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TRANSCRIPT

Jane Coaston: It’s Tuesday, January 27th, I’m Jane Coaston, and this is What a Day, the show that is noting that everyone seems to really hate Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for being a terrible person who was bad at her job. And I, for one, think that’s awesome. [music break] Today’s show, U.S. warships arrive in the Middle East as tensions simmer with Iran. And Goodwill is at an all-time high. Not the sentiment, of course, but rather the popular chain of thrift stores. But let’s start with Congress and the Department of Homeland Security. It’s not often that the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Post all agree on something. But that’s what happened after border patrol agents fatally shot 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday. All four publications, with four different ideological priorities, all agree. The Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Border Patrol have all gone too fucking far. And it appears Americans feel the same way. Here’s CNN’s poll analyst, Harry Enten, on Monday. 

[clip of Harry Enten] What’s going on in Minneapolis is not popular at all. What’s been going on during this second term, under ICE, under the Trump administration, under Kristi Noem, has very much not been popular, and it’s only been getting more and more unpopular. 

Jane Coaston: If you’re wondering if this is reaching folks in the GOP, here’s a clip from the Monday episode of Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz’s podcast, where he says that the real issue with the Trump administration is, it’s tone, when it comes to the people federal law enforcement has killed. 

[clip of Senator Ted Cruz] Escalating the rhetoric doesn’t help, and it actually loses credibility. And so I would encourage the administration to be more measured, to recognize the tragedy, and to say, we don’t want anyone’s lives to be lost, and the politicians who are pouring gasoline onto this fire, they need to stop. 

Jane Coaston: Yes, Ted, the issue here is tone. Democrats, on the other hand, are finally, finally taking a stand as ICE and Border Patrol run rampant on American streets. There’s a massive funding package making its way through Congress this week. It includes money for DHS, which contains ICE and border patrol, and it must pass by Friday for the government to stay completely open. But that’s looking less and less likely. After Pretti’s killing, Senate Democrats and their allies are saying that they are willing to risk another shutdown to demand policy changes. Here’s Maine Independent Senator Angus King on CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday. 

[clip of Senator Angus King] I hate shutdowns. I’m one of the people that helped negotiate the solution to the last, the end of the last shutdown. But I can’t vote for a bill that includes ICE funding under these circumstances. What they’re doing in my state, what we saw yesterday in in in Minneapolis, I think there’s an easy way out, by the way. Leader Thune could separate, which is what they did in the House, separate the five other appropriation bills, put them on the floor. They would pass, I think, overwhelmingly. 

Jane Coaston: So to talk more about homeland security, a potential shutdown, and what Democrats in Congress can do to stop ICE, I spoke to Maryland’s Democratic Representative, Jamie Raskin. Congressman Raskin, welcome back to What a Day. 

Jamie Raskin: I’m psyched to be with you guys. 

Jane Coaston: The House has already passed a funding package, you opposed it, the Senate is set to vote on the final package this Thursday, and with the inclusion of DHS funding, it looks unlikely that they will approve it. Now I know, we’ve talked about this before. A lot of federal government employees live in your district. Can they take another government shutdown? 

Jamie Raskin: Well the whole country suffers in a government shutdown and my constituents are hit very hard. I’ve got more than 50,000 who are federal government workers and thousands more who are government contractors. At the same time, my mail and my calls overwhelmingly are running in favor of holding the Trump administration to account for the bloody assault on Minneapolis and the attack on American communities and the attack on the American people. So we’re just gonna have to fight our way through this until we get through this period of shocking authoritarianism and lawlessness. 

Jane Coaston: What I’m worried about is that even if the government shuts down at midnight on Friday, a source in GOP leadership told NBC News that immigration and customs enforcement operations would not stop. The agents would just stop being paid. So in your view, is shutting down the government worth it? 

