifies the polarized, almost existential debates for America in 2026—showcasing raw, uncensored reactions to a tragedy, competing visions for law and order, the enduring appeal and peril of Trumpism, and the daunting work needed to bridge divides. As Smith repeatedly asks: “What kind of country do we want to be?”