Podcast Summary: "Domestic Terrorism Is Spreading, And Fast"

VINCE with Vince Coglianese | Cumulus Podcast Network | Episode 140 | October 6, 2025

Episode Overview

Vince Coglianese tackles the alarming rise of domestic terrorism in U.S. cities, focusing on recent organized attacks against ICE officers in Chicago and the escalating violence carried out by Antifa groups in Portland. He breaks down how city and state officials, notably in Democrat-controlled areas, are responding (or failing to respond) to this chaos. The episode features an in-depth interview with journalist and Antifa expert Andy Ngo, and concludes by examining a shocking case of violent rhetoric from a Democratic candidate for Virginia Attorney General.

Main Theme:
Domestic terrorism—particularly violent, coordinated actions by left-wing groups against federal law enforcement—is intensifying, with local government response often hamstrung by political agendas and stand-down orders. Vince argues this pattern is setting a dangerous precedent and fueling internal strife reminiscent of America's Civil War era.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Attacks on ICE in Chicago

• DHS reports a "1,000% increase in assaults" on ICE officers.
• Incident (Saturday, ~1:19pm ET): During routine patrol in Broadview, Chicago, ICE officers were rammed and boxed in by 10 vehicles. One perpetrator, previously doxxing agents and calling for violence online, was armed. Shots were fired; perpetrator fled and sought hospital care.
• Chicago Police Department (CPD) issued a stand-down order—radio transmissions confirm CPD officers were told not to assist (“disregard the attack on ICE”).

  [06:11] “Those are the orders we are being given […] disregard that 39th Place in Kedzie.”

• ICE/Border Patrol agents surrounded—no backup from city police, leading to chaos and lawlessness on the scene.
• Commentators, including Stephen Miller, label the incident a "seditious insurrection."

2. Political Response: City, State, Federal

• Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker: Downplays severity, questions DHS/ICE narratives, refers to agents as racists, and criticizes federal law enforcement actions.

  [11:56] “They need to get out of Chicago. If they’re not going to focus on the worst of the worst, which is what the President said they were going to do, they need to get the heck out.”

• Vince’s take: “This is as effective as a full-blown endorsement of terror against ICE by a city and state that is run by Democrats.” [13:10]
• National Guard Mobilization: President Trump attempts to send Texas National Guard to Chicago; hampered not just by city/state resistance but also by federal judiciary rulings.

3. Federal Judiciary Interventions

• Judge Karen Immergut (Trump appointee) issues a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration from deploying National Guard in Portland, claiming the “protests were small and uneventful.”
• Vince: “What footage is this idiot watching? […] Is this mostly peaceful? Is this uneventful?” [13:59–15:07]

4. Antifa Violence and Organization

• Portland and Chicago: On-the-ground violence against ICE and federal property.
• “Antifa is not just an idea”—well-funded, organized, with legal defense structures and ties to professional/affluent individuals (e.g., children of politicians and lawyers).
• Mark Bray, author of "Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook" and prominent organizational supporter, announces he is fleeing to Europe amid Trump’s crackdown.

Interview: Andy Ngo on Antifa’s Tactics & Impact

[31:10–49:59]

Organization & Tactics in Portland

• Riots and attacks around Portland’s ICE facility are not spontaneous:

  [31:24] Andy Ngo: "These are not spontaneous. They have been happening since June and there's an organized element to it."

• “Encampments” near facilities act as staging grounds stocked with riot supplies, food, legal aid (via the National Lawyers Guild), and safe houses for suspects.
• Antifa uses vulnerable populations—homeless and teenagers—as “body shields” and for plausible deniability in criminal acts.

Police Stand-Down & Selective Law Enforcement

• Several cases where police refuse to arrest masked Antifa agitators but target media or counter-protesters instead.
• [35:53] Example: Katie Daviscourt (journalist) assaulted; police refuse to pursue perpetrator who disappears into Antifa encampment.
• [37:23] Example: Nick Sortor (journalist) arrested after seeking protection with police while being pursued by the mob; contrast with non-action against masked rioters.
• Police leadership described as “weak, partisan, and cowardly,” “afraid to go after Antifa.”

