Podcast Summary: The Ben Shapiro Show

Episode Title: UNHINGED: Top Democrats Label ICE The Enemy
Episode #: 2343
Date: January 9, 2026
Host: Ben Shapiro (The Daily Wire)
Guests: Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, soundbites from Tim Walz (MN Governor), J.D. Vance (Vice President), Scott Bessant (Treasury Secretary), Kathy Hochul (NY Governor), and others.

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the escalating conflict between Minnesota's state government and federal authorities over ICE operations in Minneapolis, the rhetoric from Democrat leaders labeling ICE as enemies or even "state-sponsored terrorists," the fallout from the recent fatal shooting involving activist Renee Goode and an ICE officer, broader issues of immigration enforcement, political polarization, and fraud cases linked to Somali communities in Minnesota. Ben Shapiro also discusses international developments in Iran and Venezuela, culminating in an interview with Secretary of Energy Chris Wright regarding U.S. oil policy in Venezuela.

Key Discussion Points

1. Minneapolis ICE Shooting and Backlash

• Incident Recap:

  • Renee Goode, an anti-ICE activist, was fatally shot by an ICE agent during an attempted arrest involving alleged Somali fraud. Questions surround whether she was fleeing or trying to run down the officer.
  • Federal and local law enforcement are at loggerheads over investigating the incident.

• Political Fallout:

  • Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have both condemned ICE and federal authorities, using highly charged language.
  • Schools in Minneapolis were closed due to fears of riots—raising questions about city governance.

  Quote:

  “When you resist the police and when you create a situation in which the officer has a reasonable perception that you are trying to run him down with your motor vehicle, you getting shot is a predictable outcome of this thing.”
  – Ben Shapiro (06:46)

2. Democratic Rhetoric on ICE – Polarization and Escalation

• Walz’s Civil War Comparison:

  • Governor Walz frames the standoff as a national crisis, likening the situation to the Civil War and calling for Minnesotans to “hold the line on democracy.”
  • He requests a moment of silence for Renee Goode and urges civic engagement (12:45–14:11).

• Gestapo Comparisons and “State-Sponsored Terrorism”:

  • Past and current statements from Walz, Gavin Newsom, and Kathy Hochul compare ICE to Nazi forces and describe ICE actions as “state-sponsored terrorism.”

  Quote:

  “Gestapo is scooping folks up off the streets in unmarked vans, wearing masks, being shipped off to foreign torture dungeons.”
  – Tim Walz (16:12)

  Quote:

  “State-sponsored terrorism. I mean truly state-sponsored terrorism… That makes every ICE agent a state-sponsored terrorist, does it not?”
  – Ben Shapiro (24:00)

  Quote:

  “Why should they never have been in Minneapolis in the first place? Why? Because they were effectuating the law. Why? I need an explanation.”
  – Ben Shapiro (25:28)

3. Media Coverage, Law Enforcement, and Incentives for Violence

• Shapiro’s Critique:

  • Ben criticizes media narratives that paint ICE as villains, arguing this creates a "permission structure" for violence against officers and radicalizes opposition.

• Violence Against ICE:

  • Increase in assaults and doxxing of officers, as noted by Kristi Noem and J.D. Vance.

  Quote:

  “You keep saying this stuff… then you wonder why people are ramming cars into ICE agents. Because you're telling them, you are telling them that they are a threat to your family.”
  – Ben Shapiro (26:23)

  Vice President J.D. Vance:

  “A group of left wing radicals have been working tirelessly, sometimes using domestic terror techniques to try to make it impossible for the President of the United States to do what the American people elected him to do, which is enforce our immigration laws.” (30:30)

4. Political Accountability, Fraud, and Minnesota’s Somali Community

• Tim Walz’s Political Troubles:

  • Walz steps down from re-election pursuit amid fraud allegations, which become entangled with the ICE operation and the Minneapolis shooting.

• Wider Fraud Scandal:

  • Calculations of massive fraud (up to $600 billion nationally) tied to welfare and remittances, prompting federal crackdowns, new DOJ appointments, and stricter enforcement.

  Scott Bessant (Treasury Secretary):

  “If you are on public assistance, we are going to start pushing that you cannot wire money out of the country.” (34:37)

  J.D. Vance (on new federal response):

  “...creating a new Assistant Attorney General position who will have nationwide jurisdiction over the issue of fraud.” (35:40)

5. Broader Welfare and Fraud Concerns

• Democrats’ Contradictory Stance:

  • Shapiro points out that Democrats’ defense of fraud undermines public programs they champion, citing the expansion of childcare initiatives in New York as ripe for abuse.

