Podcast Summary: The Tony Kinnett Cast – Ep. 479

BOMBSHELL: New Body Cam Video Ends Debate on Minneapolis ICE Shooting, Women Quit Jobs to Hunt ICE
Date: January 10, 2026
Host: Tony Kinnett, The Daily Signal
Guest: Rob Bluey, The Daily Signal President

Overview & Main Theme

This episode centers on the release of new body camera and cell phone footage of a controversial ICE agent-involved shooting in Minneapolis. Tony Kinnett reviews and analyzes the footage, challenges previously reported narratives, highlights media and political reactions, and explores the escalation of left-wing protest culture—particularly the phenomenon of women quitting jobs to protest or obstruct ICE activities. The episode closes with commentary on a Politico media scandal, looming political showdowns over ICE in Congress, and a brief touch on international news from Iran.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Body Cam Footage and Minneapolis ICE Shooting

• Kinnett refutes the “innocent victim” narrative about Renee Good, the woman killed in the ICE encounter, using newly surfaced footage (01:00–15:00).
  • Critical footage details:
    • Renee Good is clearly shown interacting with ICE agents, ignoring lawful orders, and then accelerating her car into an agent before being shot.
    • Audio picks up a woman (Good’s partner) yelling “drive, baby, drive” to encourage fleeing (06:30).
  • Kinnett argues this exonerates the ICE agent of any ‘cold-blooded’ shooting accusations.

Quote:

"You can hear very faintly... the lady in the flannel... was yelling, and I quote: 'Drive, baby, drive,' to Renee Good in the vehicle—encouraging her to flee the scene and again break federal law."
— Tony Kinnett (06:30)

Quote:

"Now, according to the footage that we have, it is dead firm confirmation of exactly what happened. It also shows the officer was hit by the vehicle before the very first shot was fired."
— Tony Kinnett (12:00)

• Kinnett describes misinformation trends and how earlier speculation flourished because preliminary footage wasn’t clear about whether the agent was struck by the vehicle.

2. Political and Media Reaction

• Left-wing officials and media pushed misleading narratives, including claims the ICE agent wasn't hit or that the shooting was unjustified.
  • Kinnett criticizes Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for mocking the ICE agent’s injury and downplaying the seriousness of vehicular assault (13:30–15:30).

Quote:

"A Honda Pilot is two and a half tons... In real life, cars have momentum... getting hit with one of those—yeah, it’s serious. Maybe Jacob Fry is a big freaking idiot. How about that?"
— Tony Kinnett (15:10)

• Parallels are drawn to the George Floyd incident—suggesting that some are trying to provoke similar unrest or anti-ICE sentiment.
• Political posturing discussed:
  • Rep. Andy Craig (MN) and others consider threatening a government shutdown over ICE powers (16:45–17:11).
  • Kinnett mocks politicians for evasive interview responses and decries the wave of Democratic officials and activists demanding ICE be defunded or disbanded.

3. Protest Culture & Social Dynamics

• Focus on protester demographics: Kinnett highlights the “angry brood of menopausal white women” and young single women making protesting ICE their identity or pseudo-profession.
  • Noted a trend of women literally quitting their jobs to stalk and confront ICE (“Women Quit Jobs to Hunt ICE”) (29:57–32:00).

Quote:

"There are women that have quit their jobs—those that had jobs in the first place—to follow ICE around and attempt to dox the agents, harass them, and of course, obstruct them and violate federal law."
— Tony Kinnett (30:05)

Quote:

"I quit my job for this... I was disassociating on my bed. I mean, I might as well put my time to something useful."
— Anonymous protester, relayed by Kinnett (31:06)

• Mockery and concern for the seriousness of the protests:
  • Protesters shout "shoot me" at federal officers seeking attention/media affirmation (22:37).
  • Kinnett questions their motives, mental health, and the enabling of illegal acts.

4. Media Narrative Scandal: Politico Playbook Leak

(37:30–43:34, with Rob Bluey)

• Politico Playbook's internal guidance on "approved" sources is leaked, revealing a heavy legacy/mainstream and left-of-center bias.
  • Right-leaning outlets (except FOX, sparingly Axios) not included, Daily Signal and similar publications excluded.
  • Implication: Media narrative shaping by limiting source diversity, affecting what Congress and DC insiders see and discuss.
• Rob Bluey Commentary:
  • Calls for media transparency and admits their own efforts to obtain press credentials to challenge this bias.