Socioeconomic Makeup of Antifa

• Not just “riff-raff”—includes “children of many Democrats who are in elected office,” professionals, and the upper middle class.
• Upper class university pipeline to radicalism is driving much of the organized militant activism.
• [43:06] Andy Ngo: “There's a pattern of…upper-class children raised in Democrat families to radicalism at university, to then violent militancy during university or after.”

On Mark Bray & International Antifa Funding

• Mark Bray, Rutgers professor, financially supports international Antifa.
• Bray is reportedly “fleeing” ahead of a potential federal terrorism designation and crackdown:

  [45:21] "Mr. Bray is saying that he's fleeing the US because of death threats and doxing. I think that's a pretext for something more serious."

• U.S. intelligence is investigating international ties for a possible FTO (Foreign Terrorist Organization) designation.

How Antifa Responds to Being Declared Terrorists

• Some Antifa groups are deleting social media histories, going underground, or instructing activists to use encrypted comms and burner phones.
• Greater caution and signs of “nervousness” as federal prosecution looms.

Virginia Attorney General Candidate J. Jones Advocates Political Violence

[50:11–56:39]

• National Review exposes Democratic AG nominee J. Jones for fantasizing about shooting Republican Speaker Todd Gilbert and wishing “pain” on Gilbert’s children:

  [52:00] “He receives both bullets every time.”
  [52:38] “Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy… do I think Todd and Jennifer are evil…? Yes.”

• Texts confirmed by Jones; has not lost party endorsement.
• Winsome Sears (Republican nominee) releases devastating ad highlighting these messages, demanding accountability and Jones’ withdrawal.
• Mainstream television (e.g., Morning Joe) acknowledges likelihood of Jones needing to exit the race.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [07:20] Vince: “Disregard the attack on ICE. Do not respond to it. That’s insane. What you’re listening to is utter lawlessness.”
• [13:10] Vince: “What you are witnessing is the beginnings of a civil war. When you endorse violence against your political opponents… you’re endorsing civil war in the United States.”
• [22:04] Vince: “You get Antifa members like Tim Kaine’s son… you get lawyers in New York throwing Molotov cocktails at cops… These are not poor, desperate people. Oftentimes they’re like the children of orthodontists running around attacking officers.”
• [35:53] Andy Ngo: “Immediately all the other Antifa… use these umbrellas to hide that person. It’s been allowed to operate now for months nearby the ICE facility.”
• [49:59] Andy Ngo: “At first I didn’t think that they would actually be scared… In the past week or so, many of the high-profile accounts have begun deleting themselves completely off Twitter… there's a suggestion there of engaging in criminality or doing whatever means are necessary to protect Antifa.”
• [52:50] J. Jones: “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head… Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.”
• [54:55] Winsome Sears ad: “How can Virginians trust a man who said something so horrific, so callously?”

Noteworthy Timestamps

• [05:56–06:35]: CPD stand-down order radio transmission
• [08:54]: Kristi Noem lays out organized bounties on ICE officers
• [13:10–15:07]: Vince on the “beginnings of civil war” and Chicago’s official response
• [31:10–49:59]: Andy Ngo interview: Antifa tactics, police response, organization, and impact of federal crackdown
• [50:11–56:39]: The Virginia AG scandal—violent rhetoric, party reaction, campaign consequences

Conclusion

This episode delivers a forceful critique of how domestic terrorism, particularly on the left, is growing more organized and emboldened, while urban politicians and some federal judges are depicted as complicit or obstructive. Vince characterizes the situation as a “neo-Confederate” rejection of federal authority and law enforcement, likening the political climate to a brewing civil conflict. Through eyewitness accounts, expert interviews, and primary source commentary, listeners receive an in-depth portrait of the crisis, its roots, and the political battle lines being drawn around it.