Dem Strategist Unleashes on Own Party Over Giving ‘Permission Structure’ for Anti-ICE Violence

Conservative News DailyJanuary 10, 2026

Democratic strategist Julian Epstein sharply criticized his own party on “2WAY TONIGHT,” arguing that inflammatory rhetoric about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – including terms like “Gestapo” – has helped create a permissive environment for violence against agents. His remarks followed an incident in Minneapolis in which an ICE agent fatally shot a 37-year-old woman after she accelerated her car while agents surrounded the vehicle. Epstein said Democratic officials have failed to clearly distinguish between protected protest and active obstruction or attacks on law enforcement,and he placed some responsibility for the “environment” that led to the death on his party. The article cites past comments by Democratic figures – including Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu – that compared ICE agents to authoritarian or extremist groups, and notes minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s demand that ICE leave the city after the shooting. The Department of Homeland Security reported a sharp rise in vehicle attacks on federal law enforcement and Secretary Kristi Noem said the involved agent had previously been targeted in a vehicle attack, alleging organized efforts to weaponize vehicles during operations.

Democratic strategist Julian Epstein rebuked his own party on “2WAY TONIGHT” on Thursday for rhetoric he said effectively sanctioned violence against Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

An ICE agent fatally shot a 37-year-old woman during a Wednesday operation in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when she accelerated her car forward as agents surrounded her vehicle. Epstein said on the show that he believed inflammatory remarks from Democratic politicians about ICE contributed to the incident.

“They have not only failed to condemn violence in a meaningful way on an ongoing basis, using the language of Gestapo and they’re an occupying force and all this other incendiary language is giving a permission structure to, I think, a lot of the people on the professional left that are being, in my opinion, funded and is giving a permission structure for these violent confrontations, which tragically ended yesterday in a death,” Epstein said.

“Democratic officials have totally failed to understand the distinction between free speech protest on the one hand and active obstruction and attacks of law enforcement on the other hand,” he added. “And I think that is the environment in which we saw this tragedy occur yesterday. So again, I think reasonable people can disagree about what happened yesterday, but I think the environment that is being created, at least some of the responsibility has got to be laid on my side, the Democratic side.”

🚨NEW: Dem Strategist Julian Epstein *UNLEASHES* on own party after Minnesota ICE shooting🚨

“Using incendiary language is giving a permission structure for these violent confrontations — which tragically ended in a death.”@DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/YYRmJwk9Gr

— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) January 9, 2026

Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz suggested that ICE was the “modern-day gestapo” during a May commencement address at the University of Minnesota law school. Democratic Boston Mayor Michelle Wu also likened masked ICE agents to a New England neo-Nazi group during a June news conference.

Moreover, Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis demanded that ICE “get the f*ck out of Minneapolis” during a Wednesday news conference following the shooting.

There had been 99 vehicle attacks against federal law enforcement from Jan. 20 to Nov. 18, representing twice the amount during the identical time frame in 2024, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said during a Wednesday news conference that the ICE agent who shot the woman was the victim of a vehicle attack in June when an anti-ICE rioter rammed him with his car and dragged him. She also alleged coordinated groups were instructing individuals to weaponize vehicles during law enforcement operations.

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