VINCE Podcast Episode 201: The Trump Tornado Comes For the Fed

Host: Vince Coglianese
Guest: Chris Bedford, Senior Politics Editor, The Blaze
Date: January 12, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Vince Coglianese dives into seismic shakeups in conservative media, the shock criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, explosive revelations surrounding federal and political corruption, and the chaos in Minneapolis linked to massive welfare fraud and immigration enforcement. Vince is joined by Chris Bedford to give insider context on Washington’s reaction to these events, the double standards in law enforcement, and the deeper cultural trends fueling lawlessness in America’s cities.

The tone is irreverent, deeply skeptical of the Washington establishment, and unapologetically conservative, with both wit and simmering frustration at the week’s events.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Conservative Media Shakeup – New Rumble Lineup

[03:11–09:00]

• Dan Bongino’s Return: After a year of government service (as Deputy FBI Director under Trump), Bongino will host a new two-hour daily show, exclusively livestreaming on Rumble from February 2, 2026 (10 am–12 pm ET). Westwood One serves as exclusive sales partner; distribution covers all podcast platforms.
• Show Lineup Announcement:
  • 8:00 am ET: “Vince” (Vince Coglianese)
  • 10:00 am ET: Dan Bongino
  • 12:00 pm ET: “Scrolling with Haley Caranilla” (midday slot, formerly nightly)
  • Vince clarifies: Despite time slot overlap, his national radio show continues unchanged (12–3 pm ET), and he supports Haley’s growth.
• Vision for “Vince”: Setting the news table for the day, aiming to influence both audience understanding and national news agenda.
• Platform Reminder: To access Vince’s future live streams, subscribe at rumble.com/vince (transitioning channels with Bongino’s return).

Notable Quote:
"The goal is that I'm gonna do the same program I'm doing here, but we're gonna focus on the news headlines of the day. I'm gonna set the table for your entire day in terms of understanding everything that had transpired overnight and what to expect in the 24 hours ahead. ... Not only will it be must watch, but if you are a newsmaker. It will be must participate."
—Vince Coglianese [07:35]

2. The Criminal Investigation Into Jerome Powell

[09:12–17:24]

• The Bombshell: DOJ is criminally investigating Jerome Powell (Fed Chair) for possible perjury over congressional testimony about Federal Reserve headquarters renovations and massive cost overruns—now approaching $1B over budget.
• Reaction in D.C.: Establishment sees this as a “five alarm fire”. Vince frames this as long-overdue accountability for elites.
• Powell’s Defense:
  • Powell issues a monotone, poorly-mic’d video statement, calling the probe “unprecedented” and suggesting it's political retribution for resisting Trump’s monetary policy preferences.
  • He claims, “No one, certainly not the chair of the Federal Reserve, is above the law. ... This new threat is not about my testimony ... Those are pretexts. The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment ... rather than following the preferences of the President.” [13:29]
• Counterpoint: Vince highlights evidence of Powell’s mismanagement, citing:
  • First time in Fed history, the institution is running a deficit
  • Cost of the Federal Reserve building renovation: now $2.5–$3.1B (including “terrace, rooftop gardens, water features, VIP elevators, premium marble”)
  • Powell’s dismissive attitude and unawareness feigned in congressional testimony
  • Trump recently confronted Powell directly over the cost overruns; Vince mocks Powell’s clueless performance
• Vince’s Take: Powell “well earned” the investigation; Washington only sees investigations as appropriate when targeting Republicans.

Notable Exchange:

"Alright, so that's him bitching and moaning in the most monotone possible way as he's complaining that he's under criminal investigation right now. ... This is Donald Trump just being upset at me for running our monetary policy into the ground. Well, he should be upset at you for that. You've been a horrifically bad chairman of the Federal Reserve."
—Vince Coglianese [14:31]

3. Law Enforcement Double Standards & The Jack Smith “Arctic Frost” Probe

[22:14–29:43]

• DOJ’s Selective Prosecution: Vince and later Chris Bedford expose what they see as deep bias in D.C.—“acceptable” investigations only target conservatives; grand juries protect establishment D.C. figures.
• Jack Smith/Arctic Frost:
  • Special Counsel Smith paid $20,000 to a source for dirt on Trump during 2023’s election probe — called an “egregious abuse of power”.
  • DOJ spied on Trump lawyers, campaign officials, even senators, using unprecedented surveillance measures.
  • Vince argues Smith’s probe was “a completely tyrannical prosecution and an unconstitutional one of Donald Trump.”
• Frustration: Calls for criminal accountability for officials like Jack Smith: “Jackass Smith needs to be prosecuted for what he did to our country 100%.”

4. Minneapolis: Welfare Fraud, Immigration, and Urban Lawlessness

[36:57–47:21]
Joined by Chris Bedford [32:40]

• Massive Somali-Linked Fraud:
  • Billions looted from welfare/childcare programs in Minneapolis by Somali immigrants, enabled by lax/complicit Democratic officials. Vince: “North of $9 billion. ... Investigators think that there are $18 billion at least in suspicious payments out the door.”
  • Fraud is “brazen, low IQ” — simply claiming to care for non-existent children and pocketing public money.
  • Chris Bedford: “There’s an unbelievable level of welfare fraud and benefits fraud in our country that is facilitated and protected by Democrats.”
• Law Enforcement Resistance:
  • ICE agents harassed/chased by organized activists; hostile environment for law enforcement after years of anti-police propaganda.
  • Bedford notes that organizers are intentionally sabotaging federal operations, and much of the public is now conditioned to view police as villains.
• Cultural/Educational Roots:
  • A worldview is inculcated through education and media: “oppressor vs. oppressed”, toxic levels of empathy skew priorities.
  • Both Bedford and Vince link the breakdown to disordered family life/lack of respect for authority, amplified by the internet and lack of consequences.
• Dangers:
  • If half the country doesn't obey the law and the rest lose respect for enforcement, societal order breaks down.
  • Enabling/ignoring fraud feeds general public despair and lawlessness.

