Already under criminal investigation for allegedly obstructing federal immigration enforcement, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) appeared to set conditions to bring violence in his city to an end.
Known for conflating the “right of the people peaceably to assemble” with destructive and violent protests, leftist antics against federal agents dispatched by President Donald Trump’s administration have only intensified in recent days.
As anti-U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) radicals have been spotted carrying firearms, a mob descended on a church to confront a pastor over alleged ties to the agency, and an officer was beaten with snow shovels and broom handles, Hizzoner insisted the violence would only stop when the federal government pulled out of Minneapolis.
During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” host Jake Tapper had asked Frey about news that 1,500 active-duty U.S. soldiers were on standby as talk of invoking the Insurrection Act was floated to restore order in the Twin Cities.
“This act,” argued the mayor, “was clearly designed to intimidate the people of Minneapolis. And here’s the thing, we’re not gonna be intimidated.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on reports the Pentagon has put hundreds on troops on standby to send into Minneapolis:
“This act was clearly designed to intimidate the people of Minneapolis. Here’s the thing, we are not going to be intimidated.” pic.twitter.com/sqpiurMr24
— State of the Union (@CNNSOTU) January 18, 2026
“If the goal here is safety, we’ve got many mechanisms to achieve safety,” he went on. “And the best way to get safety is not to have an influx of even more agents, and in this case, military, in Minneapolis. Right now, we have about 600 police officers, and they’ve got 3,000 or so ICE agents and border control. That they are now talking about deploying 1,500 military, this is, well, it’s ridiculous, but we will not be intimidated by the actions of this federal government.”
Later in the interview, Frey re-upped his position of acquiescence to mob rule as he told Tapper, “The second these ICE agents leave the city, I’m telling you, you’re gonna have calm in Minneapolis, and you will continue to see the great comeback that we had been experiencing. Let us get back to that comeback. Let us live in peace. Let us have businesses that are open and daycares where you don’t need to escort staff to and from. Let us live in a place where, you know — I mean, look, in Minneapolis, we’ll stand up.”
“If we have to sled down ice hills to get to a protest, we’ll do that. If we’ve got to make sure that people are escorted to the grocery store, you know, we’ll do that. But truthfully, we want to get back to a place where we can just love on our city, do our daily activities, just like any other town in America,” he went on.
In the meantime, the same day, the mayor argued to Tapper, “First Amendment speech is not something that we negotiate away in this country. First Amendment speech is something that we stand up for, whether you agree with it or not; whether you find it abhorrent or not,” leftists stormed the Sunday service at Cities Church in Minneapolis, alleging one of the pastors was an ICE agent. That mob was accompanied by former CNN host turned podcaster Don Lemon.
In response, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the DOJ Civil Rights Division made clear that “potential violations of the federal FACE Act by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers” were being investigated.
The @CivilRights is investigating the potential violations of the federal FACE Act by these people desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers. @AGPamBondi https://t.co/uZBBv1iuuH
— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) January 18, 2026
Meanwhile, both Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) have been subpoenaed by the Justice Department based on their public remarks viewed as “encouraging impeding and assault against our law enforcement, which is a federal crime, a felony,” as Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem put it.
“Understand that this is clearly an insurgency against the federal government,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller similarly alleged while addressing “The Charlie Kirk Show.” “They are describing a federal government as an occupying force. Just think about that for a second.”
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
- Mayor vows to take $100k from police funds to assist immigrants and activists - February 11, 2026
- Fake town dubbed ‘Dementia Village’ opens in US as alternative for memory care patients - February 11, 2026
- Fifth grade civics question too hard for anti-ICE sheriff in embarrassing exchange - February 11, 2026
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.