Minneapolis Shooting Spirals & U.S. Armada Approaches Iran

What this episode is about

The shooting death of an armed anti-ICE protester in Minneapolis has ignited widespread riots and protests, drawing national attention and sparking a heated political and media debate about law enforcement and public safety. Meanwhile, the U.S. is escalating military presence in the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalate, signaling a potential for further conflict in the region.

Key takeaways

• When tragedy strikes, narratives clash: the victim portrayed as a hero by some, a threat by others.
• In chaotic protests, misinformation thrives; video footage now sparks debates about 'what really happened' on the ground.
• Amid riots, calls for unity drown in division—each side blaming the other for the escalating violence.
• Trump uses tragedy for political ammunition, but fire often burns both ways in a charged atmosphere.
• With tensions brewing, the Minneapolis chaos has realized the age-old adage: sometimes peace is a hard-fought battle.

Who speaks in this episode?

• John Bickley (Host) · 7 min speaking
• Georgia How (Host) · 2 min speaking
• Amanda Prejakamo (Guest) · 3 min speaking
• Megan Basham (Guest) · 3 min speaking
• Tim Pierce (Guest) · 3 min speaking

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Georgia Howe, Alex Jeffrey Prey, John Bickley, Balance of Nature
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Wall Street Journal, Donald Trump, Alex Jeffrey Prey, J.D. Vance
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Brick House Nutrition, Donald Trump, Department of Homeland Security, Amanda Prejakamo
4. 9:00 – 12:00: Donald Trump, Alex Jeffrey Prey
5. 12:00 – 15:00: Donald Trump, John Bickley, Megan Basham, USS Abraham Lincoln
6. 15:00 – 17:21: Donald Trump

Notable quotes from "Minneapolis Shooting Spirals & U.S. Armada Approaches Iran"

• >> I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia How. It's Monday, January 26th. This is Morning Wire.

  about John Bickley · at 0:22

• Reporter Amanda Prejakamo. Morning Amanda. So let's start with this fatal shooting from Saturday. The victim has been identified as 37year-old Alex Prey.

  about Alex Jeffrey Prey · at 1:59

• >> President Trump responded to the shooting just hours after the incident.

  about Donald Trump · at 3:11

• Questions about when exactly Prey was disarmed, if he was disarmed before the shooting. Analysis from the Wall Street Journal claims that PR's handgun was taken by an officer less than 1 second before you hear 10 shots rang out.

  about Wall Street Journal · at 4:05

• Far-left Antifa members to attack immigration officers. Here's one Minnesota Antifa member named Kyle Wagner in a video. This was posted by journalist Andy No.

  about Kyle Wagner · at 5:24

• Dieting so difficult. Lean isn't just for people who are looking to drop a couple pounds. Doctors of Brick House Nutrition specifically formulated it to be able to help…

  about Brick House Nutrition · at 6:39

• Predictably, this incident is having a ripple effect across Washington. And one of the biggest is that Senate Democrats are now saying that they will no longer support a budget…

  about Department of Homeland Security · at 7:35

• >> The Armada he spoke about then is the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group which was last stationed in the South China Sea and reportedly reached the Middle East yesterday. The strike group.

