The Tony Kinnett Cast

Episode 466: FBI Prevents Terror Attack in California, Struggles to Investigate Shooting at Brown
Date: December 16, 2025
Host: Tony Kinnett (The Daily Signal)
Producer: Nick

Overview

This intense and rapid-fire episode digs deep into two major security stories: the FBI's praised pre-emption of a terror plot in California, and widespread frustration with law enforcement’s handling of the mass shooting at Brown University. Tony Kinnett exposes bureaucratic confusion, public distrust, and media missteps in the Brown incident, then pivots to highlight growing concerns about radical Islamic terror attacks globally (with the Bondi Beach, Australia attack as example). The show also covers reactions by public officials, the rise in conspiracy theories, the role of the FBI, and some high-level government scandals, all discussed with a biting, sometimes sardonic “middle of the country” sensibility.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Brown University Shooting: Chaos and Confusion

• Immediate Fallout and Press Conferences

  • Police and local officials gave confusing, often contradictory information.
  • Tony details the initial statements:
    • [03:11] Mayor Smiley delivered the basic facts, confirming deaths and injuries, but subsequent pressers descended into confusion.
  • Police and FBI struggled with terminology—couldn’t clarify if suspects were “in custody” or merely detained ([06:24]).
  • Multiple corrections mid-press-conference undermined public confidence:
    • “Someone being detained, right. That’s just a wild thing to see at a press conference. And it gets worse...” (Tony, [06:30]).

• Lack of Transparency and Use of Technology

  • [08:54] “There are over 800 cameras on that campus... your tax dollars have helped fund some really nice surveillance equipment... and yet, 6+ hours later, the university president knows nothing.”
  • [12:16] Producer Nick points out reporters’ frustration that facial recognition technology and surveillance footage weren’t being used to ID the shooter.

• Media Release Blunders

  • Law enforcement released impossibly blurry, poorly recorded footage:
    • [15:51] “The FBI has done not a lot in this particular investigation... They’ve now released two pieces of footage... It looks like Bigfoot footage.”
    • [16:57] Producer Nick jokes: "Reminiscent of whenever they release UFO footage."

• Alleged Terror Motive

  • [09:42] “Media outlets quoted students... the shooter yelled, quote, ‘Allahu Akbar’ before opening fire. So, incredible. The most incompetent press conference series... it gets worse.”

• Missteps & Public Distrust

  • Repeated delays, conflicting statements, and a lack of basic investigative urgency (“48 hours and you all need to remember, we’re tired,” as per Mayor Smiley, [12:05]), fostered profound skepticism.

2. FBI in Focus: Failures and One Big Win

• On Brown Shooting: Inadequacy and Spectacle

  • Kinnett is scathing about the FBI’s apparent fumbling:
    • [14:16] FBI staged social media posts, set up command posts, but their actions resulted in little usable information.
    • [14:54] "Media is just following the FBI around as they kick local bushes and scrape away some snow with their feet."

• Public Trust Erosion

  • [17:01] "Doesn't that just restore your trust in the institution?" (sarcastically referencing the FBI’s blurry, useless public appeals).

• California Terror Plot: Genuine Success

  • [32:54] Shift from criticism to praise as Tony highlights the FBI stopping an attack planned by the “Turtle Island Liberation Front”—a group plotting IED attacks in southern California and Orange County.
    • Handwritten “Operation Midnight Sun” plan recovered; four arrested.
    • [34:52] Audio and analysis of the group’s ideological claims combine radical leftist and indigenous rhetoric with militant language.

• Role of Investigative Journalists

  • [39:06] Tony credits much of the investigative progress and even some FBI arrests to journalist Andy Ngo’s reporting, not solely FBI initiatives.

3. Global Islamic Terror: Australia, Europe, and Patterns

• Bondi Beach Attack (Australia)

  • [21:08] Tony summarizes the attack: 16 dead (including a Holocaust survivor), 40 wounded at Hanukkah-by-the-Sea event.
  • Police inaction condemned: “the police did nothing... cowering behind a car for 20 minutes.”
  • Heroic intervention by Ahmed Al Ahmed, who wrestled the rifle from the attacker.
  • Critique of Australian PM Anthony Albanese for focusing on “right-wing extremism” in public remarks, not radical Islam ([24:15]).

• European Context

  • [31:48] Reports of “Islamic protesters” storming Hanukkah events in Amsterdam; police overwhelmed.

• Link to Immigration Policy

  • Tony ties these attacks to larger issues of uncontrolled migration, failure to integrate, and government unwillingness to confront the radicalization problem.

4. Political & Media Reactions: Scapegoating and Sensationalism

• Democrats and Gun Control

  • Senator Chris Murphy blames Trump directly for the Brown University shooting during a CNN appearance, despite Rhode Island's strict gun laws ([19:42]).

