ICE murder terrifies country as Trump defends, Natl Guard prepared

The David Pakman Show - January 8, 2026

Already a website member? Watch the show commercial-free here | Want to become a member? Sign up here

ICE agents in Minneapolis shot and killed 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good during a massive federal immigration operation after she received conflicting commands while trying to drive away. The video appears to show the shooter was not in immediate danger, which makes the self-defense narrative hard to square with what’s on camera. Trump nevertheless claimed the agent was run over and blamed the “radical left,” even as reporting found no evidence the agent was injured.

Gov. Tim Walz issued a warning order to prepare the Minnesota National Guard, arguing DHS is conducting raids without coordination and creating chaos. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey delivered a blunt message to ICE to “get the F*** out,” framing the operation as making the city less safe.

For years, people have screamed “civil war” over everything, and most of it was cynical clickbait. But a governor preparing an armed state force to physically stop federal agents is not normal political territory, and it’s the kind of institutional breakdown that can create the scaffolding for civil-conflict dynamics. The key is what happens next, especially whether courts issue rulings and whether the administration treats them as binding.

Trump also floated a massive jump in the military budget to $1.5 trillion, a roughly 60% increase from current levels. He claimed tariff revenue would cover it while also paying down debt and funding dividends, but tariffs are paid by American companies and passed on to Americans through higher costs. After years of railing against Pentagon waste and the military-industrial complex, this is a sharp reversal and seemingly ignores that Congress holds the power of the purse.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt resurfaced for a briefing and tried to answer who is running Venezuela by praising the “historic” operation and implying the U.S. has “maximum leverage” over interim authorities whose decisions will be dictated by the United States. She also had a moment where she referred to Venezuela as a country “within the United States” Western Hemisphere, which is not exactly the precision you want from the podium. Leavitt then said the administration is actively discussing a potential purchase of Greenland, treating it like a normal Tuesday.

RFK Jr. claimed Trump has “ordered” obesity to end and promoted new dietary messaging, including a revised food pyramid that elevates red meat, cheese, and whole milk while downplaying concerns about saturated fat. There are kernels that can make sense, like reducing ultra-processed foods, but the broader approach is an overconfident simplification that risks steering people toward worse health outcomes. Declaring obesity solved is classic Trump logic: announce victory first, let reality file the appeal.

On today’s bonus show:

New reporting shows many patients regain weight after stopping GLP-1 drugs, raising questions about whether medical weight loss now requires lifelong treatment. Plus, Donald Trump says the United States could effectively run Venezuela for years, signaling an extraordinary expansion of U.S. control over another country’s government and oil industry.

Already a website member? Watch the bonus show here | Want to become a member? Sign up here

---

Don’t miss the full show with these stories and others, plus all of our analysis.

This episode is available completely free on Apple Podcasts or Spotify right now, OR catch the full video show at 9:00 pm eastern on YouTube.