  about USS Abraham Lincoln · at 13:31

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Donald Trump — Person · Referenced political leader / main decision-maker · 8 mentions · first at 0:46
  Central figure in both storylines: responds to the Minneapolis shooting/riots and orders additional U.S. forces toward Iran.
• Alex Jeffrey Prey — Person · Victim / focal individual in Minneapolis incident · 4 mentions · first at 2:03
  Identified as the man killed in the encounter with federal immigration officers; his death triggers protests/riots and political fallout.
• John Bickley — Person · Host · 3 mentions · first at 0:22
  Introduces the show, interviews reporters, and frames the episode’s main segments.
• Amanda Prejakamo — Person · Correspondent / segment guest · 2 mentions · first at 1:59
  Provides reporting details on the Minneapolis shooting, video analysis claims, and the subsequent riots.
  What have we learned now about the circumstances of this incident? Well, we know that Freddy was armed while he was interacting with law enforcement and that he had magazines with ammo on him.
• Georgia Howe — Person · Co-host · 3 mentions · first at 0:24
  Co-hosts the episode alongside John Bickley and participates in show framing/introductions.
  >> I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia How. It's Monday, January 26th. This is Morning Wire.
• Megan Basham — Person · Correspondent / segment guest · 2 mentions · first at 7:25
  Explains political fallout in Washington and Minnesota, including budget implications and rhetoric from state/federal officials.
  >> Daily Wire Culture reporter Megan Basham is here now to detail some of those responses and the fallout. So Megan, what have the reactions been to what took…
• Kyle Wagner — Person · Referenced activist (Antifa member) / quoted speaker · 1 mention · first at 5:28
  Cited as a Minnesota Antifa member in a video calling for action against immigration officers, used as evidence of escalation.
• J.D. Vance — Person · Referenced political leader · 1 mention · first at 5:43
  Weighs in on the Minneapolis unrest, accusing local authorities of enabling chaos and referencing a recent visit with ICE agents.
  He just recently visited ICE agents in Minnesota. He accused local authorities of working with far-left agitators to quote engage chaos in the city.

Companies & orgs

• Department of Homeland Security — Company · Business focus · 1 mention · first at 7:48
  Central to the discussion about federal immigration enforcement and protests
• Poly Market — Company · Referenced work · 1 mention · first at 8:41
  Mentioned in the context of predicting government shutdown odds
  So Poly Market is now putting the odds of a government shutdown at 80%. So that's in Washington. What about the political leaders in Minnesota? Have we seen any attempts to tone down some of.

Products & tech

• USS Abraham Lincoln — Product · Referenced work · 1 mention · first at 13:33
  Mentioned in the context of US military deployment to the Middle East

Media & podcasts

• Wall Street Journal — Media · Referenced work · 2 mentions · first at 3:44
  Cited as a source for analysis on the Minneapolis shooting incident

Sponsors

• Balance of Nature — Product · Sponsor · 2 mentions · first at 1:05
  Promoted as a health supplement sponsor during the podcast
  A wide variety of whole food ingredients into my diet is key for me in 2026. And our sponsor, Balance of Nature's Whole Health System makes it simple. Balance of…
• Brick House Nutrition — Company · Sponsor · 2 mentions · first at 6:08
  Promoted as a sponsor for their weight loss supplement during the podcast
• Lean — Product · Sponsor · 1 mention · first at 7:06
  Promoted as a weight loss supplement by Brick House Nutrition during the podcast
  Adding lean into my daily routine has given me the confidence that as I'm getting back in the gym and eating right, I'm setting my body up for success in hitting these fitness.

Full transcript with timestamps

0:03 SHUT IT DOWN. SHUT IT DOWN. SHUT IT DOWN. >> Rioters take over the streets of Minneapolis following the shooting death of an armed anti-ICE protester. >> I want to remind everybody that this situation and this tragedy did not have to happen. Our law enforcement are doing everything that they can to protect the public. >> I'm Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia How. It's Monday, January 26th. This is Morning Wire. >> >> As the protests grow beyond Minnesota, the political and media battle over what's happening on the ground heats up.

0:40 >> It's a campaign of organized brutality against the people of our state. And today, that campaign claimed another life. >> And Trump sends more US forces to the Middle East as another showdown with Iran seems imminent. >> Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. Getting a wide variety of whole food ingredients into my diet is key for me in 2026. And our sponsor, Balance of Nature's Whole Health System makes it simple. Balance of Nature's Whole Health System supplements are incredibly versatile and easy to work into your daily routine.

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1:46 Thousands engaged in protests that often turned into violent riots in Minneapolis over the weekend following a fatal shooting involving a federal immigration officer and an armed protester. >> Here with the details is Daily Wire reporter Amanda Prejakamo. Morning Amanda. So let's start with this fatal shooting from Saturday. The victim has been identified as 37year-old Alex Prey. What have we learned now about the circumstances of this incident? Well, we know that Freddy was armed while he was interacting with law enforcement and that he had magazines with ammo on him.