Quote:

"They are curating their news from sources that lean overwhelmingly to the left... it's not a huge surprise, but it was quite revealing when this information became public."
— Rob Bluey (39:21)

5. Looming Government Shutdown – ICE at the Center

(43:34–46:51)

• Some Democrats angling for a shutdown over ICE’s powers, with potential economic consequences and uncertain political fallout.
• Rob Bluey predicts: Despite the drama, Republicans and Trump will likely prevail, given Trump's base support for strong enforcement and the unlikely prospect of Americans turning against law enforcement over this incident.

6. Political & Cultural Analysis

• Contrasting “flamboyant” vs. “steady” law enforcement voices:
  • Compares Kristi Noem's rhetoric to Tom Homan's tough but quiet confidence; predicts the latter will resonate more with voters (46:51–48:13).
• Prayers for law enforcement and leaders.
  • Rob Bluey emphasizes the need for prayer and responsible rhetoric.

Quote:

"I pray all the time for those men and women in law enforcement... facing extreme challenges in cities like Minneapolis as a result of the rhetoric that you've called out from people like Tim Walls."
— Rob Bluey (48:26)

7. International News Brief

• Iranian protests ignite:
  • Rioters set fire to a Tehran mosque; regime stability in question.
  • Young women burning photos of Khomeini to light cigarettes cited as a new act of defiance (34:00 onward).
• Host promises bonus weekend coverage if Iran’s situation escalates dramatically.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Viewer discretion is advised.”
  Tony sets the stage for showing and discussing graphic video evidence (01:13).

• “Drive, baby, drive.”
  The pivotal phrase captured on tape, shifting blame away from ICE and implicating Renee Good’s partner in the decision to flee (06:30).

• Kinnett, mocking activist performativity:

  "Do you know how pathetically stupid, cringeworthy and embarrassing something has to be to make an independent fundamental Baptist want to cross himself?" (23:42)

• Political showmanship called out:

  "I love it when politicians don't answer yes or no questions. It gives me the giggles.” (17:06)
  "She has a name, right? I like this. So it’s not actually a reporter; it’s a staffer...” (19:27)

• Summary of protester rationale:

  "I mean, I might as well put my time to something useful." (31:06)

• On Politico’s list of sources:

  "Nothing that I'm seeing here that suggests kind of the right leaning news and opinion outlets." (39:07)

• On federal law enforcement:

  “In US federal law... ICE can absolutely act as federal law enforcement." (17:15)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:50–15:45 – Analysis and breakdown of the Minneapolis ICE shooting bodycam/cell footage
• 15:45–22:30 – Media narratives and political reactions, including comparison to George Floyd
• 22:30–25:00 – Profiling and critique of protest culture and methods
• 29:57–32:00 – Discussion of women quitting jobs to protest/harass ICE
• 37:30–43:34 – Media bias: Politico Playbook’s ‘approved sources’ leak with Rob Bluey
• 43:34–46:51 – Government funding, ICE defunding debate, politics of shutdown
• 46:51–49:00 – Law enforcement cultural analysis, prayers for officers
• 34:00 – International: Iran protests quick brief

Concluding Tone

Tony Kinnett’s tone is irreverent, sarcastic, direct, and highly opinionated, often using humor and mockery to underscore his points, particularly toward media narratives, politicians, and protester behavior. The discussion with Rob Bluey is more measured, focused on structural media concerns and political strategy, but maintains the show’s direct style.

In Short

• The episode asserts that new footage definitively shows the ICE agent acted only after being hit and that activist and leftwing narratives are disproven.
• Critiques media and political reactions as dishonest, manipulative, or deluded.
• Examines the role of activist culture in escalating these conflicts, especially among women turning direct action into a lifestyle.
• Ends by highlighting media bias and anticipating ongoing ICE-related political drama in Congress.

A must-listen for those seeking a contrarian or right-of-center analysis on the Minneapolis ICE shooting, media bias, and protest trends.