Overview of Ep. 2357 - NEW TAPE: Pretti’s Not-So-Nonviolent ICE Protest Past (The Daily Wire / Ben Shapiro)
This episode centers on newly surfaced video of the man identified in the episode as “Alex Preddy” and what that footage reveals about his prior interactions with federal immigration agents. Host Ben Shapiro uses the tape to push a broader argument about competing, simplistic narratives in the media and politics: that someone can simultaneously be an agitator who obstructs law enforcement and also be the subject of a disputed or potentially wrongful shooting. The episode also covers political fallout (local and federal), celebrity and media responses, a Capitol Hill hearing with Secretary Rubio, the Trump administration’s new “Trump accounts” initiative, and a short mailbag segment.
Note: the transcript contains inconsistent spellings of names (Preddy / Petty / Pretti) and other transcription errors; the summary follows the episode’s usage while noting where context suggests possible mistakes.
Key topics & episode structure
- Sponsored openings and product plugs (Trust & Will, Tecovas, Acorns, PureTalk, ZipRecruiter, Bull & Branch, NetSuite, Shopify).
- New video footage (January 13) showing Alex Preddy in a confrontation with federal agents prior to the January 24 shooting.
- Media and celebrity reactions to the shooting (examples: Anna Navarro, Stephen Colbert, Bruce Springsteen, Giancarlo Esposito) and criticism of inflammatory rhetoric.
- Federal response and local politics: Tom Homan’s mission to Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey’s sanctuary stance, and President Trump’s response.
- Congressional/political maneuvering: Democrats’ demands to change ICE practices and threats to block DHS funding.
- Senate hearing highlights: Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s testimony on Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, and regional criminal threats; grilling by multiple senators.
- Trump administration policy rollout: “Trump accounts” for minors ($1,000 seed + family/employer contributions) and interview with Isabel Brown on the program.
- Mailbag audio segment: Bible reading recommendation (Moses seeing God’s “back”) and parenting/career advice for working moms.
New tape of Alex Preddy — what the footage shows
- Footage dated January 13 (about 10–11 days before the fatal January 24 incident) filmed in Minneapolis shows the man identified as Alex Preddy:
- Confronting and yelling at federal immigration agents.
- Kicking an ICE vehicle and damaging taillights.
- Being grabbed and pushed to the ground by agents; multiple agents intervene.
- Tear gas and pepper balls used; the person reportedly resisted arrest and was carrying a gun in his waistband during this prior incident (but was not shot that day).
- Host’s framing and implications:
- The tape indicates Preddy had prior run‑ins with federal agents and a pattern of obstructing operations.
- Raises questions about why local and federal coordination did not prevent another confrontation days later.
- Shapiro stresses that this context complicates the black-and-white narratives: Preddy could be both an agitator and also the subject of an unjustified shooting — both truths can coexist.
Media, celebrity and rhetorical escalation
- Criticism of how some on the left and celebrity commentators framed the story:
- Anna Navarro’s on-air praise is cited as an example of turning Preddy into an unassailable “saint” and erasing his confrontational history.
- Stephen Colbert’s comparison of ICE to Nazis is called “dangerous” and irresponsible — Shapiro argues such rhetoric dehumanizes agents and raises the risk of violence.
- Bruce Springsteen released a song about Minneapolis criticized in the episode for melodrama and poor lyrics.
- Giancarlo Esposito’s “time for a revolution” rhetoric is flagged as inflammatory; Shapiro points out the demographic composition of ICE/Border Patrol to rebut simplistic “white supremacist agency” claims.
- Core point: Dehumanizing or hyperbolic rhetoric (e.g., “Nazis,” “Gestapo,” revolution talk) escalates tensions, reduces nuance, and can contribute to an environment where confrontations increase.
Federal/local law enforcement and political responses
- Tom Homan (DHS/Immigration figure) was sent to Minneapolis to negotiate with local officials, especially Mayor Jacob Frey:
- Reported concessions/agreements: county jails will notify ICE of public-safety arrests rather than automatically releasing suspects back into the community; Minnesota state prisons are already honoring ICE detainers and this coordination may expand.
- Homan emphasized dialogue and practical solutions rather than photo ops.
- Mayor Jacob Frey’s stance (as presented):
- Frey stated Minneapolis police should focus on public safety, not enforcing federal immigration laws — and asserted they would not inform ICE in certain cases (Shapiro portrays this as a refusal to cooperate that exacerbates risks).
- President Trump criticized Frey, saying his stance invites legal problems and “plays with fire.”
- Shapiro frames this as the tension between “performative” sanctuary postures and pragmatic law-and-order coordination.
Congressional and political maneuvering
- Democrats in the Senate are demanding legislative changes on ICE and DHS funding, including:
- Mandatory body cameras for ICE, tighter rules on roving patrols, stricter warrant standards for arrests, required coordination with state/local law enforcement, mask prohibitions for agents, and use‑of‑force restrictions.
- Chuck Schumer and other Democrats signal willingness to block DHS funding absent reforms; Shapiro interprets this as performative and politically motivated.