2:20 It is unclear, however, if he had ever brandished that weapon. Also, we know that Border Patrol agents were trying to conduct an operation to detain an illegal with a violent criminal history when this all went down. That illegal is still at large. Prey seems to have inserted himself in this situation while Border Patrol is dealing with an agitator. From DHS's perspective, Secretary Christine Gnome described the incident as an avoidable tragedy. Here she is on Saturday. >> Individual approached US Border Patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun. The officers attempted to disarm this individual, but the armed suspect reacted violently. Fearing for his life and for the lives of his fellow officers around him, an agent fired defensive shots. The suspect also had two magazines with ammunition in them that held dozens of rounds.

3:11 >> President Trump responded to the shooting just hours after the incident. He noted Prevy's handgun, but he really [clears throat] criticized Democrat leaders in the state for what he said was inciting insurrection. Obviously, that term insurrection is no accident and very much loaded. The president also questioned if these leaders called off local law enforcement so that federal officers would be left unprotected and you know create this tragic situation. >> Way serious allegation. And what about the video footage of the shooting that's been making the rounds. What can we see going on there?

3:44 >> Right. The footage shows just a lot of chaos going on when Prey is shot. You can hear agitators blowing whistles for example. That's meant to distract and cause confusion for officers. And while this scuffle is going on, pepper spray is deployed and an officer reportedly yells, "Gun!" That was right before you hear gunshots go off. There have been questions about when exactly Prey was disarmed, if he was disarmed before the shooting. Analysis from the Wall Street Journal claims that PR's handgun was taken by an officer less than 1 second before you hear 10 shots rang out.

4:20 Warning to listeners, we're gonna play a bit of audio from the incidents and it's obviously disturbing. [screaming] >> THE DID YOU JUST DO? [screaming] WHAT the did YOU JUST DO? >> CPR was administered, but Prey did die at the scene. We've also heard from the victim's family. They say that Freddy was a caring ICU nurse at a VA hospital and they're accusing the Trump administration of telling sickening lies. And in the aftermath of this, things got even more chaotic in Minneapolis. Thousands took to the streets. We've seen reports of a no ICE zone being set up. What have we seen since the shooting in the city?

5:10 >> Yeah, I mean, the city was already a powder keg, John, and this fatal shooting really set things off. >> Yeah. Gnome said riders obstructed and assaulted law enforcement. One officer actually had his finger bit off. >> There were even direct calls from far-left Antifa members to attack immigration officers. Here's one Minnesota Antifa member named Kyle Wagner in a video. This was posted by journalist Andy No. >> They up. It's time to suit up. Boots on the ground. Get youring guns and stop these people.

5:43 Vice President JD Vance also weighed in. He just recently visited ICE agents in Minnesota. He accused local authorities of working with far-left agitators to quote engage chaos in the city. >> Yet another tragedy in Minneapolis, and the situation does feel like it's spiraling further out of control. Amanda, thank you so much for reporting. >> You're welcome, John. This episode is sponsored by Brick House Nutrition. You've probably heard about those weight loss injections everyone's been talking about, and for good reason.

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6:52 That's what I've been looking for. Adding lean into my daily routine has given me the confidence that as I'm getting back in the gym and eating right, I'm setting my body up for success in hitting these fitness goals. Let's get you started with 20% off and free rush shipping so you can add lean to your healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit takelean.com and enter wire for your discount. That's promo code wire at takelean.com. The deadly encounter between federal immigration agents and a Minneapolis man has ignited a fierce debate among political leaders that could impact all Americans.

7:25 >> Daily Wire Culture reporter Megan Basham is here now to detail some of those responses and the fallout. So Megan, what have the reactions been to what took place this weekend? Well, predictably, this incident is having a ripple effect across Washington. And one of the biggest is that Senate Democrats are now saying that they will no longer support a budget deal that had already been passed by the House because it includes funding for the Department of Homeland Security. Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement released Saturday, and I'll just quote it in full, "What's happening in Minnesota is appalling and unacceptable in any American city. Democrats sought common sense reforms on the Department of Homeland Security spending bill, but because of Republicans refusal to stand up to President Trump, the DHS bill is woefully inadequate to rein in the

8:11 abuses of ICE. Senate Democrats will not provide the votes to proceed to the appropriations bill if the DHS funding bill is included. And then you're hearing similar things from Dems like Mark Warner of Virginia and even Patty Murray of Washington who was the one who negotiated this funding package. They say that they will not pass it if it includes that additional funding for DHS. And while Republicans control the Senate, they only have 53 seats and will need 60 votes to get that budget passed. So Poly Market is now putting the odds of a government shutdown at 80%. So that's in Washington. What about the political leaders in Minnesota? Have we seen any attempts to tone down some of the rhetoric that we heard last week?