    "Over the last year, President Trump has been engaged in a dizzying campaign to increase violence in this country." (Sen. Chris Murphy, [20:42])

  • Tony dismisses this as “an insane thing to say” ([20:49]) and points out the focus on emotional appeals over facts.

• Senator Tommy Tuberville’s Islam Critique

  • [28:55] Tuberville posts that "Islam is not a religion... they're here to conquer," drawing strong condemnation from Chuck Schumer for “Islamophobia”.
  • Tony notes political double standards: “It is rather interesting that Chuck Schumer would be the one to get out there and say, hey, you can't point out the clear and persistent pattern...”

• Media and Public Distrust, Rise of Conspiracies

  • [38:18] "The conspiracy theory growing rampant even amid the investigations is a symptom of the distrust in the institutions due to how they carry out these investigations."

5. Deeper Government Accountability Issues

• D.C. Police Data Manipulation
  • [40:03] Congressional report alleges DC Police Chief Pamela Smith manipulated crime stats—mirroring Tony’s previous experience with education data manipulation.
• Senator Mark Kelly Investigation
  • [42:49] Pentagon confirms escalation to official investigation re: alleged misconduct. Tony frames this as another example of the public’s eroding faith in institutions.
• Vigilantism Fears
  • [43:31] Tony warns that ongoing legal technicalities and lack of perceived justice may push Americans toward “acts of vigilantism”, citing recent violent incidents and general mistrust.

6. Leadership, Transparency, and Institutional Reform

• FBI Leadership Conversation

  • Speculation over whether FBI Director Kash Patel or DOJ head Pam Bondi is on thin ice ([65:25]).
  • Discussion about the limited effect leadership changes can have and the importance of public-facing competence ([67:47] Producer Nick).

• Ongoing Commitment to Transparency

  • Tony reinforces the Midwestern ethos of honesty and accountability (even mentioning corrections and show production philosophy, [72:01]).

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On Law Enforcement Transparency:

  • “There are over 800 cameras on that campus... and six hours later the university president knows nothing.” ([08:54], Tony Kinnett)

• On FBI’s Public Image:

  • “They’ve now released two pieces of footage... It looks like Bigfoot footage.” ([15:51], Tony Kinnett)
  • “Reminiscent of whenever they release UFO footage.” ([16:57], Producer Nick)

• On Political Blame-Throwing:

  • “That’s insane. That is an insane thing to say. Oh, well, I mean, really, it’s President Trump and his dizzying campaign of violence.” ([20:42], Tony Kinnett)

• On Press Accountability:

  • “You need people in the United States right now. When you put up a poster that looks like this seeking info... you need the average American to look around... You think anybody takes the FBI seriously right now with this?” ([42:22], Tony Kinnett)

• On Vigilantism:

  • “Vigilantism only stops when authority scares the ever loving tariff out of those who would perpetuate acts of violence...” ([45:16], Tony Kinnett)

• On Trump’s Condolences for Brown University Shooting:

  • “Trump made the case correctly so that no matter how elite your university is... a horrible event like this can always happen... people were roasting, 'how unfeeling!' I don’t think so.” ([52:54], Tony Kinnett)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Time (MM:SS) | | --- | --- | | Brown University Shooting: Initial Details | 03:11–08:54 | | Press Conference Chaos & University Accountability | 08:54–13:10 | | FBI’s Involvement & Surveillance Footage Issues | 13:10–17:01 | | Political Reactions (Senator Murphy) & Gun Control | 19:42–21:08 | | Bondi Beach Terror Attack & International Context | 21:08–24:41 | | Islam, Terror, and Politicians’ Rhetoric | 28:55–32:54 | | FBI Terror Plot Interdiction (California) | 32:54–39:06 | | Distrust, Conspiracies, and Oversight Scandal | 38:18–42:49 | | Vigilantism & Institutional Crisis | 43:31–45:16 | | Executive Order on Fentanyl | 60:36–61:10 | | Mailbag & FBI/DOJ Leadership Discussion | 65:25–69:50 | | Transparency & Show Philosophy | 71:23–72:01 |

Final Thoughts

Tony Kinnett delivers a relentless, critical, and deeply skeptical look at major security and political breakdowns, counterbalancing praise for isolated successes (FBI’s California plot interception) with severe condemnation of institutional confusion and narrative-driven responses (Brown shooting, global terror). He urges listeners to demand not only an end to incompetence but positive, visible action from government. The episode closes with a pledge to transparency and good faith engagement—underscoring the show's “Hoosier” values of honesty and directness amid a climate of mistrust and political spin.