  Quote:

  “If you are a Democrat and you 'own' the government, you should be upset about people embezzling... yet Democrats are very, very defensive about fraud.” (36:33–37:50)

6. International: Iran and Venezuela

• Iranian Protests:

  • Ben covers massive anti-regime protests, noting the Iranian government’s crackdown, internet blackout, and President Trump’s warnings against violent suppression.

• Venezuelan Oil Policy (Interview with Secretary Chris Wright, 49:29–56:55):

  • The U.S. will now control Venezuelan oil sales and disbursements to pressure the regime for reform.
  • The approach leverages financial control rather than traditional sanctions or military action, and is designed to incentivize democratic transition and reduce criminality.

  Chris Wright:

  “We're going to sell [Venezuelan] oil into the marketplace, generate more money than they would have, put it in accounts controlled by the U.S. government, and then at our discretion, just deliver those funds to Venezuela...”
  (51:23)

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• Political Escalation:

  “It's an inflection point like a civil war inflection point. Now, one of the things that I've said many, many times is that when you have high level politicians talking this way about the country, it is very bad for the country, truly bad.”
  – Ben Shapiro (13:22)

• On Rhetoric and Violence:

  "The more people believe that they can't get along with their neighbors and that there is no basis for a common Americanism, the more they are likely to see each other as enemies and not just sometimes political opponents."
  – Ben Shapiro (13:34)

• ICE as “Gestapo” Allegation:

  “Gestapo is scooping folks up off the streets in unmarked vans... No chance to mount a defense, not even a chance to kiss a loved one goodbye.”
  – Tim Walz, historical quote replay (16:12)

• On Law Enforcement:

  “All Democrats have to do is suggest that the way that President Trump is going about enforcing federal immigration law is over the top... But making the case that ICE itself is a threat to the American way of life because they are doing their jobs, is crazy, crazy and dangerous.”
  – Ben Shapiro (28:09)

• Kathy Hochul on ICE Masks:

  “You're terrorizing people yourselves and I don't want to see that. So we don't need that here.”
  – Kathy Hochul (24:49)

• J.D. Vance on Media Coverage:

  “The way that the media, by and large, has reported this story has been an absolute disgrace. And it puts our law enforcement officers at risk every single day.”
  – J.D. Vance (29:58)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–06:50: Introduction; Minneapolis ICE incident breakdown
• 06:51–12:44: Renee Goode’s background, ICE Watch, activism, and George Soros funding
• 12:45–15:08: Governor Walz’s “Civil War” rhetoric, moment of silence, and public statements
• 15:09–17:54: Walz’s historical Gestapo comparison; federal/state conflict; previous statements elevating China as an authority (Walz, 2025)
• 17:55–24:00: Mayor Jacob Frey’s NYT op-ed, labeling ICE “dangerous,” media roles
• 24:01–26:30: Statements from CA Gov. Newsom, NY Gov. Hochul, and Joy Behar; national Democrats escalate language
• 26:31–29:41: Shapiro on permission structure for violence; Vice President Vance and Kristi Noem respond
• 29:42–32:33: J.D. Vance on media, Tim Walz’s legitimacy, policies on law enforcement
• 32:34–37:50: Broader welfare fraud in Minneapolis; new federal strategies; role of DOJ and DHS; quality of Democratic responses
• 37:51–41:30: Expansion of public childcare in New York, concerns about oversight and fraud
• 41:31–43:16: International: Iranian protests, Trump’s response
• 43:17–49:04: Trump’s policy on Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei’s response, Venezuela anecdote
• 49:05–56:55: Interview with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on U.S.–Venezuelan oil policy
• 56:56–End: Closing remarks, teasers for future segments

Conclusion

This episode delivered a blistering critique of Democratic leaders' rhetoric around ICE, linking it to rising antagonism and physical danger for law enforcement, while framing the current standoff in Minnesota as the result of years of political polarization and weak governance. Ben Shapiro underscores how extreme language from top officials, amplified by sympathetic media, may be contributing to real-world violence and chaos. The show also devotes substantial attention to the confluence of fraud, immigration, and political cover-ups in Democrat-run states, argues for aggressive federal intervention, and closes with global policy insights on Iran and Venezuela.

For further listening and the full interview with Chris Wright, access the episode at The Daily Wire platform.