C-SPAN’s Washington Journal (02/06/2026) dives into the polarized gun rights debate after Alex Predi’s fatal shooting in Minneapolis, where 10 bullets hit him despite his disarmed state, while ICE agents face backlash for alleged overreach. Polls show 74% support storage laws, yet calls reveal partisan clashes—Republicans defend Predi’s Second Amendment rights but condemn interference with law enforcement, while Democrats like John Tester and AOC push for ICE reforms amid accusations of "Gestapo tactics." Meanwhile, U.S.-Iran indirect talks in Oman shift focus to nuclear tensions, underscoring how domestic debates mirror broader geopolitical conflicts. [Automatically generated summary]
Minister on Europe's changing relationship with the U.S. Watch live coverage of these events also on C-SPAN Now, our free mobile video app, and online at C-SPAN.org.
C-SPAN, Democracy Unfiltered.
We're funded by these television companies and more, including Comcast.
The flag replacement program got started by a good friend of mine, a Navy vet, who saw the flag at the office that needed to be replaced and said, wouldn't this be great if this was going to be something that we did for anyone?
Comcast has always been a community-driven company.
This is one of those great examples of the way we're getting out there.
Comcast supports C-SPAN as a public service, along with these other television providers, giving you a front-row seat to democracy.
Coming up on C-SPAN's Washington Journal, Washington Post global affairs columnist Ishan Taror will talk about U.S. tensions with Iran as the two sides conduct nuclear talks in Oman.
Then Blue Star Family CEO Kathy Roth Duque on the findings of a new survey looking at military family quality of life.
Washington Journal starts now.
Good morning, everyone.
On this Friday, February 6th, the national conversation begins this morning in our first hour with your view on gun rights.
Have they shifted since the fatal shooting in Minneapolis?
Here's how you can join the conversation this morning.
Republicans, 202-748-8001.
Democrats, 202-748-8000.
And Independents, 202-748-8002.
You can text if you don't want to call at 202-748-8003.
Include your first name, city, and state.
Join us on Facebook.com/slash C-SPAN or on X with the handle at C-SPANWJ.
We'll begin with your calls, your texts, your ex posts in just a minute.
Let's begin with the Washington Post, though, and the headline that they had recently, conservatives, liberals shift gun rights arguments after shooting.
Some gun rights backers cite Alex Predi's firearm as a justification for his killing, while gun control supporters dismiss its relevance.
And you also have another headline from the Associated Press, Minneapolis shooting scrambles Second Amendment politics for President Trump.
Before we get to your thoughts on this, want to share the latest out of Minnesota, this from the Star Tribune.
According to sources, state and feds are set to announce a joint investigation into Alex Predi's fatal shooting, an agreement would mark a critical compromise as state and federal leaders continue to rebuild working relationships amid Operation Metro surge.
Now, on the politics of guns related to what happened in Minneapolis, NBC had this headline recently.
Janine Pirro says anyone who brings a gun to DC is going to jail, prompting conservative backlash.
Pirot, who's the District of Columbia's top federal prosecutor, later clarified on X that she is a proud supporter of gun rights and is focused on individuals who are unlawfully carrying guns.
Listen to what she had to say on Fox News.
And you bring a gun into the district, you mark my words, you're going to jail.
I don't care if you have a license in another district, and I don't care if you're a law-abiding gun owner somewhere else.
You bring a gun into this district, count on going to jail, and hope you get the gun back.
And that makes all the difference.
Janine Piro, the district's federal prosecutor there on Fox News, the reaction from conservative activist Kyle Rittenhouse on X. Pierrot should be fired.
There is no reason a U.S. attorney should take such a blatantly unconstitutional stance.
The Hill with the headline about Rittenhouse calling for Pierrot to be fired over DC gun remarks.
This is recently online on thehill.com.
And they also note that the National Association for Gun Rights called Piro's assertion unacceptable and intolerable, suggesting it shows how broken and out of touch local gun laws are.
Your view on gun rights, have they shifted since the fatal shooting in Minneapolis?
We want those comments this morning.
I also want to show you during his visit to Iowa last week what President Trump had to say when he was asked about his administration's comments on the shooting of Alex Predi.
Here he is.
Do you agree with the assessment from some of your own officials that Alex Predty is a domestic terrorist or an assassin?
Well, I haven't heard that, but certainly he shouldn't have been carrying a gun.
But all of, hey, look, bottom line, everybody in this room, we view that as a very unfortunate incident.
Everyone, unless you're a stupid person.
Very, very unfortunate incident.
I don't like that he had a gun.
I don't like that he had two fully loaded magazines.
That's a lot of bad stuff.
And despite that, I say that's a very unfortunate.
What do you think of some Republicans?
President Trump in Iowa talking about the fatal shooting of Alex Predi.
Has this situation there and the death of Mr. Predty changed your view, shifted your view on gun rights?
What is your position on gun rights?
There are the lines on your screen.
Republicans 202-748-8001.
Democrats 202-748-8000.
And Independents 202-748-8002.
Reminder, you can text if you don't want to call at 202-748-8003.
And you can also post on Facebook.com or on X with the handle at C-SPANWJ.
Gun Owners of America's Eric Pratt was on the Washington Journal last week.
He responded to President Trump's statement that Alex Predi shouldn't have been carrying a gun at that Minneapolis protest.
Here's what he had to say.
Well, we disagreed with those comments the way it was stated and some of the others, voices that have come from the administration.
I will say that there were a couple of voices in the White House who made very strong statements supporting the ability to exercise our First and Second Amendment rights together.
And that was during this past week.
And, you know, we appreciate that because the U.S. has a long history of recognizing that freedom.
You know, you go way back, the Boston Tea Party was a peaceful protest that was carried out by armed individuals.
And you look at the civil rights marches during the 1960s.
The Deacons for Defense used firearms to protect peaceful marchers who were being attacked by racist thugs.
So through our history, we see that Second Amendment rights and peaceful protest are not mutually exclusive.
And that's why we'd like to see the administration uphold this right, even while acknowledging that you can't use your freedom to interfere with a legitimate law enforcement activity that's constitutionally protected, which, you know, I think is what many administration officials were trying to say.
Eric Pratt on the Washington Journal, Gun Owners of America.
We're getting your thoughts this morning on the debate over gun rights after that fatal shooting in Minneapolis.