Jamie Raskin: Well, the people of Minnesota and Minneapolis have shown us that what we’re going to need to turn this around is massive popular organizing, a general strike, and implacable opposition to authoritarian tactics. And so we have to use every means at our disposal in order to do that. And um there will be many hard days ahead of us, no doubt. But we’re going to get through it. The president’s poll numbers are plummeting. The whole popularity of the Republican Party is sinking and the country is beginning to unify around the defense of constitutional values and principles across the board. I think larger numbers of Second Amendment advocates are denouncing the killing of Alex Pretti. He was disarmed. His weapon was removed from him. He never brandished his weapon. He never reached for his weapon, but they took his weapon and then they killed him, shooting him 10 times. So it’s a massive assault, not just on the first amendment, but on the second amendment, as well as the fifth amendment, which says that none of us can be deprived of life, liberty, property without due process of law. And these masked anonymous ICE agents are acting police officers, which they’re not, prosecutors, which they are not, judges and juries, which they’re not, and then executioners, which they’re not, but that’s certainly what they’re acting like. 

Jane Coaston: Yeah, I was struck by that too, the degree to which the Trump administration has decided that the Second Amendment doesn’t matter anymore. Or maybe the Second amendment doesn’t apply if you’re doing something they don’t like. But Senate Democrats reportedly want to remove the DHS funding bill from the package of bills they’re voting on Thursday, which could send the whole thing back to the House to you for approval. So if this bill comes back to The House, what needs to change for you to support a DHS funding bill. 

Jamie Raskin: There would need to be extremely dramatic and draconian restrictions on the power of ICE. We got to take the masks off. We need officers to be identified. We need them to be wearing body cameras. Um. We need them to withdraw the guidance that they somehow can circumnavigate the Fourth Amendment. There can only be entries into people’s houses based on probable cause contained in search warrants issued by judicial magistrates, not by administrative officers. There must be whole new policies against the use of violence against our people. So um, you know, there’s lots of federal legislation that we’ve put in, and it’s very clear that we would need a sweeping overhaul of ICE’s actions before we would go forward and at this point it is a menace and a danger to the American people. 

Jane Coaston: Americans have been protesting ICE operations for months. I mean, we saw it in Los Angeles, we’ve seen it in Chicago, we’ve seen it in DC, pretty much everywhere, even before the most recent killings in Minneapolis. You are a ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee. Is the House doing anything to investigate the increasingly more violent actions of federal immigration officers? 

Jamie Raskin: Well, the House Judiciary Democrats, um albeit we’re in the minority, but we’ve been doing a lot. We have been engaged in investigation of all of the violence and all of the killings. Recently, the chair of our subcommittee on immigration, Pramila Jayapal, led 25 members out to Minneapolis in the wake of the killing of Renee Good to conduct a hearing, to collect testimony. Now, all of which is to say, no, the House Judiciary Committee majority is not doing anything to investigate ICE or Homeland Security or to try to put the brakes on this reign of terror. But the House Democrats are completely undaunted and our subcommittee on immigration has been super active and the whole committee has been very engaged with this process of trying to rein in ICE and homeland security. And to get the Department of Justice to do its job. 

Jane Coaston: Representative, I’m going to put my cards on the table and say that I don’t think ICE should exist. I don’t think that the Department of Homeland Security should exist, they were both formed in 2003 in the wake of 9/11, and I think that they are part of the militarization of policing that we’ve seen in so many examples across the country. Do you think that ICE can be reformed under different leadership? 

Jamie Raskin: Yeah I’m not sure about that question. It’s obviously an important question. Again, we’re in the minority now, so I wouldn’t want to get hung up on that question since we know the Republicans are going to control that. What I want to focus on now is the reassertion of constitutional rights, liberties, and parameters and constraints that operate against any federal department or agency, no matter what you call it. 

Jane Coaston: To that point, I spend a lot of time reading conservative media, and it’s been interesting the degree to which they have given up on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. And I know that there’s been a push within the House to impeach Kristi. 

Jamie Raskin: Yes. 

