The Reason Roundtable

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by special guest Emily Jashinsky, host of After Party, to examine the killing of Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis and the Trump administration's shifting narrative about the shooting. The group discusses the Second Amendment and free-speech implications of statements being made by Trump administration officials and the Republican Party's sudden embrace of gun-control talking points, as well as the broader politics of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as the administration pushes for escalation while losing public support on immigration. The panel also discusses the upcoming Academy Awards and how political themes are shaping expectations for the awards season. A listener asks how to show up and protest against state violence while navigating the ideological baggage of left-wing protest spaces.   0:00—ICE kills Alex Pretti in Minnesota 20:00—Public support for Trump administration policy 39:07—Listener question on protesting state violence 45:23—The influence of politics at the Oscars 53:01—Weekly cultural recommendations   Upcoming Reason Events The Reason Roundtable: Live in Washington, D.C.! February 4   Mentioned in the podcast: "The Second Shooting," by Liz Wolfe "The Trump Administration Is Lying About Gun Rights and the Death of Alex Pretti," by Robby Soave "DHS Again Promises a Thorough Investigation of a Fatal Shooting After Prejudging the Outcome," by Jacob Sullum "Democrats Plan To Block DHS Funding After Minnesota Killing. Republicans Should Join Them," by Eric Boehm "Leaked ICE Memo Claims Agents Can Enter Homes Without Judicial Warrants," by Autumn Billings "ICE Tells Legal Observer, 'We Have a Nice Little Database, and Now You're Considered a Domestic Terrorist,'" by C.J. Ciaramella "Vance Goes to Minnesota," by Liz Wolfe "ICE Demonstrates Why We Need the Second Amendment," by J.D. Tuccille Producer: Paul AlexanderVideo Editor: Ian KeyserThe post When Did Republicans Stop Caring About Gun Rights? appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, editors Peter Suderman and Matt Welch are joined by novelist and Reason contributor Kat Rosenfield and head of media for the Institute of Economic Affairs Reem Ibrahim to assess the mounting confrontation between the United States and its European allies over Greenland. Trump's tariff threats, talk of national security emergencies, exchanges between world leaders, and speculation about military force have pushed an unusual territorial dispute into the center of trans-Atlantic politics. The group considers what the confrontation means for NATO and trade policy with Europe. The conversation then turns to Minnesota, where masked federal agents continue detaining and harassing people in the aftermath of the Renee Good killing, prompting legal battles, disputes with state officials, and concerns about civil liberties. They also examine Trump's newly announced health care plan and what it signals about his domestic policy priorities. A listener then asks whether libertarians have any reason to want Greenland as part of the United States.   0:00—U.S. maneuvering to acquire Greenland 08:22—Trump's relationships with Russia and Europe 24:09—ICE confrontations spark unrest in Minnesota 40:32—Listener question on libertarian desires for Greenland 45:51—Trump's health care proposal 55:47—Weekly cultural recommendations   Upcoming Reason Events The Reason Roundtable: Live in Washington, D.C.! February 4   Mentioned in the podcast: "Trump 2.0, Year 1: A Libertarian Nightmare," by Brian Doherty "Donroe," by Liz Wolfe "Greenlanders Don't Consent To Becoming Americans," by J.D. Tuccille "Seizing Greenland Might Be the Least Popular Idea in American Political History," by Eric Boehm "As ICE Cracks Down Harder, Support for Abolishing ICE Surges," by Joe Lancaster "'We Are Not Investigating' the Shooting of Renee Good, the Deputy Attorney General Says," by Jacob Sullum "ICE Agents Flouted DHS Policies That Could Have Prevented Renee Good's Death," by Jacob Sullum "Video Shows Feds Shooting ICE Protester With Nonlethal Round at Point-Blank Range, Blinding Him in One Eye," by Autumn Billings "Federal Agents Used a Battering Ram To Enter a Minneapolis Home Without Valid Warrant, Video Shows," by Autumn Billings "No, ICE Agents Do Not Have 'Absolute Immunity' From State Prosecution," by Damon Root "Trump's 'Great Healthcare Plan' Has Promise but Should Add More Freedom for Americans," by J.D. Tuccille "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Delivers Anarchy in the U.K., Again," by Peter Suderman "Movies," by John Hospers Producer: Paul AlexanderVideo Editor: Ian KeyserThe post Is America Really Going to War for Greenland? appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by Reason senior editor Robby Soave to discuss the Justice Department's (DOJ) investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and whether this latest tactic is just a form of political retaliation. They discuss whether there is a coherent case for the probe, how much influence presidents should have over monetary policy, and where the line is between oversight and using legal machinery against perceived adversaries. The conversation then turns to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) shootings in Minneapolis and Portland, where federal agents killed Renee Good during an immigration enforcement operation and shot two people outside a federal building days later, even as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem brands the Minneapolis victim a domestic terrorist and local officials accuse Washington of lying about what transpired. The panel talks about accountability for law enforcement, and how Americans can watch the same videos yet reach completely different conclusions. The editors then look at the uprising in Iran and the contrast between President Donald Trump's support for protesters there and his deployment of federal force at home, before examining California's proposed wealth tax and how it might impact the state economy.   