- Elizabeth Warren and others push to cut funding; Raphael Warnock and other Democrats encourage continued protests/pressure.
- Senator John Fetterman (noted as a dissenting/“sane” voice in episode) explicitly condemned Nazi comparisons and called for de-escalation.
Marco Rubio Senate hearing — highlights and takeaways
- Context: Secretary of State Rubio (the transcript calls him “Secretary Rubio” in a hearing role) testifies on Venezuela and regional security; Shapiro praises Rubio’s competence.
- Key exchanges:
- Tammy Duckworth questioned domestic legalities (e.g., whether wartime powers were invoked); Rubio pushed back that some constitutional/departmental questions fall to DOJ and characterized operations as law-enforcement actions, not declarations of war.
- Rand Paul argued the operation was unconstitutional/isolationist; Rubio rebuffed the point and pressed on the differences between policing actions and constitutionally defined war.
- Rubio emphasized transnational criminal organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean as national-security threats, arguing for a force posture to confront them.
- Other senators (Van Hollen, Tim Kaine) asked about motives and corporate influence; Rubio denied oil executives dictated policy and defended the administration’s outreach.
- Takeaway: The hearing showcased partisan and substantive confusion among some senators but reinforced the administration’s framing of regional criminal threats and limited, targeted operations.
Trump accounts (child investment accounts) — overview & Isabel Brown interview
- Program basics (as explained in the episode and interview):
- New accounts for children born during a specified window (Jan 1, 2025–end of 2028 in the episode): the Treasury seeds newborn accounts with $1,000.
- Families, employers, and philanthropists can contribute; parents can contribute up to a stated annual cap ($5,000 referenced in the interview).
- Projected reach: administration claims up to 25 million accounts; 600,000+ sign-ups reportedly already.
- Intended use: long-term investing for children — college, first home, startup capital — with tax-advantaged features (compared in function to 529-type/retirement-style accounts).
- Isabel Brown’s points:
- Employers (e.g., Visa, Uber) and private donors are matching/contributing; some conservative organizations will provide employer matches.
- The initiative is framed as capitalist/market-engagement policy to build generational wealth — argued as an “antidote to socialism.”
- Practical projection: with disciplined contributions and market returns, accounts could grow significantly by age 28.
Mailbag segment — short takeaways
- Bible question: Shapiro recommends the Exodus episode where Moses asks to see God and is shown God’s “back” — interpretation: humans often perceive divine guidance only in hindsight; a suggested underappreciated passage.
- Working moms question: key advice is realism about tradeoffs — time is finite and choices (full-time vs part-time work, career ambition vs child-rearing priorities) have opportunity costs; planning and expectation management recommended.
Notable quotes and lines called out in the episode
- Anna Navarro (cited): “They killed the wrong guy… the perfect guy… the guy you’d want your daughter to date.”
- Stephen Colbert (cited): Comparing ICE to Nazis — called “insane” and “dangerous” in the episode.
- Tom Homan: “You can't fix problems if you don't have discussions… I didn’t come to Minnesota for photo ops or headlines. I came to seek solutions.”
- Jacob Frey (cited): “The job of our police is to keep people safe, not enforce fed immigration laws.”
- Chuck Schumer (paraphrased): Willing to block DHS funding until ICE is “reined in and overhauled.”
- John Fetterman: “Do not compare anyone to Nazis… I strongly reject that and condemn that kind of language.”
Main takeaways
- New footage complicates the narrative: the man identified as Alex Preddy had prior confrontations with ICE/Border Patrol, which supports the view that the incident should be understood in context rather than through polarized, one-dimensional storytelling.
- Political and media rhetoric has escalated, with some commentators and celebrities employing hyperbolic language that risks dehumanizing agents and raising tensions.
- The incident has become a political flashpoint: federal officials are seeking practical coordination with county and state systems (Tom Homan), while sanctuary policies and performative politics from some local leaders increase friction.
- Legislative responses are likely (Democrats pressing for restrictions on ICE), and such reforms could meaningfully constrain federal immigration enforcement operations.
- The episode also highlights a separate policy move—the Trump accounts—which the hosts frame as a pro‑market, wealth‑building initiative for children.
Recommendations (implicit in the episode)
- For the public: withhold absolute judgments until investigations conclude; recognize that complex events can include multiple true and relevant facts.
- For media and public figures: avoid dehumanizing or hyperbolic comparisons that inflame tensions and obscure facts.
- For local officials: consider practical cooperation (information-sharing with ICE about criminal arrests) to reduce repeated confrontations.
- For policymakers: clarify what reforms to ICE/DHS would mean operationally (warrant standards, roving patrol limits, coordination mandates) and weigh consequences.
If you want the full rundown of quotes and timestamps or a one-paragraph TL;DR, the show largely argues: newly surfaced video shows Preddy repeatedly confronting federal agents; that context undermines purely heroic narratives; inflammatory rhetoric from media/celebrities is dangerous; and the incident has produced political and legislative fallout while the administration launches a new child investment program.