Timcast IRL – Episode Summary

Episode Title: MN To LOSE Congressional Seat Over Deportations, Attacks Against ICE Getting WORSE w/ Sulaiman Ahmed
Date: January 17, 2026
Host: Tim Pool
Guests: Sulaiman Ahmed (independent journalist), Phil Labonte, Ian Crossland, Tate Brown

Overview

This episode of Timcast IRL dives into the contentious issues surrounding ICE enforcement, police shootings, immigration, and the broader implications for political division in the United States. Sulaiman Ahmed joins the panel to provide a critical left-leaning perspective, challenging the prevailing right-leaning views of the regular cast. The episode is marked by vigorous debate over law enforcement, state power, the ethics and practicalities of mass deportation, as well as broader geopolitical and cultural issues including war, corporatism, and religious influence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. ICE Shooting Incident & Use of Force

Segment: [05:10–31:00]

• Incident: Panel debates a recent ICE shooting of Minneapolis resident Renee Goode, focusing on whether the use of force was justified.
• Sulaiman Ahmed’s View: The operation was mishandled; the government is seen as covering for ICE, fueling distrust and claims of state-sanctioned violence.
• Phil Labonte’s View: Legally, the use of deadly force is justified if the officer perceives a threat, using the car as a weapon as justification.
  • Quote [07:17]: “The car is a deadly weapon. As soon as the car starts moving towards [the officer], he is authorized to use defensive force.”
• Tim Pool’s Concerns: Excessive use of force (multiple shots fired); worried about these police powers being used against other political groups in the future.
  • Quote [12:06]: “This could very easily be turned against us that are either anti-vax or anti-government.”
• Ian Crossland’s Hypotheticals: Raises concerns about escalation and loss of civil liberties if law enforcement is broadly empowered.
• On Reporting & Narrative: Sulaiman highlights selective media narratives and how state actions are perceived as politically motivated.

Memorable Exchange:
Tim Pool [23:28]: “Smart enough to realize that what's happening with ICE can be done to you. It can happen to you... the government can do something wrong to you.”

2. Comparisons: Police Violence & Political Hypocrisy

Segment: [23:03–31:00]

• Ashley Babbitt Parallel: Comparison between the ICE shooting and the death of Ashley Babbitt on January 6th; consistency in applying legal standards to police use of deadly force.
  • Phil Labonte [24:10]: “By the legal standard, Ashley Babbitt, it was a justified shooting... just like Minneapolis.”
  • Tim Pool [24:53]: “You’re a piece of shit. I mean, there you go... But I’ll kill that, kill that. Just shoot another girl shooting white women.”
• Panel agrees: There is a risk in celebrating state violence when it aligns with one’s political preference; precedent can swing both ways.

3. Political Escalation, Federal vs. Local Authority, and Mass Deportation

Segment: [31:45–43:43]

• State and Local Tensions: Discussion over sanctuary cities, federal overreach, and local resistance to immigration enforcement.
  • Phil Labonte: Argues cities/states have a legal duty to assist federal law enforcement.
  • Sulaiman Ahmed: Argues that political polarization and federal-local standoffs fuel escalation. Recommends either full-force or light-touch policy, not drawn-out confrontations.
• Deportations and Demographics: Tate Brown calls for extremely large-scale deportation—up to 100 million people—including “anchor babies,” post-1965 immigrants, etc.
  • Quote [58:12]: Tate Brown: "80 to 100 million need to go. I think that's achievable… I think white and black Americans are heritage Americans and should be prioritized."
  • Sulaiman Ahmed: Probes the morality and logistics of such policies.
  • Panel debates: Who is “American,” criteria for denaturalization, and the ethical disaster such a policy would entail.

4. Corporate Power, Geopolitics & War

Segment: [50:49–77:53]

• Corporate Influence: Critical look at U.S. foreign policy serving multinational corporations’ interests rather than American citizens, using Venezuela, China, and oil politics as examples.
  • Tim Pool [53:32]: “These corporations don't care about us. They care about their bottom line more than killing their own employees.”
  • Ian Crossland: Warns of “corporatocracy” in the U.S. compared to China's top-down system.
• Middle East Policy/War with Iran:
  • Panel resists full-scale war with Iran; more caution than previous “forever wars.”
  • Tim Pool references the Project for a New American Century and the idea of U.S. interventions serving “Israel firsters.”
  • Sulaiman Ahmed analyzes geopolitics of the Middle East, Iran-Saudi rivalry, and the role of Israel in shaping policy.
• Empire Ethics: The group debates whether American global dominance is justifiable—Is it about preserving freedoms or subjugation for cheap goods?
  • Suleiman Ahmed [74:22]: “So your position is that America should subjugate the world so you can have cheaper goods?”
  • Phil Labonte: Argues U.S. hegemony is preferable to Chinese or Russian dominance.