The NRA posted on X, the NRA unequivocally believes that all law-abiding citizens have a right to keep and bear arms anywhere they have a legal right to be.
Ben in Las Vegas and Independent, what do you say about this?
Hey, yeah, I know that because of Trump, I am going to go in on Monday morning and surrender all of my firearms because we should always listen to the president.
You know, I mean, that's what literally half of America thinks is whatever he comes up with on the fly is what we go with.
So have a great day.
All right.
Aaron, South Hill, Virginia, Democratic caller.
Yes, I think he had a right to have his gun with him.
His two magazines should not have made a difference.
It was a sad thing that he was murdered like that, but he had the right, as long as he was legally caring, he had a right.
It was a shame that what happened to him.
I really feel for his family.
But I don't think his rights should have been violated.
That's no reason for them to have killed him like the way they did.
To shoot him as many times as they did in the back while he was already disarmed and they had five guys around him and they had to shoot him six times or ten times in the back.
I think that's outrageous.
All right, Aaron.
Mark Hampstead, Maryland Republican.
Mark, your turn.
Hey, good morning.
Morning.
So the thing about the Second Amendment, first of all, I have to say I thought the Trump administration, particularly Kash Patel, they do have a messaging problem there.
I do not agree.
I heard Republicans immediately after this happened.
They were talking about, well, we had two clips.
That's immaterial.
That doesn't matter.
Now, I guess in Minnesota, I guess you can lawfully carry.
I have no problem with Alex Predi carrying, even at a protest, that's not an issue.
The thing is, though, you have to act like an adult.
You know, a responsible gun owner, if you're going to go out in public and you're going to be armed, it kind of helps if you don't go and act like a mental patient in the middle of the street.
The thing is, you can be legally caring, but the moment that you interfere with law enforcement and start resisting arrest, you are no longer legally caring.
And I'd like to point out this, the only reason this is- Well, what do you mean by that?
You're no longer- You're no longer legally caring.
I mean, if the weapon's on you and you don't touch it and you don't inter and law enforcement, you don't do anything to resist arrest.
Are you still legally carrying?
But why are you defending him?
No, I'm just, I'm curious about your opinion.
Well, because, okay, let me give you an example.
If I'm carrying a gun and I go out, let's say, to a grocery store, I have that gun concealed.
Police are not just going to simply shoot me because I have a gun on me.
You know why?
Because I'm not agitating them.
I'm not resisting arrest.
I'm not adding to a chaotic and dangerous situation.
That's the thing that you people in the media seem to keep ignoring.
And it seems very intentional that you keep ignoring it.
Mark, we're getting your opinion.
Mark, we're getting your opinion about this.
And I was just trying to draw it out more based on what you said.
Yeah, I understand.
What I'm saying is, is he was interfering with.
You know, at the time this happened, they were trying to take down a known criminal.
It was a targeted arrest that they were doing.
He interjects and puts himself in the middle of it.
If you are armed legally, but then you go and interfere with law enforcement, you are now breaking the law.
He was also resisting arrest.
And in a chaotic situation where you've got a bunch of brainwashed communists blowing whistles and beating on drums and causing chaos where these ICE agents are already under physical threat and somebody says gun, they're trained to do that.
I mean, I feel bad that the guy died.
I don't want to see any American died.
So you have to understand that, you know, behavior has consequences.
That's something that the left doesn't seem to understand.
Okay, Mark there in Maryland on our line for Republicans.
Mark mentioned the Second Amendment from the Constitution, a well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state.
The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Here's what some of our viewers are saying on social media.
This is from Facebook.
John says, nothing has changed.
His view on gun rights has not shifted since that Minneapolis shooting.
If you're not a felon, you have a constitutional right to carry a firearm.
If you want to carry one and try to impede law enforcement, don't complain when you end up dead, he says.
Carrying is a huge responsibility.
Predty was not responsible.
And Heather says, nope, I'm still a strong supporter of the Second Amendment.
Gene in Michigan, Democratic caller.
Hi, Gene.
Good morning.
Morning.
I don't think there's anything wrong with Alex Predty having that gun concealed or anybody else having a gun concealed that has a permit.
And as far as this thing goes, this protest and no guns all of a sudden from these Republicans, you always thought the Second Amendment was so great.
Wasn't there a shot that was heard around the world 250 years ago that started this whole experiment?
Come on, you people.
Gather up yourselves and get on board with democracy.
Gene in Michigan.
Rod in Ohio, Republican.
Rod, what do you say?
Good morning, Greg.
Morning.
Well, my beliefs haven't changed at all.
As far as the Constitution, that still applies, even though a lot of people said, well, we're not going to need a militia.
Ohio's Gray Zone00:07:19
Well, you never know.
No one can predict in the future when everyone's going to have to take arms.
But besides, I had another point that never gets discussed.
It's, I mean, carrying a knife in a lot of places, especially California.
I think their law is anything over two inches can't be concealed.
I mean, come on, a knife.
Nobody ever talks about that.
I mean, you've got a lot of, like me, I'm, you know, I carry a lot of knives.
But depending on where you're at, and you get busted for something, or just get in a little trouble or whatever, then they've got something right there.
Oh, hell, you've got a four-inch blade.
Now, you know, this jurisdiction, boy, you can't have more than three and a half.
So that's something I wish Congress would take up some time.
But, you know, you always go for the big fish and never worry about what, yeah, because carrying firearms doesn't even apply to a great amount of people.
A knife?
It does.
So anyway, I'll let you go and have a good 2026, Greg.
All right.
Rod in Ohio, Republican.
Emma is in Washington, D.C., an independent.
Emma, good morning to you.
Good morning.
I am an independent, but I'm a conservative, and I'm disgusted by this betrayal of the Second Amendment by Republicans.
Alex Predty had a legal right to have that gun under Minnesota law.
And so what do you think this is about then?
I mean, what do you want to hear from the president?
Does he need to clarify?
We shouldn't be living according to Trump's whims and what pleases him or displeases him.
I mean, at this point, as an independent, I'm going to stand with whichever party is actually upholding the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
And which party is that right now?
I mean, I feel like neither one.
I don't know.
I mean, I'm standing with the Second Amendment and with the First Amendment.
And, you know, to see Republicans just betraying the Second Amendment like this, I mean, I never thought I would live to see this.
