The Tony Kinnett Cast - Episode 477

Date: January 8, 2026
Title: ESCALATING: Tim Walz Threatens to Deploy National Guard Against ICE, Agents Clash with Rioters
Host: Tony Kinnett
Guests: Ron Coleman
Podcast: The Daily Signal’s flagship program

Overview

This episode dives deep into the rapidly escalating situation in Minnesota following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Goode (also referred to as Renee Macklin in later reports) by an ICE agent. The shooting, which took place amidst heightened ICE enforcement in Minneapolis, sparked immediate protests, riots, incendiary rhetoric from local and national leaders, and talk of potentially deploying state and even federal forces. Tony Kinnett, joined by legal analyst Ron Coleman, analyzes legal, political, and cultural ramifications of the incident—especially Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s threat to deploy the National Guard against federal ICE officers, raising fears of an unprecedented state/federal confrontation.

Main Themes

• Escalation in Minnesota: ICE agent-involved shooting during an immigration enforcement operation; immediate violent protests ensue.
• Political Fallout: Outrage among local and national Democrats; Governor Walz’s extraordinary threat to use the National Guard against federal agents.
• Legal Analysis: Discussion of federal preeminence, the Insurrection Act, and the severe constitutional stakes.
• Cultural Context: Focus on Somali immigration/fraud scandal in Minnesota; perceptions of law enforcement; left/right response.
• Media and Political Rhetoric: Immediate polarized takes from politicians, with parallel references to past American crises (e.g., George Floyd, January 6th).
• On-the-Ground Situational Updates: Real-time reporting of emerging unrest and law enforcement response in Minneapolis.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Incident Breakdown: The Shooting and Its Footage

• Full Footage and Angles (05:00–08:40):
  • Renee Nicole Goode (Missouri plates on her Honda Pilot) confronted ICE agents, allegedly obstructed them, drove at officers, and was shot.
  • Tony repeatedly emphasizes the importance of establishing facts: “It is more important before we get to the wheres, whys and hows, that the pieces are set correctly…” (05:25).
  • Video evidence is analyzed carefully for authenticity (not AI-generated) and angles showing agent-officer interactions.

2. Legal Analysis with Ron Coleman

• Was the shooting justified? (09:22–11:00):

  • Ron Coleman: “Absolutely justified shooting, slam dunk. Two, federal agent cannot be, will not be prosecuted by the state of Minnesota for his conduct in this, in the course of his work…” (09:22).
  • Broader implications: federal authority supersedes local prosecution; highlights political optics rather than legal vulnerability for ICE.

• Political “Patty Cake” and Law Enforcement Strategy (10:16–11:54):

  • Ron criticizes federal (Trump admin) “delicacy” in riot response: “They have been reluctant to really make the kinds of arrests in riot situations. It’s always been the marginal thing they can do...” (10:40).

3. Governor Tim Walz’s Response

• Formation of a State/Federal Rift (11:54–14:08, 54:10–56:13):

  • Tony: “To actually go forward and suggest…that the Minnesota National Guard might be deployed in opposition to federal troops…My God, Seriously, I can’t. Obviously he’s in a middle of a major scandal…” (11:54).
  • Walz’s press conference analyzed as “atrocious,” “stupid, stupid response,” with civil-war-era comparisons (“Fort Sumter vibes”).

• Direct Quotes – Governor Walz (52:44–53:54):

  • “To Minnesotans, I say this, I feel your anger. I’m angry.” (52:44)
  • “We do not need any further help from the federal government. To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem. You’ve done enough.” (55:15)
  • "I have a very simple message. We do not need any further help from the federal government. To Donald Trump and Kristi Noem, you’ve done enough." (55:16)

• Provocative Line:

  • “We’ve never been at war with our federal government…” (62:42) – seen as an alarming statement suggesting open conflict.

4. Real-Time Riot Developments & Law Enforcement Response

• Riot Footage and Escalation (40:31–44:42):

  • Protests immediately turn violent: American flag burned, brawls between ICE/other officials and rioters, snowballs and rocks thrown.
  • Tony: “Throwing a rock. Attempted murder…In Somalian culture, stoning is quite common here in the United States.”

• Chasing out law enforcement (43:48–44:20):

  • Protesters chase ICE/state police vehicles out, as captured by Fox 9 and other outlets.

• Vigil Turns Angry (46:31, 74:03–74:45):

  • Initial “vigil” for Renee turns into a large anti-ICE rally with increasingly militant rhetoric: “Rise up. Take a stand. Rise up. Take a stand.”
  • Tony remarks on the transformation from vigil to riot.