Jane Coaston: Where do you stand on that effort and what would be the next steps? 

Jamie Raskin: Well, I’m all for using impeachment against all of these cabinet officials and even Donald Trump for their impeachable high crimes and misdemeanors. As you know, I was the lead impeachment manager against Trump in the second impeachment trial that took place when he incited a violent insurrection to accompany his attempted political coup against the United States. So I don’t think we should be afraid for a moment to use the impeachment vehicle. But again, I don’t believe in false hope. We don’t have any support for Republicans for that at this point. That doesn’t mean we can’t bring it up. We’ve brought up impeachment on the floor multiple times and its fate has been consistent. So the critical thing is to see impeachment as part of a panoply of options that we can talk about, that we can do public education about, and that we try to push as far as we go, understanding that right now the Republicans are in control. And the critical thing is for us to win back the House of Representatives. We impeached Donald Trump and we got Republican votes for it, for inciting violent insurrection against the union. We impeached him for his Ukraine shakedown. We brought both of those to trial, in the one that I led we had a 57 to 43 vote in the Senate, which was the most sweeping bipartisan vote to convict a president in American history of the four impeachment trials there’ve been. So we’re serious about it, and as the lead Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, I will take it very seriously. But people do need to understand we’re still in minority, which is why we are fighting to take back the Congress. 

Jane Coaston: I know that you’re still in the minority, but you’re seeing Americans taking to the streets to protest. People are acting and they want to see more action. I know that it must be incredibly frustrating for people to be like, do something, but you’re in the minoritity so what do you see as your– 

Jamie Raskin: Well, we do something every single day, we’re fighting–

Jane Coaston: Right. 

Jamie Raskin: –every single day, but sometimes people believe that impeachment is some kind of magic wand. Oh, when you say impeachment, then all bets are off. But what we can do is we can conduct, even in the minority, we can create our own impeachment hearings on impeachable offenses against the Republic, high crimes and misdemeanors being committed by secretary Noem, being committed by attorney general Bondi, being committed by Donald Trump. We can take it out to the country and we can build public education and understanding around it. But I just don’t want anybody to think that, oh, well, we don’t need to worry about taking back Congress because we can just impeach Donald Trump. Like, let’s not lose the focus that we need to be in the driver’s seat in the House and the Senate for legislation, for oversight, for impeachment, for everything. 

Jane Coaston: Congressman Raskin, thank you so much for taking the time. 

Jamie Raskin: Thank you for what you do every single day. You are not the enemy of the people. You’re the people’s best friend. So thank you for continuing to fight with us. 

Jane Coaston: Thank you, that was my conversation with Maryland Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin. We’ve got way more for you, but if you’re enjoying what you’re hearing, subscribe and share with your friends. And who knows, maybe even leave a five-star review wherever you’re listening. And watch us on YouTube too. More to come after some ads. [music break]

[AD BREAK]

Jane Coaston: Here’s what else we’re following today. 

[sung] Headlines. 

[clip of Chris Maddell] Today, I announce the end of my campaign. I have two primary reasons for this decision. Number one, I cannot support the National Republican’s stated retribution on the citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so. 

Jane Coaston: Minnesota Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Maddell abruptly ended his 2026 campaign on Monday, calling immigration enforcement in his state a quote, “unmitigated disaster.” Maddell said not only had ICE deviated from deporting the worst of the worst, but also that the tactics have sown fear among citizens of color. So Maddell and his conscience can rest easy at night, unlike some of his GOP rivals of Minnesota, like MyPillow founder, Mike Lindell. Not only because Lindell literally sleeps on his own product, but also because he’s been totally silent on ICE. But Maddell isn’t exactly alone. A new political poll finds nearly half of Americans say Trump’s mass deportation campaign is too aggressive. That includes about one in five people who voted for him in 2024. And notably, one in three Trump voters support the idea of mass deportation, but don’t like the way he’s doing it. What exactly did you think mass deportation meant? Papers? Vibes? U.S. warships arrived in the Middle East on Monday, and Iran is warning that any American strike could mean all-out war. U. S. defense officials confirmed Monday that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and several destroyers have reached the region. This is all part of a growing U. S. military buildup as President Trump weighs potential strikes on Iran following the regime’s deadly crackdown on nationwide protests. More U. S. military assets are expected to arrive in the coming days, giving Trump a wider range of options. Iran, for its part, has placed its forces on high alert, and according to an Iranian official, is preparing for quote, “a worst-case scenario.” Iran warned that even a limited U.S. attack would warrant retaliation far more severe than during last summer’s conflict with Israel. But not to worry, if things get too hot, I’m sure Trump’s board of peace can step in to clear up any misunderstandings. For a price. 