0:00—the DOJ investigates the Federal Reserve 7:54—Trump's proposal to cap credit card interest rates 12:42—ICE shootings divide the country 37:35—Iran protests intensify 43:14—Listener question on Democrats holding Trump accountable 52:28—California wealth tax 1:01:33—Weekly cultural recommendations   Upcoming Reason Events The Reason Roundtable: Live in Washington, D.C.! February 4   Mentioned in This Podcast "Demanding Charges Against His Enemies, Trump Conflates Justice With Revenge," by Jacob Sullum "2 Grand Juries Have Rejected the Grudge-Driven Case Against Trump Foe Letitia James," by Jacob Sullum "Video of the Minneapolis ICE Shooting Does Not Resolve the Issue of Whether It Was Legally Justified," by Jacob Sullum "ICE in Minnesota," by Liz Wolfe "The Trump Administration Says It's Illegal To Record Videos of ICE. Here's What the Law Says," by C.J. Ciaramella "Iran's Inflation Protests Turned Into an Uprising. Will Trump Get Involved?" by Matthew Petti "A Breakable Regime," by Liz Wolfe "No Other Choice Is a Dark Satire of Capitalism and Masculinity," by Peter Suderman Producer: Paul AlexanderVideo Editor: Ian KeyserThe post End the Fed? Or Turn It Over to Trump? appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by Reason senior editor Robby Soave to dig into the U.S. capture of Venezuela's sitting president, Nicolás Maduro, and what it means for the White House to claim it can "run" another country without congressional authorization. They debate what temporary American control is supposed to mean in practice, whether the capture of Maduro was legal, how war powers and congressional authorization fit into it all, and why White House officials keep framing the moment as a fight to expand U.S. influence in the Western Hemisphere. The discussion shifts to New York politics after Mayor Zohran Mamdani calls for replacing "the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism," prompting a debate over his motives to use such rhetoric in his inauguration speech. They also examine Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz's decision not to seek reelection as attention intensifies around a major fraud case that gained national notice following a viral empty-daycare video. A listener question asks whether immigration policy should weigh factors like culture and religion, and what reforms could reduce corruption and conflict without abandoning the case for legal immigration.   0:00—Can the U.S. "run" Venezuela? 12:46—President Donald Trump's foreign policy ambitions 25:52—Mamdani denounces "rugged individualism" 33:46—Listener question on immigrant assimilation 44:30—Walz not seeking reelection 52:22—Weekly cultural recommendations   Upcoming Reason Events The Reason Roundtable: Live in Washington, D.C.! February 4   Mentioned in This Podcast "Did Marco Rubio Lie to Congress About Venezuela?" by Eric Boehm "Regime Changed?" by Christian Britschgi "Americans Are Increasingly Skeptical of Foreign Military Intervention," by J.D. Tuccille "Donald Trump Says the U.S. Will 'Run' Venezuela After Maduro's Ouster," by César Báez "Trump Should Have Tried To Get Congressional Authorization If He Wanted To Strike Venezuela and Capture Maduro," by Eric Boehm "A Socialist Swearing In," by Christian Britschgi "Zohran Mamdani Can't Ruin New York City," by Katherine Mangu-Ward "Nick Shirley, Tim Walz, and the Minnesota Fraud Story: Did the Media Miss It?" by Robby Soave "The Minnesota Welfare Fraud Story Is Really About a Broken Medicaid Bureaucracy," by Eric Boehm "Tim Walz Drops Out of Minnesota Governor Race. Good Riddance," by Robby Soave Producer: Paul AlexanderVideo Editor: Ian KeyserThe post What Does It Mean To 'Run' Venezuela? appeared first on Reason.com.

This week, editors Peter Suderman, Katherine Mangu-Ward, and Matt Welch are joined by Reason senior editor Robby Soave to share the stories they believe didn't receive sufficient media attention in 2025. Each panelist selected a story from 2025 in the categories of politics, private industry, global affairs, and culture that deserves a closer look as we head into 2026.   0:00—Political stories that deserved more attention 11:14—The year's underreported economic stories 25:56—Global stories the media overlooked in 2025 37:19—Cultural moments that flew under the radar   Mentioned in This Podcast "The Trump Admin Wants Western Union and MoneyGram To Report on Immigrants," by Matthew Petti "Treasury Department Surveillance at the Southern Border Faces Fourth Amendment Challenges," by Tosin Akintola "Taking $200 Out of an ATM Should Not Trigger Federal Financial Surveillance," by Joe Lancaster "Banks Are Narcing on You Because Congress Forces Them To," by Nicholas Anthony "How Trump's Travel Crackdown Is Hurting Americans at Home and Abroad," by Matt Welch "Nepal's Socialist Government Banned Social Media, So Activists Plotted a Revolution—on Discord," by Matthew Petti "Biden Strengthened the Refugee Resettlement System. Will Trump Undo It?" by Fiona Harrigan "Worldwide Refugee Population Hits All-Time High, U.S. Intake Reaches All-Time Low," by Matt Welch Producer: Paul AlexanderVideo Editor: Ian KeyserThe post What the Media Didn't Tell You in 2025 appeared first on Reason.com.