5. Political and Cultural Subtext

• Somali Fraud Scandal and Congressional Hearing (76:34–84:26):

  • Connection drawn between ICE’s Minneapolis operation and ongoing House Oversight investigation into Somali immigration/social services fraud.
  • Legislators highlight staggering welfare statistics among Somali households and probe Governor Walz’s knowledge of fraud.

• Statistical breakdown – Brandon Gill (79:12):

  • “54% of Somali-headed households in Minnesota are on food stamps. 7% for native Minnesota-headed households. 73% on Medicaid. 81% on welfare. Even after 10 years, 78% still on welfare…” (79:29–80:25)

• Tony’s Analysis:

  • Frames the situation as a result of imported “toxic culture” rather than race or background: “Somali culture in Minneapolis is a problem… because of the culture. The culture is toxic.”

6. National Political Reaction

• Trump’s Statement (46:31–47:38):

  • Blames “radical left” for violence, affirms officer acted in self-defense.

• Democratic Voices—AOC and Others (96:59–98:21):

  • Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “What we saw today was a criminal murder a woman and shoot her in the head while she was trying to escape and flee for her life.” (96:59)
  • Tony retorts, “You don’t have the right to flee law enforcement… The idea that you can interfere with law enforcement, because that’s some kind of like noble protesting, right? That’s not what protesting means.” (61:11)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Reaction to Governor Walz’s Statements:

• “What a thing to say. I mean, forget Fort Sumter vibes. This is…a Molotov cocktail through a window.” – Tony Kinnett (11:54)

Ron Coleman on Justification:

• “Absolutely justified shooting, slam dunk.” (09:22)

On the Insurrection Act:

• “If [Trump] were to invoke [the Insurrection Act], would give him powers to deploy resources… It will only be a matter of minutes before some judge…” – Ron Coleman (20:25)
• “No, but… there’s a lot of things that they can’t do that they’re doing all the time these days.” – Ron on whether a federal judge could block the Insurrection Act (21:24)

Tony on Political Motives:

• “He’s going for a perp walk over this and garner sympathy—‘Oh, look, Trump’s being political.’” (15:56)

On Protest Escalation:

• “Chasing law enforcement. That’s not a vigil. That’s not a vigil. Don’t mess with this.” (46:32)

Jacob Frey (Mayor of Minneapolis), explicit:

• “But I do have a message for our community, for our city, and I have a message for ICE: to ICE, get the fuck out of Minneapolis.” (64:39)

AOC's Take:

• “What we saw today was a criminal murder a woman and shoot her in the head while she was trying to escape and flee for her life.” (96:59)

Tony’s Response:

• “You don’t have the right to flee law enforcement…I know there’s this fun idea that a lot of people have…” (97:15)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [05:00–08:40] – Detailed breakdown of shooting, video authenticity investigation
• [09:04–22:51] – Legal implications and political strategy with Ron Coleman
• [40:31–44:42] – Riot escalation, protesters chase off ICE/state police
• [52:44–56:13] – Governor Walz’s controversial press conference and threats
• [60:52–62:42] – Minneapolis Police Chief and Walz’s further escalation talk
• [64:39–67:37] – Mayor Jacob Frey tells ICE to “get the fuck out”; more anti-ICE rhetoric
• [74:03–74:45] – Vigil grows into militant protest (“Rise up. Take a stand.”)
• [76:34–84:26] – House hearing on Somali fraud, implications for Minnesota politics
• [96:59–98:43] – AOC’s statement accusing ICE agent of “criminal murder,” Tony’s rebuttal

Tone & Language

Consistently combative, sarcastic, and outrage-driven in commentary, especially towards Democratic politicians and protests; maintains rigorous focus on factual analysis of incident footage. Frequent use of pop-culture references (Family Guy, sports analogies), and a sardonic take on both the rhetoric of political figures and the coverage by mainstream media.

Conclusion

Episode Takeaways:

• The episode stresses the volatility and seriousness of the Minneapolis situation, warning of a potential constitutional crisis should state and federal forces directly clash.
• Both sides (left and right) are accused by the host of rushing to assign guilt and martyrdom before facts are settled.
• The local cultural and political backdrop (Somali fraud scandals, sanctuary policies, “Summer of Love” riot precedents) looms large in Tony Kinnett’s analysis.
• The rhetoric from officials like Governor Walz and Mayor Frey is heavily criticized as reckless and inflammatory.
• Tony unequivocally sides with ICE on legal grounds, but urges restraint and factual objectivity in the ensuing investigation.

For Listeners Who Missed the Episode:

You will gain a pointed, highly detailed, right-of-center analysis of a complex law enforcement incident, subsequent political meltdown in Minnesota, and the national-level stakes—complete with expert legal insight, commentary on protest tactics, ongoing congressional investigations, and a critical eye on partisan media/politician responses. The summary above details all major topics with attributed remarks and timestamps for easy reference.