8:54 >> No, actually I would say just the opposite. Daily Wire political reporter Cameron Arhand has been closely covering the situation for us over the weekend and he points out that Walls used extremely loaded terms in his response. Walls called ICE deployment in the city a quote unquote occupation. >> Following the shooting, Governor Tim Walls was quick to ask for state cooperation in the investigation, saying he quote told the White House that the state must lead the investigation. Let state investigators secure justice as we process the scene. stay peaceful and give them space. Later on Saturday night, he wrote that they think they can provoke us into abandoning our values, saying, "We will keep the peace and we will see this occupation end." >> And to Cameron's point there, Walls also held a press conference shortly after

9:42 news of the shooting broke and used that time to denigrate ICE and attack the Trump administration. >> Do I have any confidence Donald Trump will do the right thing? No, I don't have a lot of confidence Donald Trump will do the right thing. I do have a lot of confidence that the majority of the American people will do the right thing. And I think there cannot be very many people across this country looking right now after all the reporting that's been done, after everything that's been said under the pretense that they are here about immigration reform and quit referring to these people as law enforcement. They are not law enforcement. The police chief of Minneapolis, Brian O'Hara, seemed to follow his boss's lead there and said on CBS that even if an investigation determines that agents did lawfully shoot Alex Prey, ICE should still stop

10:27 its efforts to enforce immigration law in his city. >> I don't think that even matters at this point because there just there is so much outrage and concern around what is happening in the city. And then on the other side of the aisle, DHS is out urging Minnesota residents not to interfere with ICE operations. And they're pointing out that these kinds of tragedies are not occurring in other cities where ICE has been deployed because in other cities, local law enforcement are working with ICE and are not encouraging organized protesters to obstruct their operations. This was DHS Secretary Christy Gnome on Fox. We do know that he came to that scene and impeded a law enforcement operation, which is against federal law. It's a felony. When he did that, interacting with those agents, when they tried to get him to disengage, he became aggressive and resisted them. And that's

11:18 how this tragedy unfolded and we hope we never see it again. It it grieves me to think about what his family is going through, but it also grieves me what's happening to these law enforcement officers every day out on the streets with the violence that they face. >> And that was something that was echoed by Deputy AG Todd Blanch. >> Why in one city, in one place, do we have these problems? We deport 10 times the number of illegal aliens out of Texas than we do out of Minneapolis. Why do we hear nothing out of Texas about any of the same problems that we have in Minneapolis? I'll tell you why. Because in Texas, we have the cooperation and support of local law enforcement so that we can do these operations safely, keeping US citizens and others protected and safe.

12:02 >> Now, as Amanda noted, we have heard from President Trump. Is there any indication from him or other White House officials that they'll actually order ICE to pull back from Minnesota? Yeah. No, not right now. There isn't. The president's response so far is to point the finger ultimately at Minnesota officials. He's asking where the local police have been. And he also continues to highlight what's driving this heightened federal presence in the state. He said on Truth Social, quoting here, Minnesota is a criminal cover up of the massive financial fraud that has gone on. So, it doesn't sound right now like the administration plans on backing down, but we will have to see if the budget battle changes that calculation. So, it sounds like both sides are digging in at this point. Megan, thanks for reporting.

12:47 >> Yep, my pleasure. >> >> President Trump says he's dispatched an armada to Iran as the death toll in the country continues to climb amid anti-government protests. Daily Wire reporter Tim Pierce is here to talk about the latest in Iran and what Washington's next steps could be. Morning, Tim. So, let's start with President Trump's announcement. He said last week that US forces are on their way to Iran. How many forces are we talking about? >> Yeah, President Trump didn't give specifics last week. He only said the forces on their way to the Middle East are massive. Here was Trump on Thursday.