Okay.
Emma, there in D.C., John on Facebook says, no, he had a permit.
It was his behavior that caused the incident.
His permit would probably have been revoked because of his behavior had he survived.
We're talking about gun rights this morning and the debate over them and the shift in politics we've seen in the rhetoric from some Republicans, including the president in the Trump administration.
Listen to FBI Director Kash Patel on Fox News last week arguing Alex Preddy posed a threat to federal agents.
But as Secretary Noam said, no one who wants to be peaceful shows up at a protest with a firearm that is loaded with two full magazines.
That is not a peaceful protest, and you do not get to touch law enforcement.
You do that anywhere.
This FBI is going to be following, leading the charge to arrest those.
But how was he threatening Border Patrol?
You've collected the evidence, you said, right?
You have the handgun in your possession.
That's right.
And how was he using that handgun in terms of threatening Border Patrol?
What was the threat?
He had his camera, right?
He was filming it.
That's something that I would let the DHS and the prosecutors, because they are the ones investigating that case.
I don't want to stylize that evidence.
But I trust the men and women on the ground who are trained professionals to only use it when it's absolutely necessary.
And I trust Secretary Noam's leadership and DHS and HSI to do the right thing, as they've always done in these scenarios.
FBI Director Kash Patel on Fox News last week.
Now, the White House, the press secretary, Caroline Levitt, was asked last week about Director Patel's comments and the administration's approach to the Second Amendment.
Here's what she had to say.
FBI Director Kash Patel said in a Sunday interview, quote, you cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest.
Does the president believe the Second Amendment rights remain in effect even when protested?
The president supports the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding American citizens.
Absolutely.
There has been no greater supporter or defender of the right to bear arms than President Donald J. Trump.
So while Americans have a constitutional right to bear arms, Americans do not have a constitutional right to impede lawful immigration enforcement operations.
And any gun owner knows that when you are carrying a weapon, when you are bearing arms and you are confronted by law enforcement, you are raising the assumption of risk and the risk of force being used against you.
And again, that's unfortunately what took place on Saturday.
The White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt last week were responding to the administration's ask to clarify the administration's stance on the Second Amendment.
We're getting your thoughts on this debate happening in Washington.
Your view of gun rights, have they shifted since that Minnesota shooting?
Kareem on Facebook says, nope, I still think the gun culture in the U.S. is stupid and deadly.
We can have rights, but we have to show respect for them as well.
You don't need to own 30 guns and be packing everywhere, but the right to carry does exist, and you shouldn't get killed by law enforcement just for exercising the right.
Jeff and Kent, Ohio, Democratic caller, what do you say?
Hey, good morning, everyone.
Good morning.
In my state, when I encounter a police officer if I am pulled over for traffic violation or whatever, the first thing I'm supposed to say is, Arthur, I have a firearm with me.
That's the first thing I'm supposed to say.
Now, I don't know about Minnesota.
All right.
But I would think that the prudent thing for that gentleman to do would have said, listen, I got a gun on me.
I want you to know that.
All right.
Now, in my state, if I don't do that, anything that happens after that, I'm in violation of the law.
But I want to get to the crux of the matter.
This is just background noise.
This has nothing to do with the Second Amendment.
It has everything to do with a thing called the gray zone.
As we know, there's 50 shades of gray.
And as you get deeper into the gray zone, there's black, there's white, and there's gray.
When you get into a chaotic situation, and we all flirt with the gray zone, maybe your tires are a little bit worn, and we had a recent snow.
I still got to go to the store.
Well, you're entering the gray zone.
And the worse that the roads get and the balder your tires are, the deeper you go into the gray zone.
Well, when he encountered those officers that day, he went deep into the gray zone, and he expected everything to go just fine in terms of him being apprehended or whatever.
But whenever you introduce that much chaos, you make yourself subject to errors.
People, human beings, they make errors.
And he was complicit in his own death.
That's Jeff's opinion there.
In Kent, Ohio, Democratic caller.
Now, Phil and Philly on Philly Ray on Facebook, echoing a little bit there from what you heard from the caller, he says, no, his view has not shifted.
But I was taught if you have a concealing carry, you have a higher responsibility and care, a higher level.
If you should ever become involved with law enforcement, say a traffic stop, you must advise the officer immediately that you have a weapon for everyone's safety.
Debate Over Gun Rights00:14:30
And if I didn't, I could be shot.
John, California and Independent.
John, welcome to the conversation.
Hi, America.
Thank God for legacy news agencies that showed that it really went down.
There was zero provocation on Mr. Predator.
He was attacked basically by ICE.
I mean, he went to pick that lady up from the dirt, and he was instantly zapped with pepper spray.
And then again, and so there was no provocation on his behalf whatsoever.
And the agents accelerated it so quickly.
It's obvious.
It's just completely obvious.
And John, and John, on the gun part of this, the debate over gun rights.
What do you say?
Well, it's okay to carry.
He had zero provocation.
He didn't touch it.
And just the fact that he was on his back and had nine more shots shot into him.
I mean, he was completely okay.
It's okay to carry.
There's Minnesota.
There's tons of states that you can have open-loaded carry, and it's okay.
That's following the Second Amendment.
I'm all for it.
And cops have got to learn how to behave.
And he did nothing.
All right.
John's opinion there in California.
Independent caller.
The John Hopkins School of Public Health does a survey every couple of years on the issue of gun policy.
And this is what they found when they did the survey in 2025.
74% of Americans support laws that require a person to lock up the guns in their home when not in use.
They also found only 24% of Americans support allowing a person to carry a loaded firearm in public without obtaining a permit or license.
And they also found that 72% of Americans support require a person to obtain a license from a local law enforcement agency before buying a gun.
A survey done by the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health every couple of years.
We're getting your thoughts this morning on gun policy and gun rights.
Has your view shifted since the fatal shooting in Minnesota?
Jack is in Georgia, Republican.
Jack, your turn.
Yes, ma'am.
Good morning.
Thank you for taking my call.
Ma'am, the man had a complete right to carry his concealed weapon.
He had a concealed weapons license, and I know he was a very good man.
He was a neo, I think he worked in the ICU, he was a nurse.
But where he overstepped the line is when he kicked the back end of a car, of an ICE car, and kicked out the lens.
