Talking Feds Trauma and Terror in Minnesota
10 snips
Jan 19, 2026 
Norm Eisen, a retired ambassador and democracy advocate, Katie Phang, a former prosecutor and legal analyst, and Jen Rubin, editor-in-chief of The Contrarian, dive into ICE's controversial actions in Minnesota. The discussion centers on whether congressional Democrats can rein in ICE and the implications of Minnesota's 10th Amendment lawsuit. They also explore the political fallout from federal investigations into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the potential for a grassroots political shift in response to recent events.
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Backlash From ICE's Overreach Hurts The Administration
- ICE's aggressive response to Renee Good's killing galvanized public outrage and damaged Trump and ICE approval ratings.
- Norm Eisen and Jen Rubin say the administration reflexively doubles down rather than retreating from backlash.
Doubling Down As Political Survival Strategy
- Norm Eisen argues the administration doubles down because admitting error would be politically fatal to Trump.
- He ties the pattern to Roy Cohn-style counsel and a cult-like environment that rewards escalation.
Images Of Force Evoke Historic Civil-Rights Parallels
- Katie Phang and Jen Rubin see ICE's actions as a form of unrestrained police violence alien to American norms.
- They compare the imagery to civil-rights-era excesses that shift public sympathy dramatically.