Notable Quotes:

"If there's a blessing in any of this, it is opening the minds of the American people to just how much fraud is going on at the hands of Democrats and how important it is that if you're going to come to our country, that you actually assimilate not just to our culture, but to our laws."
—Vince Coglianese [37:08]

"It turns out to be really easy to steal billions of dollars. ... The only thing that's stopping you is just a lack of respect for the law."
—Chris Bedford [41:23]

5. Breakdown of Respect for Law Enforcement

[43:20–49:24]

• How did we get here? (Vince asks):
  • Bedford: It’s cultural—years of teaching America is only an “idea”, the “oppressor vs. oppressed” narrative, amplified by social justice empathy, internet, and the feminization of public discourse.
  • Hollywood and media demonize police, while activist movements have normalized resistance.
  • Vince: Blames “disordered family lives”—lack of respect for authority starts at home, spills into society.
  • Both agree that civilizational rot, not just politics, is at fault.

6. What Should Be Done?

[49:24–50:42]

• Restoring Order:
  • Vince: Calls for Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act to restore order in places like Minneapolis: “Just announced you are doing a limited invocation of the Insurrection Act to restore order to America's cities.”
  • Bedford: Agrees, lamenting that local politicians back lawlessness, and that federal intervention may be the only way to restore respect and consequences for criminality.

Quote:
"If the mayor and the governor won't do it, then the feds are going to have to do it."
—Chris Bedford [50:42]

7. Ilhan Omar’s Response and Public Narrative

[51:20–54:30]

• Ilhan Omar joins Minneapolis protests:
  • Denounces the Trump administration, claims ICE is “terrorizing” law-abiding immigrants, accuses the government of “disappearing” citizens.
  • Vince: Dismisses her as hypocritical and factually wrong—points out near-total Somali involvement in welfare fraud; accuses Omar of making veiled threats and lies.
  • Context: Omar herself previously accused of immigration fraud.

Notable Quote:

"Whether you like it or not, sweetheart, your entire community is suspect. ... You're wasting it. And so they nailed this guy, and rightfully so."
—Vince Coglianese [53:02]

8. Law Enforcement’s Collapse in Portland (Police Chief’s Emotional Breakdown)

[56:58–58:36]

• Portland Police Chief cries over ICE’s shooting of gangsters:
  • Apologizes to “the Hispanic community” for enforcement actions against MS-13/Tren de Aragua members.
  • Vince and Bedford ridicule this as evidence of complete collapse of leadership/spine in blue city law enforcement: “He should not be anywhere near law enforcement. ... You're disgusting.”

Memorable Moments & Quotes w/ Timestamps

• On the D.C. establishment’s overreaction:
  “Washington hates this. They think that this is the most scandalous thing that has happened ever. ... I'm not freaking out. It's not even that much of a surprise that Jerome Powell's under investigation.”
  —Vince Coglianese [10:42]

• On the Fed’s mismanagement:
  “The cost per square foot is now $1,923, double the cost for renovating an ordinary historic federal building. The palace of Versailles would have cost $3 billion in today's dollars.”
  —Russ Vogt via Vince [15:05]

• On Somali welfare fraud:
  “Think about the scale of this. These are some of the most brazen, low IQ fraud scenarios imaginable. ... 'Hey, cut us a check. We're watching kids.' There are no kids.”
  —Vince Coglianese [41:02]

• On lawlessness:
  “If half the country doesn't want to obey the laws, period, they have no respect for them ... then you end up with an entire country that doesn't respect the law.”
  —Chris Bedford [42:33]

• On restoring order:
  “You can't have a time machine and go back ... and punch them in the face, which is what they probably needed. ... It seems like an open and shut case... That's an Insurrection Act offense.”
  —Chris Bedford [49:24]

Section Timestamps

• [03:11] – Announcement: New Rumble Conservative Lineup
• [09:12] – The Investigation into Jerome Powell
• [12:38] – Jerome Powell’s Video Statement
• [17:24] – Trump confronts Powell over renovation
• [32:40] – Chris Bedford Interview Starts
• [36:57] – Somali Fraud in Minneapolis
• [43:20] – Lawlessness, Cultural Roots
• [47:21] – Family, Authority, and Disordered Lives
• [49:24] – Solutions: Insurrection Act
• [51:20] – Ilhan Omar’s Protest Speech
• [56:58] – Portland Police Chief’s Emotional Breakdown

Takeaways for Listeners

• The criminal investigation into Jerome Powell is portrayed as long-overdue accountability, not political targeting.
• Vince and Chris Bedford highlight how institutional D.C. protects its own, punishing insiders only when powerful outsiders (like Trump) push back.
• Minneapolis’s welfare fraud scandal reveals deeper rot in America’s urban governance and immigration assimilation.
• Widespread rejection of law enforcement is framed as a product of decades of cultural, familial, and media influence.
• Vince and Bedford advocate for bold federal intervention—possibly invoking the Insurrection Act—to combat entrenched lawlessness, insisting that local leadership is deeply compromised and unable (or unwilling) to restore order.

For more, subscribe at rumble.com/vince and catch future live shows at the new 8 am ET slot starting February 2, 2026.