And then he didn't stop at that.
He went and interfered with the ICE officers, which also I think the ICE officers should have had more body cam on them.
But when you go to a function like that, of course he has a right to carry, but you can't be part of the problem when they're trying to do their job, is all I'm saying.
Okay.
It was a very bad situation.
Jack in Georgia, Republican.
Now, Deb on Facebook says, no, her view hasn't shifted, but the Republican, the GOP, is betraying the Second Amendment.
Preddy did nothing that would deserve his death.
The agents were rogue and not following standard operating procedure.
They are responsible for their actions, which were too extreme and not responsible.
They are accountable, she says.
Terry in Dixon, Illinois, Democratic caller.
We'll hear from you next, Terry.
Yes, good morning.
Morning.
Yes, I believe the gentleman had a right to carry.
Let's just put that aside, but I want to talk about, you know, let's go back in history a little bit.
Let's go back to the Oregon standoff in the Bundies.
Remember how they had guns all set up on the federal agents?
They even had snipers.
Snipers.
Can you believe that on federal agents?
And a lot of these people that are calling in, you know, from the right, I know there's some out there that defended the Second Amendment, excuse me, but there's a lot of them that are like, rah-rah-rah.
Yeah, go get them back then for these guys.
And what did President Trump do in 2018?
He pardoned these guys and he said they were unjustly done.
Wait a minute.
They were pointing guns at federal agents and the president of the United States says that's fine, but this, I just heard him this morning saying he let slip out of his mouth that protesters shouldn't have guns.
What about the protesters that occupied all these state capitals?
You know, these militias with their AR-15s and AK-47s.
You know, all these people like Ken from Illinois.
I heard him before.
He was all rah-rah guy for him.
Hear him on 1420 and radio.
But now he's seeing a different tube.
What is I just want to understand?
Up is down, down is up.
I'm for the Second Amendment.
All right, Terry.
Terry, let me get your reaction to this.
This is from Gavin Newsom's website, the California governor.
Hot take, he says the National Rifle Association agrees with Governor Newsom.
Governor Newsom had put out a statement saying nothing is sacred in Trump's America, not the First Amendment, not the Second, not even life itself.
We should all be outraged not only by the senseless deaths at the hands of federal officials, but also by the erosion of our rights.
We must act fast to protect them and prevent any further tragic loss of life.
What do you make of that, Terry?
I wholeheartedly agree with the NRA on this instance, but I don't know.
I think we should go back and check out their statements, too, during this Oregon standoff.
I think maybe they've done a little switching, too.
And, Greta, I wonder, are you going to bring up the post of President Trump in his racist post of the president, Barack Obama and his wife, Morphinmint and Mokis?
Are you going to show that?
Terry, we're talking about the debate over gun rights this morning.
Terry's thoughts there in Dixon Illinois.
All right, Linda, Missouri Independent.
Hi, Linda.
Hi, good morning.
I find this really interesting when on the day of the insurrection, and I will call it that because that's what it was, all those people with guns and Trump at the dais said, turn off the magnometers.
They're not here to hurt me.
So he certainly believed in carrying a gun to a protest, insurrection.
And then he turned around and pardoned all those people.
How many of those people that carried guns that day had gun permits that were going against the laws of our country?
So I find this very disenfranchised coming from President Trump.
Of course, he gaslights us on everything.
So Linda, are you referring to what he said in Iowa last week?
That was what comment?
He makes so many.
Okay, well, in case you missed it, we played it earlier at the top.
Let's play it again for those that are just joining us for this conversation this morning.
Here's the president in Iowa last week where he was asked about his administration's comments on the shooting of Alex Predty.
Do you agree with the assessment from some of your own officials that Alex Predty is a domestic terrorist or an assassin?
Well, I haven't heard that, but certainly he shouldn't have been carrying a gun.
But all of, hey, look, bottom line, everybody in this room, we view that as a very unfortunate incident.
Everyone, unless you're a stupid person.
A very, very unfortunate incident.
I don't like that he had a gun.
I don't like that he had two fully loaded magazines.
That's a lot of bad stuff.
And despite that, I say that's a very unfortunate incident.
What do you think of some republican President Trump in Iowa last week saying he did not like that Alex Predty had a gun at the protest?
Now listen to former Democratic Senator John Tester on MS Now last week taking the administration to task over its comments.
When it comes to keeping bare arms, it's straight up right there in front of our face.
This guy had a permit to carry a gun.
He went to the rally or the protest, whatever you want to call it.
He did not threaten anybody with it.
He didn't pull it out of the holster and aim it at anybody.
But yet, just the fact that he had a gun caused the ICE agents to shoot him and kill him.
I think that's a direct conflict with our Constitution.
And there's no doubt about it.
And the fact is, For the administration, for the president, for anybody in the administration to stand up and say, Well, this guy died because he brought a gun to a rally is absolutely, absolutely, absolutely wrong on any level you want to take it to.
I don't care if you're for gun rights or against gun rights, read the Constitution.
The Constitution is clear, and it does not say that we have the right to keep in bear arms except for this or except for that.
It's across the board.
And so I think the president is wrong.
And I will tell you, as a proud gun owner myself, I think that this kind of language bothers me a lot because I believe in having a gun for the right to protect myself and take care of vermin in my case, if I want to go shoot gophers or whatever it might be.
And if I've got somebody in the head of an agency or the head of this country saying that we don't have gun rights anymore, that's a problem.
Former Montana Senator John Tester, they're reacting to what he's hearing from the president and the administration over guns at protests.
The Washington Post with the headline, conservatives, liberals shift gun rights, arguments after shooting.
Some gun rights backers cite Alex Predty's firearm as a justification for his killing, while gun control supporters dismiss its relevance.
And you also have the Associated Press, Minneapolis shooting scrambles, Second Amendment politics for President Trump.
It's your turn to be part of the national conversation.
This morning, there are the lines on your screen.
We'll hear from Gary in Bowie, Texas, a Republican.
Morning, Gary.
Good morning.
Thanks for taking my call.
You know, the leftists have been trying to take our guns away forever.
You ever heard of a gun-free zone?
And your point?
Where's your right to carry in a gun-free zone?
She'll not be impeded.
Well, gun-free zone can't carry a gun.
And so, Gary, what do you make of what you're hearing from the president and the administration?
