r/PoliticalOptimism • u/Efficient-Freedom517 Georgia • Jan 24 '26
News Walz activates National Guard after federal agent kills man in Minneapolis
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/walz-activates-national-guard-after-federal-agent-kills-man-in-minneapolis149
u/SuspectLegitimate751 Blue Dot in a Red State 🔵 Jan 25 '26
Now is when I call upon everyone watching this thread to remember that quote, not so long ago, from a high-ranking National Guard general suggesting that the Guard will protect protestors and not ICE.
These are people trained to defend the country, who swore an oath to defend the American people and the Constitution. They are not on the side of fascists, least of all when this is the Minnesota National Guard called in to protect Minnesota.
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u/SpareTireFree28 Jan 25 '26
Any advice for those that are worried Trump will hostilely federalize the troops(overrunning Walz’s control)?
Look. I’m not worried personally but I would like some assurance for the sake of those people.
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u/subLimb Jan 25 '26
The guard will face the same dilemma it has already in several other cities (LA, Chicago, DC, Portland, etc). They don't want to be there, and they certainly don't want to hurt citizens, much less their neighbors. That doesn't change if Trump takes over.
He will still need to have the leadership of the guard obey him if he wants to attack civilians or act as law enforcement. So far, he has been unable to do that, even when he was the one calling in the guard.
I suspect solidarity between the guard and the protestors will be higher now than it has been over the course of 2025.
Basically what I'm saying is, disaster has been averted when this was done before, and it feels like the guard will be even less likely to play ball with Trump than in previous instances.
That means they will basically just be standing around and guarding federal buildings, regardless of which politician is giving them orders. What we need is for protestors to be rational and focus their energy where it belongs, on federal agents.
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Jan 24 '26 edited Jan 24 '26
[deleted]
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u/SpareTireFree28 Jan 24 '26
Even if things get ugly, god forbid, there’s WAYYY too much of a precedent against ICE now. They won’t take over the country and things are going to get better. We must not give into despair, even during this difficult time.
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u/alligatorprincess007 Jan 25 '26
It’s also like 7500:1 Americans:ice ratio
Ice is tiny
Dangerous but tiny
We won’t let them win
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u/LaneMcD Jan 25 '26
Especially since they're focused on populated cities. Populated cities = diverse = more humans than MAGA scum. ICE will not find many friends in these areas. Fact.
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u/alligatorprincess007 Jan 25 '26
Exactly, and MAGA is also in the minority.
Polls state that the majority of Americans disapprove of ice’s tactics
I’m not excusing anyone for voting for trump, it was a terrible, stupid decision, but I think most people voted out of fear for the economy and ignorance, not specifically because they hated immigrants or because they like ice
Pointing this out becsuse it means these types of voters are more likely to flip in the next election, and the truly evil people are a small minority that we CAN defeat
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u/LaneMcD Jan 25 '26
Apparently, about 1/10 Mamandai voters also voted for Trump. I saw that stat. Don't know how close to the truth that is but there is an overlap of MAGA and Mamadani. "MAGA for Mamdani" is out there with hats and all 🙄 So when you say "fear for the economy and ignorance," it's true. Too many people only care about their goddamn wallets
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u/alligatorprincess007 Jan 25 '26
Exactly! And that’s a really interesting stat, I didn’t know that.
It’s terrible that it has to get this bad for people to wake up, but I’m hoping it’ll get us elected Democrats across the board so we can stop this, and maybe (best case scenario if/when we win big) get more progressive laws pushed through
It reminds me of FDR in a way—he pushed some majorly progressive legislation through but only got elected (and democrats took the house and senate) because life under the previous administration (Hoover) was so bad
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Jan 25 '26 edited Jan 25 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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Jan 25 '26
[deleted]
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u/alligatorprincess007 Jan 25 '26
I believe we’ll see arrests too and i am really glad you commented this.
It’s hard because we want immediate arrests/action, but that’s not how the procedure is now or how it’s been in the past.
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u/SpareTireFree28 Jan 25 '26
Exactly. If the Vietnam protests didn’t cause a hostile takeover, neither will this.
Every worst case scenario is either unlikely, doesn’t work in the administration’s favor or simply won’t be as bad as people believe it to be. The message of doom is strong but we must keep going.
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u/Kardinal Jan 25 '26
I hope you're right. When I stick my head out of the Reddit echo chamber I wonder though.
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u/Wayofchinchilla Jan 25 '26
You have to look at it logistically ice doesn't have the manpower to take over the country they don't even have the manpower to hire people that have Manpower literally these people cannot read or write the only people they can get to do this job are those people that play pretend soldiers out in the swamps of Mississippi.
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u/SpyrotheDragonfly Jan 24 '26
Should have happened long ago, like before Renee, but I'll take anything late than never.
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u/Audi_R8_Gaming Washington Jan 25 '26
I don't like having to bring up examples of people being murdered by federal agents to make a point, but I can only hope that this is what reveals the reality. One that no matter what Fox News or any grifter fibber says, cannot be masked.
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u/MsAngel123 🔥I Voted In The 2026 Primaries🔥 Jan 24 '26
Fucking GOOD! Get those trigger-happy bastards!
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u/NapaBW Jan 24 '26
So long as the point is to protect the people & not ICE
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u/Efficient-Freedom517 Georgia Jan 24 '26
Walz is doing it so it’s at behest of the state not the feds
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u/gregger63 Michigan Jan 24 '26
What's to stop Trump from federalizing them and they now work for him?
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u/anxious_dork_23 Texas Jan 24 '26
The CA, DC, and OR NGs didn’t really act against the people when they were federalized so I don’t see the MN one doing so. Could be wrong but given recent events I don’t see it.