13:22 >> You know, we have a lot of ships going that direction just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction and we'll see what happens. >> The Armada he spoke about then is the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group which was last stationed in the South China Sea and reportedly reached the Middle East yesterday. The strike group includes of course the Lincoln as well as three guided missile destroyers. The Lincoln itself is carrying five fighter squadrons. More cargo jets and aerial refueling tankers have also been sent to the region too. So when Trump says just in case, what does that mean? What exactly is he watching for? What might actually trigger action?

14:00 >> Yeah, it's a good question. The president drew a red line for Tyrron a few weeks ago and it was the mass slaughter of protesters speaking out against the regime. Trump said if Iran cracks down and kills protesters like it has done in the past, we will step in with force and stop it. Now, although reliable information has been tough to get out of Iran, all reports indicate that that mass slaughter that Trump warned against has happened and likely continues to happen. The only real question is how many people have died.

14:26 Officially, the number of deaths from the protests are already in the thousands, but unofficial numbers given by human rights groups, opposition groups, even reports from officials inside the regime suggest that the number of deaths are well into the tens of thousands. According to Time, two senior officials in the country's Ministry of Health told the outlet that the death toll over just two days on January 8th and 9th could reach 30,000. But the president last week was still hesitant to accuse the regime of forcing our hand yet. Here's Trump again.

14:56 >> I'd rather not see anything happen, but we're watching them very closely. I stopped 837 hangings on Thursday and I said, "If you hang those people, you're going to be hit harder than you've ever been hit. It'll make what we did to your Iran nuclear look like peanuts." And an hour before this horrible thing was going to take place, they cancelled it. So, that was a good sign. But we have a uh an arm motto. We have a massive fleet heading in that direction. and uh maybe we won't have to use it. We'll see.

15:31 >> Now, as we've come to expect about Trump, things can escalate really fast all at once. And whatever he says about what the regime is doing, the fact is he has dispatched a lot more military hardware to the region. So, the possibility of a strike is still very much on the table. >> Right. Trump's strikes have been swift and caught the enemy offguard so far. Now, on another foreign policy issue, Trump has been very critical of a number of our allies recently over what he says are actions that undermine our national security. Greenland was a major focus, but what's the latest on that front?

16:03 Well, now that Trump's concerns over Greenland appear to be addressed for now, he has turned his attention to Canada over its move to strengthen ties with China. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Canada has reached a preliminary agreement to lower trade barriers with Beijing. But Trump said that if that were to happen, the US would increase tariffs on Canadian imports by 100%. Trump said, quote, "If Governor Carney thinks he is going to make Canada a drop off port for China to send goods and products into the United States, he is sorely mistaken." Well, Trump certainly knows how to escalate things when it meets his purposes. Tim, thanks so much for joining us. Thanks for having me.

16:40 Another story we're tracking, the massive snowstorm that swept half the country left more than 800,000 homes without electricity and has forced the cancellation of over 10,000 flights. The mixture of snow, sleet, and freezing rain with the promise of extremely low temperatures in the coming days has prompted declarations of federal emergency disasters. President Trump approved the status for several states this weekend, including Arkansas Georgia Indiana Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Mississippi North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

17:11 Stay warm and stay safe. >> Thanks for waking up with us. We'll be back this evening with more news you need to know.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Minneapolis Shooting Spirals & U.S. Armada Approaches Iran"?

John Bickley (Host), Georgia How (Host), Amanda Prejakamo (Guest), Megan Basham (Guest), Tim Pierce (Guest).

What is "Minneapolis Shooting Spirals & U.S. Armada Approaches Iran" about?

The shooting death of an armed anti-ICE protester in Minneapolis has ignited widespread riots and protests, drawing national attention and sparking a heated political and media debate about law enforcement and public safety. Meanwhile, the U.S. is escalating military presence in the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalate, signaling a potential for further conflict in the region.

What is mentioned in this Morning Wire episode?

15 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Donald Trump, Alex Jeffrey Prey, Department of Homeland Security, John Bickley, Amanda Prejakamo, Georgia Howe. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Minneapolis Shooting Spirals & U.S. Armada Approaches Iran"?

The episode runs 17 min; the transcript is about 3,135 words in 28 timestamped sections.

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