Well, if I was carrying a gun, I'm not going to jump into a crowd of officers trying to arrest people.
Not a very good idea.
If you're carrying a gun, it makes you a bigger threat.
That causes a problem.
But if he was just standing on the sidewalk and not intervening and interrupting the IETS officers, he'd still be alive today.
It's that simple.
All right.
Gary, with his thoughts.
Thank you.
In Texas, on our line for Republicans, Beth in Columbus sends us a text message saying, There are too many guns in this country.
I wish guns were more restricted.
He would probably be alive if he hadn't had a gun.
But that doesn't absolve the agents who shot him.
Dwight in Georgia, Democratic caller.
Dwight, what do you say?
Yeah, so girl, thanks for taking my call.
The only reason I'm calling because I'm just sick and tired of all these Republicans calling in, you know, making up excuses, you know, for what happened, you know, saying that the man said that he held a gun on him.
He didn't even have time to say he had a gun.
He wasn't even facing the police.
He was hipping the late at the time.
And they grabbed him and threw him on the ground.
When did he have an opportunity to say that he had a gun?
He never had the opportunity.
And a Republican that like, you know, we don't have eyes in our head that, you know, we just supposed to believe what they say what happened when we see exactly what happened.
And one other thing, if Obama had been the president when all this went down, these Republicans would be ready to impeach him the next day if he were the president and he let his ICE officer go out there and shoot somebody.
But long as Donald Trump, they let him get away with everything he wants to do no matter what happened.
He always right when he just lie all the time and they need to quit.
Let him get away with all the stuff that he get away with.
And I'm just sick of it.
All right.
Dwight's thoughts.
Joseph, Michigan, Independent.
Joseph?
Hi, how you doing this morning?
Morning.
Go ahead.
Hey, I'm just calling in to say that everybody was Mr. Newsom.
Joseph, you are breaking up.
Try again.
I was just saying that I was calling in because I agree with Mr. Testum and Mr. Newsom.
This is all just to fit a ruse for this administration as we're being told not to believe what we see with our own eyes.
Pete Iowa's Controversial Death00:08:48
I mean, my God, Greta, this morning you had a caller.
Your first caller was a Republican, and he seen with his own eyes what he saw, and his first reaction was to give up all gun rights.
But that doesn't prove that this is a call.
I watched the video of Mr. Alex Predty, and it's quite clear that he was trying to help save that woman, and he was pulled from behind, attacked, and shot 10 times over and over again.
And this is all to fit a lying ruse from the Trump administration that's been running rampant for the past year unlawfully against the Constitution.
And more people need to check the Sasha Riley story.
It's the proof in the Epstein files.
John, Los Angeles, Democratic caller, John.
Good morning, Greta.
Thank you for taking my call.
Thank you.
First, I want to, I've never complained about anything, but I just want to make this comment.
You know, when you look at the screen, they have those blue lines on each side of you.
And then on the right, the message for ceasefire.
Then it's live C-SPAN and a bar at the bottom.
And when I go back between C-SPAN and CNN, there's really not that much of a difference.
So those shows have been a failure.
But the Washington Journal has not been.
So I hope they can remove all that distraction.
But in regards to Mr. Predty, you know, when they have shown the video of him kicking the car belonging to the ICE agents like 10 days earlier prior to him being shot dead, he had a clear view, a clear way, the opportunity to shoot at those ICE agents, at their car, at them.
But he didn't.
And that day that they shot him dead, he was not preventing ICE from arresting an illegal immigrant.
He helped the woman get off that, who was also a protester.
So, you know, it's, and Tim Palenti, the former governor of Minnesota, a Republican governor of Minnesota, signed into law that it is allowed to take guns to a protest.
So everything that they're doing and killing the other woman, Renee Good, she was going away.
She wasn't trying to attack the ICE agents, and they shot her dead.
They could have shot at her tires, for example, but they didn't.
And this is cold-blood murder.
What's going on is not arresting illegal immigrants, but they're killing American citizens that have roots in this country for generations.
Thank you for taking my call.
John in California, here is Don Floyd in Virginia, an independent.
I personally don't own guns, but I fully support the First and Second Amendment and right to carry.
ICE was out of control in both Minneapolis murders, and people should be angry.
Ed in New Jersey, a Republican.
Ed, thank you for joining us in the conversation this morning.
What do you think?
Good morning.
The prior caller made my point.
If they give you the right to bring a gun to a protest, you should have some common sense and know if I get into any confrontation with an officer, he's not going to know whether I'm authorized or not to have that weapon.
So if we're clashing, the officer, the first thing he's going to think is, he got a gun.
I got to defend myself.
So when people say this, unless you're wearing a sign that says, I have a license to carry, the officer, when he sees that gun, his first incident is going to be to shoot.
And I don't understand why you would bring a gun to a protest.
All right, Eddie.
Well, let's listen.
Let's go back and listen to what Kash Patel had to say on Fox News last week when he talked about Alex Predty posing a threat to the federal agents.
But as Secretary Noam said, no one who wants to be peaceful shows up at a protest with a firearm that is loaded with two full magazines.
That is not a peaceful protest, and you do not get to touch law enforcement.
You do that anywhere.
This FBI is going to be following the, leading the charge to arrest those.
But how was he threatening Border Patrol?
You've collected the evidence, you said, right?
You have the handgun in your possession.
That's right.
And how was he using that handgun in terms of threatening Border Patrol?
What was the threat?
He had his camera, right?
He was filming it.
That's something that I let the DHS and the prosecutors, because they are the ones investigating that case.
I don't want to stylize that evidence, but I trust the men and women on the ground who are trained professionals to only use it when it's absolutely necessary.
And I trust Secretary Noam's leadership and DHS and HSI to do the right thing as they've always done in these scenarios.
That is Kash Patel on Fox News.
Now, on PolitiFact.com, they also have Kash Patel quoted on January 25th in the interview.
You cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want.
It's that simple.
Now, PolitiFact says that this is mostly false on their truth ometer.
That's from PolitiFact.com.
If you want to check that out and go to their website, politifact.com.
He says, they say some states have laws that ban guns at protests, but Minnesota's concealed carry law for guns does not.
Alex Predi, who was killed by federal immigration agents January 24th, had a concealed carry weapon.