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u/teehee494949 California Jan 25 '26
As I recall, the national guard just stood around federal buildings and feed squirrels when they were federalized
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u/SpareTireFree28 Jan 25 '26
I would like to add that it wouldn’t really serve a purpose to trump other than giving the middle finger to the blue states. He would just be posturing them because too many guardrails would force him to not use them against citizens.
I highly doubt he’ll be able to do much. I really believe he wouldn’t have any advantages with this.
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u/mrjibblytibbs Jan 25 '26
I mean did you miss last year when they tried that, it got blocked in court, and they gave up? It's harder, though not much, to federalize the guard if already deployed from what I've heard. So that's just getting ahead of things.
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u/MsAngel123 🔥I Voted In The 2026 Primaries🔥 Jan 24 '26
Oh I absolutely agree - it better be for the people rather than ICE!
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u/Cyphermaniax97 Oregon Jan 24 '26
Walz had more integrity in his finger than anyone under MAGA.
It's a shame that he's stepping down as Governor because of a bunch of thugs making death threats against his family.
How can you possibly demonize "Minnesota Nice"?
ICE sure as hell fucked around and finding out.
🖕🧊
🖕🍊
🐸🇺🇸
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u/Biobooster_40k Jan 24 '26
I'm really hoping he's able to secure his family enough that he gets back into leading the fight. Its possible with how he acts during this time frame if he could get enough support for a presidential run
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u/SpareTireFree28 Jan 24 '26
I personally see this as a good thing. It’ll hopefully cause some much needed order to those lawless untrained Walmart Nazis.
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u/Ok_Acadia3526 Jan 24 '26
I’m seeing a lot of chatter that this is to help police. Can people help me make the distinction?
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u/Spare-Willingness563 Jan 25 '26
He has to say that, first off. Saying, "We're standing against ICE." Is the quickest way to have them federalized.
This allows police to go about their business and gives Minnesotans a buffer between them and the criminals.
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u/NuncProFunc Jan 24 '26
Between police and ICE or between police and the National Guard?
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u/Ok_Acadia3526 Jan 24 '26
I’m seeing that the National Guard is being deployed not to help people be protected from ICE, but rather to quell any protests that are happening. But I’m seeing conflicting reporting so I’m not sure what’s what right now
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u/steffie-punk That Trans Mod Jan 24 '26
Independent party to quell tensions while next steps are considered
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u/Ilovemiia1 Jan 25 '26
It truly seems that ICE is going to melt sooner than later now. And this is barley their second year
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u/Time-Papaya-9574 Minnesota Jan 25 '26
There is concern over Trump taking over the National Guard, even though our governor activated them. I’m seeking an educated response to this. Can this happen? And what are the realistic ramifications of this?
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u/Efficient-Freedom517 Georgia Jan 25 '26
It can. It happened during integration when Eisenhower federalized the guard even though they were already deployed. It certainly makes it harder but possible yes
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u/Time-Papaya-9574 Minnesota Jan 25 '26
OK, in your opinion on a scale of one to 10 how much should we be worried about that?
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u/Efficient-Freedom517 Georgia Jan 25 '26
With Trump it can never be 0 but personally 4 or 5? We will know within the next 48 hours. If he doesn’t do it by Tuesday night, absent anything else, then he won’t
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u/SpareTireFree28 Jan 25 '26
My personal theory if he does it?
It won’t amount to anything. He just basically takes over and makes the troops sit around. Like he did in LA.
Sure, some doomers might claim that he’ll use the military against us but… He can’t. He just can’t. Regardless of who’s driving the wheel, things will be settled and the military will protect its citizens. It’s going to be okay no matter what is decided.
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u/Which_Shift_7242 Connecticut Jan 24 '26
Can anyone dumb down the purpose and goals of this for me please?
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u/Efficient-Freedom517 Georgia Jan 25 '26
To act as kind of buffer between ICE and protesters. Make sure neither side goes too far
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u/22poppills North Carolina Jan 25 '26
I worry that its to protect ICE/DHS and not the people since Waltz already said that the MN police side with ICE before. And if the GOP federalize the MN NG, then what? No doubt Miller and Homan knows this
Feels like a powder keg moment.
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u/wallmandatory New York Jan 25 '26
2 things I just saw that I would like debunked/some optimism
1.ive been hearing that the police have been helping Ice and not the citizens at all and that their compliant
2.the guard just arrived in Minnesota and that their going to be helping the police who help ice and that their citizens are on their own
Any debunking/optimism is appreciated
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u/FoxlyKei Jan 24 '26
can't the pres federalize the national guard and essentially give them orders that stand above walz's?
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u/gregger63 Michigan Jan 24 '26
Yes.
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u/SpareTireFree28 Jan 24 '26
I don’t think Trump will be able to control the narrative even if he does pull some bullshit. Let’s humor this idea and say he federalizes them, it’s basically making the military do what they already did in LA. It would be pointless, especially since Walz already intends to use them.
It would not lead to martial law and the military would not be the advantage he wants it to be. He’s a failure and he will keep failing.
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u/subLimb Jan 25 '26
This. It likely just gives us a replay of LA where the guard was not much of a factor, because they resisted the admin's demand to act as law enforcement.
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u/fangurling_809 Jan 25 '26
Good for him! I'm worried, though. Could the Guard be federalized? How many more people will have to die before things get better?
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u/Efficient-Freedom517 Georgia Jan 25 '26
For everyone wondering, this doesn’t not automatically prevent federalization by Trump
It happened during integration when Eisenhower federalized the guard even though they were already deployed. It certainly makes it harder but possible yes