[clip of Benjamin Netanyahu’s interpreter] I am pleased to announce to the citizens of Israel, to the people of Israel that I have just informed the Gvili family that our forces have found Rani, and he is currently on his way home. This is an extraordinary achievement for the state of Israel. We promised, I promised, to bring everyone back. We brought them all back down to the very last one. 

Jane Coaston: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters Monday that Israel had recovered the remains of the last hostage in Gaza. The interpretation you just heard is from Reuters. Netanyahu said Ran Gvili, who was killed on the October 7th attack, was among the first to be taken into Gaza. The announcement clears the way for the next step of Israel’s ceasefire with Hamas, which would likely mean the reopening of Gaza’s border with Egypt. Netanyahu’s office said in a tweet that, as part of President Trump’s 20-point plan, Israel had agreed to a limited reopening of the Rafah crossing for pedestrian passage only. It has largely been closed since 2024. Reopening the crossing would make it easier for Gazans to seek medical treatment, travel internationally, or visit family in Egypt. It would also help Gaza’s devastated economy. Goodwill stores are breaking revenue records. Goodwill Industries said it surpassed $7 billion in revenue from its 3,400 stores in 2025, according to reporting from the New York Times. That’s up roughly 7% from the previous year. Goodwill’s chief executive, Stephen C. Preston, told the Times that Goodwill Stores usually hold their own no matter the economic situation, adding, quote, “but when things are tight, we’re probably more likely to get that foot traffic.” So what I’m hearing is record revenue is good for Goodwill, but indicates possible economic uncertainty among the American public. The NYT says more frugal, environmentally friendly generations are largely responsible for the boost. Of course, we’re talking about Gen Zers and millennials who have found a hobby in thrifting secondhand clothes. Just take a scroll on TikTok if you want to see an early 2000s haul and feel the cold grip of age take your bones. And that’s the news. [music break] One more thing, Minnesota has borne the brunt of the Trump administration’s deportation regime for the last few weeks, and among those who have suffered the most are kids. Because it’s their classmates who are being detained, their bus stops being circled by federal agents, their parents who are being taken away. Not to mention that they’re being targeted for deportation themselves. Monica Byron is the president of Education Minnesota, the union representing teachers and educators across the state. We spoke about how teachers are handling the aftermath and what she wants you to know about what’s happening in Minnesota. Monica, welcome to What a Day. 

Monica Byron: Thank you so much for having me. 

Jane Coaston: I know this is a massive question, but what’s it been like working in Minneapolis schools right now? What are teachers and students experiencing day to day? 

Monica Byron: Oh, that’s a that is a massive question. I will say that our educators from Minneapolis to across our state are experiencing a lot of anxiety, some fear, but at the end of the day, our educators are showing up. They’re doing what they need to do so that our students and our communities and our families are safe. 

Jane Coaston: You said in a statement that, quote, “no child can learn when they’re terrified of masked men with guns roaming their neighborhoods, circling their schools and stalking their bus stops.” What are educators seeing in schools right now with regards to student attendance, behavior, emotional wellbeing, because you’re working with kindergarteners, you’re working with high schoolers, with all of this happening. What is that looking like? 