Some states have been more permissive, have even more permissive laws than Minnesota, allowing people to bring guns to protests, even if they don't have concealed carry permits.
And although the Supreme Court hasn't ruled on the question of bringing guns to protests, recent decisions have granted wide leeway for gun rights.
We're asking you if your view on gun rights have shifted since the Minnesota shooting.
There are the lines.
Let's hear from Joe in Texas, an independent.
I believe we have the right to own guns, but I also believe this guy, Petty, 12 days ago, he was in an altercation with ICE.
ICE takes his picture.
They're putting on patentine and they're making a list of American citizens who are protesters and they're hunting them down.
That altercation was too quick, too fast for six cops to just kill that guy.
They were hunting him down.
They saw him.
They knew who he was, and they went after him, in my opinion.
Joe in Texas, Pete and Iowa, Democratic caller.
Hi, Pete.
Hello.
Morning, Pete.
Go ahead.
We're listening to you.
Yes, I just want to make a couple comments.
I think the argument shouldn't be about what Alex did.
It's about the deadly use of force on the ICE agents.
That's what should be examined.
And my final comment is, live by the sword, you die by the sword.
Thanks a lot.
All right.
That's Pete in Iowa.
Nick in Alton, Illinois, Republican.
We'll go to you next.
Good morning.
Thank you for taking my call.
I'm hearing a lot of Democrat callers before me seem to forget that the person who was shot by ICE spit on or at a law enforcement official.
You, ma'am, if you did that, you would be charged or would get worse.
You cannot spit at a law enforcement officer and not expect some kind of ramifications.
He kicked and damaged a law enforcement vehicle.
You cannot damage or destroy a cop car, regardless of the situation, whether you like them or not.
I'm from Illinois.
We restrict our rights here.
Believe me, we restrict our rights.
And look at how bad it is in Chicago.
Restricting rights is not going to fix the problem.
Taking away rights, like the way the Democrats want to do, that's ultimately what they've always wanted to do.
But the only reason why they haven't is because they lost the last Civil War.
Now, if you guys want to lose it again, keep doing what you're doing.
All right, Nick in Alton, Illinois with his opinion.
We're asking your view of gun rights.
Polling Sites and ICE00:03:54
Have they shifted since that Minnesota shooting?
Back to your calls on this in just a minute, but an update on the latest from Capitol Hill and funding for ICE.
They are under the Homeland Security Department.
And you'll recall both bodies of Congress approved short-term funding for the Homeland Security Department in ICE.
It runs out a week from now.
Democrats have put out a list of demands that they want accommodated before they agree to funding the Homeland Security Department from Politico's reporting.
Their demands include prohibiting masks for federal agents in most circumstances and requiring a judge to sign off on warrants for DHS immigration apprehensions, proposals that some Republicans have already rejected.
In addition to the policy sparring Wednesday, there were some personnel squabbling as well, including over who should be involved in negotiating any agreement.
So that is the latest from Capitol Hill Democrats planned DHS funding offer as the Senate Majority Leader John Thune floats long-term punt.
So it's still up in the air.
There are talks still going on as the funding for Homeland Security is up in the air.
Also, over ICE and potential areas where ICE will be or not be, the White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt on Thursday addressed suggestions by former Trump advisor Steve Bannon that ICE agents should surround polling locations in November.
Thank you, Caroline.
Steve Bannon recently said, quote, we're going to have ICE surround the polls come November.
Is that something that the president is considering?
That's not something I've ever heard the president consider.
No.
Do you guarantee to the American public that ICE will not be around polling locations or voting locations in November?
I can't guarantee that an ICE agent won't be around a polling location in November.
I mean, that's frankly a very silly hypothetical question.
But what I can tell you is, I haven't heard the president discuss any formal plans to put ICE outside of polling locations.
It's a disingenuous question.
The White House Press Secretary at yesterday's White House briefing.
Also, yesterday, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez held a town hall in her district, and we covered it.
She spoke about the importance of negotiating these ICE reforms, these demands by Democrats, and responded to a suggestion by Steve Bannon's suggestion about ICE deploying to polling sites.
Here's what she had to say: personally, I believe that it has to be part of the DHS negotiation to prevent that and tie their hands in being able to deploy ICE agents who are killing U.S. citizens from being anywhere near a poll site this November, point blank, period.
In terms of like the strategizing, I do not know if our leadership in terms of that for a long term, but we have to use political, we have to use our political power and we have to use our political pressure.
What I can say is that, frankly, the outrage last May at refusing to hold people's ground on the shutdown resonated a lot in Washington.
There were a lot of moderates, especially in the Senate, that just wanted to fold right away, and they experienced a lot of backlash after that.
So that it is literally people's mobilizing in May that is what gave them the spine to actually go through with a shutdown in September, demanding reversal on the ACA cuts.
Funding Fight Against Gestapo Force00:02:32
So just know that this is starting to work.
But we're going to, we, this upcoming fight on DHS is it.
This is the moment.
This is the moment.
We have to send that message to Loveham.
We have to send that message to both of our senators here in New York State.
And we need to make very clear that this is the, there is no other bite at the apple.
This is it.
The funding fight and the DHS funding fight is it.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at a town hall last night.
If you want to hear more from her, you can go to our website, c-span.org.
Back to your calls, your view of gun rights.
Have they shifted since the fatal Minnesota shooting?
We'll go to Gerald in California, an Independent.
Hi, Gerald.
Hi, Dara.
Thanks for the opportunity to express my views on your platform.
I used to be like anti-guns.
I used to be like a squid or a sponge in this society, this free society that we used to have.
What we have right now is a Gestapo force.
And that's what it just needs to be called: Gestapo force of rogue Americans who never went through the academy to become presidents.
They're like employing crooks and criminals and calling us the crook or the criminal.
We're not killing people on the street who are just expressing their views or their dislike for what they see to try to protect human beings as basic human rights to be human beings in this world.
This kid at the Super Bowl, he's going to make a statement.
You know, we're not like he said, we're the animals, we're humans.
ICE Out is correct.
ICE needs to get the hell out of here.
But just the fact that this guy pretty had a weapon in a country that has gun rights, and he doesn't have the right to go to a rally because he has a gun.
If something breaks out and people start shooting, he can protect his own life.
Rally Guns and Rights00:03:04
It turns out that the people that we need to protect ourselves from are those who are masked, like I said, Gestapo Force to kill us.