5. Violence, Morality, and Cultural Critique

Segment: [77:53–85:20]

• Societal Violence: Discussion of desensitization to violence, cultural moral decay, and the role of abortion, crime, and multiculturalism.
  • Tate Brown: “The West is still an exceptionally… we still accept an exceptional level of violence and propaganda.”
  • British “grooming gangs” crisis is discussed; Ahmed challenges the selective outrage and introduces data showing abuse is not limited to any one group.
• Immigration, Morality, and Cultural Integration: Is mass immigration compatible with diverse moral codes? U.S. vs. Swiss/Scandinavian models are debated.

6. Conspiracies, Secrets, and Power Structures

Segment: [85:20–98:25]

• Epstein Scandal: Panel doubts credibility of the official Epstein story and government transparency.
  • Tim Pool: “It just sucks because it gives me the impression that they're protecting pedophiles.”
• State Secrets/Alliances: Every country spies; the myth of special relationships; U.S. “Five Eyes” alliance discussed.
  • Nuclear weapons: Tim Pool flirts with a nuclear denialist view, sparking scientific arguments from others.
• Religion: Abrahamic faiths’ influence on the West, divergence/convergence of Christianity and Islam.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (w/Timestamps)

• [07:17] Phil Labonte: “The car is a deadly weapon. As soon as the car starts moving towards [the officer], he is authorized to use defensive force.”
• [12:06] Tim Pool: “This could very easily be turned against us that are either anti-vax or anti-government.”
• [23:28] Tim Pool: “Smart enough to realize that what's happening with ICE can be done to you. The government can do something wrong to you.”
• [24:10] Phil Labonte: “By the legal standard, Ashley Babbitt, it was a justified shooting... just like Minneapolis.”
• [28:15] Phil Labonte: "They've got all the guns."
• [43:43] Tim Pool: On deep state incentives: “They love that this is happening. They love that we're fighting about it... done on purpose in order to divide us.”
• [55:04] Tim Pool: “I would argue that legal immigration is almost worse than illegal immigration... these companies put in legislation that lets them hire [cheap labor] and get tax breaks. That’s bullshit.”
• [58:12] Tate Brown: “80 to 100 million need to go [from the US]."
• [74:22] Suleiman Ahmed: “So your position is that America should subjugate the world so you can have cheaper goods?”
• [83:36] Tim Pool: “Our country protects pedophiles.”
• [93:07] Tim Pool: “It's just making me kind of lose faith in ever actually finding the truth. And that sucks.”

Important Timestamps

• 05:10–31:00 – ICE/Police Shooting, Legal/Ethical Debate
• 31:45–43:43 – Escalation, Sanctuary Cities, Deportation Policy
• 47:00–77:53 – Geopolitics, War with Iran, U.S. Foreign Policy, Empire Ethics
• 77:53–85:20 – Cultural Violence, Morality, “Grooming Gangs,” Multiculturalism
• 85:20–98:25 – Epstein, Power/Secrets, Nuclear Debate, Religion
• 108:37–121:14 – Audience Q&A, Wrap-up

Tone & Language

• Direct, confrontational, sarcastic, and provocative.
• Frequent use of slang and irreverent humor, especially from Tim Pool and Tate Brown.
• Suleiman Ahmed challenges the panel with a firm but measured liberal critique.
• Philosophical and polemical at turns; regular segues into larger cultural and existential debates.

Conclusion

This episode showcases the extremes and nuances of America’s ongoing political and cultural battles, particularly over immigration, police violence, and federal authority. It reveals stark differences in policy proposals, worldviews, and moral philosophies between right-leaning hosts and guests and a more critical left-leaning voice. The discussion turns meta at times, as the group debates not only what is happening, but how and why political conflict is perpetuated—by the media, by government, or by human nature itself.