Monica Byron: Yeah, so we’re getting reports from our educators that students are quiet, and these are the students that are showing up, because our educators are walking into empty classrooms. There’s a lot of students and families that are fearful. One example I give you, if you’ve ever been to a middle school and you’ve heard those wonderful middle schoolers in the hallways, you know that it’s pretty loud, it’s boisterous. And right now our hallways are quiet, our classrooms are quiet. And that’s just not right, especially from our middle schoolers that should be really kinda coming into their own, but they’re scared. They don’t know what tomorrow will bring for them or their classmates or their communities. So our educators are just trying to deal with the realities that are being presented to them right now. 

Jane Coaston: I know that after the fatal shooting of Renee Good, officials said that the Minneapolis school system would give students the option of remote learning for a month. What has that experience of remote-learning been like, where you have so many kids who are at home because they’re terrified to leave? 

Monica Byron: Yeah. That’s a great question. So we’ve got school districts that are offering remote learning and they’re doing it on a voluntary basis. So it’s kind of a hybrid system that’s happening. Some of the schools you know are having to close down for a day or two so that they can get a system in place. But it means that our teachers and our education support professionals are having the pivot all their lessons, all the curriculum so that they can try and engage students and meet them wherever they’re at. But it also means getting devices. It means so many things other than just, you know, flipping on that switch and going to remote learning. We have to make sure that our students have access, which presents a whole another dilemma for our families that are scared and won’t come to schools to get them, rightfully so. But it’s just, it’s another piece, but it is an option that we have. Thankfully, and many districts are choosing to offer that for our families. 

Jane Coaston: I know that many people listening have seen so many videos, they’ve seen so many TikToks, they’ve heard so many stories, but what do you think is most important for people outside of Minneapolis, outside of Minnesota to know about what’s happening to schools and to children in Minnesota right now? 

Monica Byron: What you’re seeing is just a small piece of the reality that’s happening. It is happening all over our communities. And the tactics that are being used are changing every day. So it’s not just ICE vehicles following you know a car and pulling them over. It’s agents showing up and knocking on doors. And asking for directions to try and create this ruse that you know we are just a community member that needs help. And then they’ll run into the house. It’s it’s so horrible what’s happening because our communities are having to respond in real time to attacks, to our children being used as bait? And the bottom line is, if you’re a person of color, you can be picked up in this state right now, and it doesn’t matter because they’re not following any rules right now. 

Jane Coaston: Monica, thank you so much for joining me and stay safe. 

Monica Byron: Thank you so much. 

Jane Coaston: That was my conversation with Monica Byron, President of Education Minnesota. [music break]

[AD BREAK]

Jane Coaston: That’s all for today. If you like the show, make sure you subscribe, leave a review, contemplate that Fox News host Sean Hannity also thinks ICE has gone too far. Sort of. And tell your friends to listen. And if you’re into reading, and not just about how Hannity said in his radio show Monday, that obviously he thinks ICE is great, but also, quote, “now is ICE perfect? They’re not. Can they do a better job? They can. So I think that, you know, some of the optics at times, do I think that going into home depots and arresting people there is a good idea? I don’t.” Like me, What a Day is also a nightly newsletter. Check it out and subscribe at Crooked.com/ subscribe. I’m Jane Coaston, and look, for Sean Hannity, that constitutes bravery. Temu bravery. [music break] What a Day is a production of Crooked Media. It’s recorded and mixed by Desmond Taylor. Our associate producers are Emily Fohr and Chris Allport. Our producer is Caitlin Plummer. Our video editor is Joseph Dutra. Our video producer is Johanna Case. We had production help today from Ethan Oberman, Greg Walters, and Matt Berg. Our senior producer is Erica Morrison, and our senior vice president of news and politics is Adriene Hill. Our theme music is by Kyle Murdock and Jordan Cantor. We had help today from the Associated Press. Our production staff is proudly unionized with the Writers Guild of America East. [music break]