People need to wake up.
If you don't wake up, it's going to be too late.
They've gone so far, so fast.
What's next?
Yeah, they're going to probably employ Elon Musk's, like, you know, Android force.
We'll have to fight robots next.
Gerald in California, Newman, San Antonio, Democratic caller.
Yes, good morning.
I'm sitting here listening at how you let some of these people call in and they want blaming this man because they say he's a Democrat for having a gun at a rally.
How many rallies have we seen?
We're listening, Newman.
How many rallies have we seen?
How many rallies have we seen?
Where's the proud boy?
They went to Michigan.
Them people was armed to the team.
We saw their weapons.
But this man, yeah, he wasn't banishing his gun.
Wasn't he entitled to have that gun wherever he wanted to go with that gun in a state that allows you to have a gun?
But now listen to people calling in, not blaming him for his death because they said he was a Democrat.
I ain't seen him reach for no gun.
All I saw him reached for a woman falling to the ground and they attacked him.
Then we saw the gun, they took the gun, then they said, you know, you see somebody laying on the ground.
I don't hear him calling in about all these other people when they be at rallies with guns wide open.
And I mean, they ain't told him no handgun.
They told me some artillery.
All right, Newman.
Betty in South Carolina, a Republican.
Hi, Betty.
Yeah, the protest is the same thing, man.
That ain't peaceful protest.
The law should be changed.
If they can't protest peaceful, it shouldn't be no protesting.
Because every time I ever seen a protest, it's the spitting people and throwing wallets and burning down stuff.
I've seen it all.
And another thing about the guns, the Democrats do not care about nobody that gets shot.
You don't hear a bang about what they think because they don't care.
They just want to get back in power so they can bring all those illegals back over here and let the American people starve.
That's what he won't.
Because they didn't vote for him.
Betty.
Like that guy that had the gun.
Well, of course, what he should have done, stand there.
He didn't know if he was going to shoot him or not.
He could have shot him.
Okay.
That's Betty's thoughts.
John in Independent Alabama.
Should ICE Agents Carry Guns?00:12:02
We'll turn to you, John.
Hey, good morning.
About the guns, is the question: should ICE agents be using guns or should the protesters be using guns?
John, your point?
Well, I'm asking what your point is with the question of the day.
But anyway, I don't think that you should ask, expect IS agents not to have guns.
On the other hand, we should be the shining city on the hill and have the fairest trials and the best examples, even for illegal aliens, of the best proper course of law.
They should have the full due process even for American citizens if we can possibly afford it.
And I don't think we need another trail of tears to have some people contracted to remove all illegal aliens suddenly and cause a whole lot of sorrow and heartbreak.
I think it can be done much more compassionately by incentivizing illegal aliens to leave and bringing back temporary worker visas.
Okay, John there in Alabama.
We're talking this morning about the gun rights arguments shifting, scrambled after that shooting, fatal shooting in Minnesota.
And Republicans, the president included, comments getting backlash from conservatives.
On the Washington Journal, the gun owners of America's Eric Pratt was on the program last week, and he responded to the president's statement that Alex Predty shouldn't have been carrying a gun at that Minneapolis protest.
Well, we disagreed with those comments the way it was stated and some of the others, voices that have come from the administration.
I will say that there were a couple of voices in the White House who made very strong statements supporting the ability to exercise our First and Second Amendment rights together.
And that was during this past week.
And, you know, we appreciate that because the U.S. has a long history of recognizing that freedom.
You know, you go way back, the Boston Tea Party was a peaceful protest that was carried out by armed individuals.
And you look at the civil rights marches during the 1960s.
The Deacons for Defense used firearms to protect peaceful marchers who were being attacked by racist thugs.
So through our history, we see that Second Amendment rights and peaceful protest are not mutually exclusive.
And that's why we'd like to see the administration uphold this right, even while acknowledging that you can't use your freedom to interfere with a legitimate law enforcement activity that's constitutionally protected, which, you know, I think is what many administration officials were trying to say.
Gun owners of America, Eric Pratt on the Washington Journal last week.
Do you agree or disagree with him?
You're part of the conversation this morning here on the Washington Journal on gun rights.
Ed in Mississippi, Democratic caller.
What do you say, Ed?
I say thank you for taking my call.
What I was calling about this is that the Second Amendment right, I mean, it really should have been about hunting, the way of life.
It used to be about honey and protect your home.
Leaving the house with a firearm, if you're not going to honey, or maybe going to some shooting range for that one sole purpose, everybody need to be carrying a firearm.
In Mississippi, you don't even have to, all you have to do is just be somewhat legal.
And you have a firearm on your side.
You have no training.
You cannot put yourself in every situation like that to be to know what to do right.
There's nobody going to win.
When somebody pulls a firearm out, nobody wins.
I mean, a person gets aggravated, a protest, spits to a law enforcement, he's got a phone and says, are you thinking you have the right just to gun him down?
We can't do that.
We're going to have no rights for long.
We can't do that.
And if you think anybody in politics cares about that, it's all about money for them.
Anybody you put on there talking about the right, it's only about money.
Ed's thoughts there in Mississippi.
Roy in Las Vegas, a Republican.
Morning, Roy.
Good morning.
Thanks for taking my call.
Yeah, I have a concealed carry license, but I think most of the people that have gone to these classes to get the license, they realize the responsibility that they are taking.
If I were to go to a rally on the streets, I would really think twice about bringing my weapon to one of these rallies, particularly if they were something that could be insightful or protesting something.
There's a lot of responsibility about carrying a weapon.
But I'm really glad to see how many Democrats are calling in and saying about how they really are protecting the Second Amendment.
It's kind of nice to see people calling in.
Before you go, respond to the PolitiFact where they say it's mostly false when Kash Patel says you cannot bring a firearm loaded with multiple magazines to any sort of protest that you want.
It's that simple.
And what they note on their website is that some states have laws that ban guns at protests, but Minnesota's concealed carry law for guns does not.
Alex Predty, who was killed by the federal immigration agents, had a concealed carry permit.
Some states have even more permissive laws than Minnesota, allowing people to bring guns to protests, even if they don't have concealed carry permits.
And then although the Supreme Court hasn't ruled on the question of bringing guns to protests, recent decisions have granted wide leeway for gun rights.
Roy, your response to that.
Well, Kash Patel, I think, I don't think was correct in how he said it.
And when you're put on a spot like that, you might say something a little overstating your position.
But I mean, it's just common sense.
And I'm glad to see so many people left and right on there calling in saying, you know, this guy put himself in a position where when you're carrying a firearm, you know, kicking out taillights, of course, that was a different day.
But still, that attitude, I would never bring my weapon into a situation that could turn volatile.
I mean, there's a lot of difference between when we first became a nation and carrying guns was that, you know, that important.
It's not that important to be going to political rallies or anything and carrying a weapon.
It's common sense, basically.
All right.
Roy's thoughts there.
Rachel in Parkville, Maryland, an independent.
Thanks for joining us, Rachel.
Hi, good morning.
How's everyone today?
Good morning.
Go ahead and share your thoughts.
I'm calling actually mostly to suggest folks read a little bit of history on the gun control laws and what spurred them.
We didn't really have many gun control laws until 1967, which was when California established the Mulford Act.
And I think people would be very, very interested in learning about the history of the Black Panthers and their armed protesting, which is what spurred on our current movement of gun control laws in the first place.
It was the 1967 Mulford Act, and then there was a 1968 Federal Gun Control Act.
Okay.
Carl, in Maine, Democratic Caller, you're next.
Yeah, I noticed a lot of people are calling in about this shooting and said he should have never had a gun in his thing.
But even though I wear reading glasses in Maine, you'll see, I watched the video several times, and I watched the ICE officer take the gun out of his belt.
So after the gun had already been taken away from him, and there's four or five ICE agents on him, what threat was he to him?
You don't kill people in America, and they can't come out and say, well, he had a gun in his belt.
He was a threat to us.
The gun had already been, you can clearly see it.
I saw it on your show and several other news agencies.
It shows the ICE agent reaching in his belt and taking the gun away.
And he's shot not before they take the gun away.
He's shot after they took the gun away.
And then they shot him 10 times.
And it reminds me, just to end the story, months and months ago, when that old man, I saw four ICE agents knock a 60-something-year-old man to the ground.
Both four of them had their knees on his shoulders and back.
He's no longer a threat.
But I watched him being punched four times by ICE officers.
And that was the man who had three sons that serve in the Marines, serve the United States of America.
So whether you like gun rights or whether you feel you should take a gun to a rally or not, there was no justification.
They can talk about it all they want and give every little excuse, Kash Patel.
All right, Carl, I'm going to jump in.
John's waiting in Wisconsin, independent.
Yes.
Yes, we had a shooting here in Wisconsin not too long ago with Kyle Rittenhouse, who was, I guess the Republicans put him up as their poster boy after the shooting.
But justice was not served, where a 17-year-old can come up from Illinois and carry a gun, which he was illegal to do with an AR-15.
And the police hand water bottles to the young boy.
And members of militias were there with their AR-15s.
And the Republicans thought that was all right.
As for the judicial system here in Wisconsin, justice was not served.
The kid was found legal to do this.
And the kid he first shot never touched him.
And he shot him.
And then other kids came to confiscate his gun, and he shot another kid.
Okay.
John, I have to jump in at that point.
We are at the top of the hour here.
Later on in the Washington Journal, a new survey of the quality of life for military families is out.
Joining us to talk about that will be Blue Star Family CEO Kathy Duque.
Charles Dewey On Spies00:03:13
Ex up next, Washington Post Global Affairs columnist Ishan DeRore joins us to discuss U.S. tensions with Iran as nuclear talks between the two sides take place in Oman today.
We'll be right back.
Today on C-SPAN Ceasefire, at a time when finding common ground matters most in Washington, we'll feature a bipartisan conversation on the future of immigration enforcement in the U.S. With John Sandweg, serving as acting director of ICE during the Obama administration and Chad Wolf, serving as acting Secretary of Homeland Security during the first Trump administration.
Join host Dasha Burns.
Bridging the Divide in American Politics, Ceasefire.
Today at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.
Only on C-SPAN.
American History TV, Saturdays on C-SPAN 2, exploring the people and events that tell the American story.
As the nation celebrates the 250th anniversary of its founding, join American History TV for our series, America 250, and discover the ideas and defining moments of the American story.
This week at 11 a.m., historian Charles Dewey explores the role of spies during the American Revolution.
And at 4.30 p.m., in anticipation of NASA's upcoming Artemis II mission, we talk with former NASA Flight Director Gerald Griffin about the history of the American space program.
Then at 5.15 p.m., we tour Manhattan's oldest surviving residence built in 1765 for British officer Roger Morris, headquarters of General George Washington during the American Revolution and later home to Stephen and Eliza Jumel and her second husband, Aaron Burr.
And at 8 p.m. on Lectures in History, Brown University's Marion Orr recounts the life of Congressman Charles Diggs Jr., the first chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus and the only federal official to attend the trial of Emmett Till's killers.
And at 9.30 on the presidency, Fox News's Brett Baer talks about the life of President Theodore Roosevelt and the evolution of the United States into a superpower.
Exploring the American story, watch American History TV Saturdays on C-SPAN 2 and find a full schedule on your program guide or watch online anytime at c-span.org slash history.
Watch America's Book Club, C-SPAN's bold original series.
This Sunday with our guest, best-selling author Jody Pico, who has written 29 books about a wide range of controversial and moral issues.
Her books include The Storyteller, 19 Minutes, and Her Latest by Any Other Name.
She joins our host, renowned author and civic leader David Rubenstein.
People come to you and say you've changed their views on certain social issues because of your books.
Starting a Discussion00:00:58
That's why I write.
You know, it's to start a discussion.
And you can't always have a discussion with people.
Some people just aren't ready to hear it.
But there are a lot of minds that you can change one mind at a time.
Watch America's Book Club with Jodi Pico this Sunday at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.
Only on C-SPAN.
Washington Journal continues.
At our table this morning, Ishan DeRoor, who is the Global affairs columnists, excuse me, for the Washington Post here to talk about U.S. tensions with Iran and happening right now in the Middle East.
There are talks with Iran.
Who is doing the talking?
Who's there?
Well, good morning.
Good to be with you, Greta.
Right now, we're seeing in Oman, which is the Sultanate on the eastern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran.