DOJ Probe Targets Walz, Frey as Minneapolis Protests Grow (Full Transcript)

[00:00:00] Speaker 1: We begin tonight with breaking news in Minnesota and the showdown between the Trump administration and Democratic leaders on the ground. The Justice Department is now investigating Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. A source confirms this to CNN. The investigation apparently centers on possible obstruction of federal law enforcement. Both Walz and Frey have been fierce critics of the Trump administration's response to the death of Rene Good. Opening an investigation into them is certainly a dramatic escalation in this battle between the White House and these leaders. While the DOJ is now investigating the conduct of Democratic state and local leaders, they made clear they are not investigating the officer who actually shot and killed Rene Good. Now earlier this week, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch said in a statement, quote, there is currently no basis for a criminal civil rights investigation. The DOJ's Civil Rights Division typically launches investigations into law enforcement related shootings to make sure that officers did not breach the rights of the shooting victim. Blanch's statement came amid a flurry of resignations in the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office as we reported. At least six prosecutors left after pressure to focus the probe of the ICE officer shooting onto Good's widow, Becca Good, and the actions of Rene Good herself. When reached for comment about the investigation, Governor Tim Walz did not confirm it to CNN, but accused the federal government of, in his words, weaponizing the justice system and threatening political opponents. He called that a dangerous authoritarian tactic. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey just released a statement that reads in part, this is an obvious attempt to intimidate me for standing up for Minneapolis, our local law enforcement, and our residents against the chaos and danger this administration has brought to our streets. Now, news of the investigation came as Deputy Attorney General Blanch and FBI Director Kash Patel were on the ground in Minneapolis. The FBI Director posting these photos to social media along with the caption that read in part, this team is working 24-7 here cracking down on violent rioters. And this was the scene today at the Whipple Federal Building, the epicenter of protests in Minneapolis. The building serving as a staging facility for ICE agents, DHS officers, and Customs and Border Protection personnel. This all comes one day after President Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota. Late this morning, he issued a social media post that read in part, the Governor and Mayor don't know what to do, they have totally lost control, and are currently being rendered useless. If, and when, I am forced to act, it will be solved quickly and effectively. This afternoon, he was asked what the trigger would be for the Insurrection Act to be used in Minnesota.

[00:02:38] Speaker 2: It's been used a lot, and if I needed it, I'd use it. I don't think there's any reason right now to use it, but if I needed it, I'd use it. It's very powerful.

[00:02:49] Speaker 1: For the latest on the investigation to Governor Walz and Mayor Frey, we start with Kaitlin Collins, Chief White House Correspondent and anchor of The Source. What more are you learning about this?

[00:02:58] Speaker 3: What we know so far is that a grand jury has issued subpoenas, so this investigation is real, it is underway. It's definitely in the beginning stages based on what we know, but what we've also learned tonight is we don't believe that Mayor Frey or Governor Walz's offices have actually been served these subpoenas. Neither of them had gotten any notice about this investigation until we had reached out to our sources and then reached out to them for comment on this, and so the scope of it is not entirely clear, but what we do know is that it's around allegations of obstructing federal law enforcement, and that's really just been pointing back to nothing they've done physically, but the words that they have said. What we've heard from Mayor Frey, what we've heard from Governor Walz, who have been very outspoken and critical of the federal surge that has been happening in their state. About 3,000 agents are actually there on the ground.

[00:03:43] Speaker 1: It was the mayor who that first night, or earlier in the week, said get the F out of the F.

[00:03:47] Speaker 3: And then Governor Tim Walz this week said, encouraged people to record ICE officers and agents as they were carrying out these enforcement operations and telling them to call 911 if necessary. Now, the administration has been very critical of that, but whether or not that warrants an investigation or that meets the standard of criminal behavior obviously remains to be seen. How are the administrations going to prove that?

[00:04:07] Speaker 1: Governor Walz gave a speech, and you know, what she said, you know, protest, protest peacefully. And the mayor, I think, recently gave a speech in which he said also, you know, don't fall into the trap of, you know, giving them what they want and creating violence.

[00:04:22] Speaker 3: Yeah, and the administration has argued that they are helping contribute to this and make it a hostile environment for these ICE agents and federal officers who are still on the ground. We've heard the exact opposite, obviously, from Governor Walz and Mayor Frey, who have said, no, they just don't want all of these federal agents inside their cities. They don't think that they're necessary, and they think they're the ones who are actually making the tensions on the ground worse, which they say were building way before the shooting death by that ICE agent of Renee Goode. And so we'll see where this goes, and if they actually get these subpoenas, hopefully learn more about the investigation.

[00:04:53] Speaker 1: Again, we'll see you on The Source, nine o'clock. The federal former prosecutor, Jeffrey Toobin, joins me right now, also a bestselling author. So, Jeff, has the governor or the mayor done anything, as far as you can tell, to warrant a federal investigation? Or is this just the thing that this White House would do, whether it's political retribution or just sowing chaos?

[00:05:17] Speaker 4: This week began with news that the Justice Department was criminally investigating Jerome Powell, the head of the Federal Reserve, basically to coerce him into lowering interest rates. Now the week is ending with news of a criminal investigation of these two Minnesota officials who are trying to protect their city and state. What's going on here is the Justice Department is doing the political bidding of the White House. This has never happened before, even during the Nixon administration, this sort of politicization of the Justice Department. I mean, you know, we've worn out the phrase shocking, but not surprising, but that's what's going on with this Justice Department.

[00:06:03] Speaker 1: Let me give you the pushback that we've had guests on this program, you know, Republican supporters of the White House say, which is, well, look, Justice Department always is under the president. You know, Robert F. Kennedy was the attorney general for his brother when his brother was president. His brother was a close friend of President Obama.

[00:06:26] Speaker 4: Absolutely. I mean, the Justice Department has always been a cabinet department of the president, but you have to look at what they're doing, not just the relationship. And what you see is criminal investigations. And remember, it's also the failed prosecution of James Comey, the failed prosecution of Tish James, this endless use of the Justice Department against the president's political enemies. It's always true that the Justice Department is part of the executive branch. But what you have to do is look at what they are actually doing. And these investigations seem, as far as anyone can tell, and I'm certainly one of them, have nothing to do with actual violations of the law and everything to do with the political agenda of the president.

[00:07:18] Speaker 1: Do you think this is one kind of step toward preparing people for an insurrection act?

[00:07:26] Speaker 4: You know, the president has has been dancing around that. You know, the last time, as I understand it, that the Insurrection Act was used over the objection of local officials was by President Eisenhower during the school integration crises. I mean, this is something that has almost never been done in American history. And it would be a very dramatic step. And remember, the Insurrection Act involves the military, not the National Guard. So what you're talking about is moving tanks. And the U.S. military, not the National Guard, you know, our soldiers are trained for many things, but they are not trained for controlling demonstrations in American cities. And it is a chilling thought to think that they might be brought out when Minneapolis is again, as far as I can tell, is, you know, there are protests, but there is nothing particularly out of the ordinary. There's not a great deal of violence. Well, this is about people exercising First Amendment rights.

[00:08:29] Speaker 1: If the military was brought in, it's they would be helping ICE to continue, you know, seeking people, questioning people, asking people for their ID. And the only way they're really doing that would be blocking civilians or kind of quelling any protests from civilians so that ICE can go about their functions, I assume. Or they are helping secure every location where ICE is and is operating.

[00:09:01] Speaker 4: I guess that's what they would be doing. But frankly, I mean, this is all so unprecedented. We don't know what American military troops look like on the streets of American cities. That is a sight we have not seen over the objection of locals since Little Rock in the 50s, as far as I understand it. And that is, you know, what you're supposing seems like one possibility. But you know, these, our troops are not trained to do this. And as far as I can tell, there's no need for them to do anything at this point. But the president doesn't want protests, doesn't want people exercising their First Amendment rights. These are not violent protests that are anything out of the ordinary. And the idea that American troops would go in is a very chilling thought.

[00:09:53] Speaker 1: Yeah. Jeff, we'll see you later in the hour for the pardon story, because that's a whole other thing. I want to go to Minneapolis now, see Shimon Prokopech. Shimon, what's the situation outside the federal building tonight? Last night, there was some movement and then it got a more of a, you know, there was a more connection and I guess tear gas later at night.

[00:10:12] Speaker 5: Yeah. Yeah. We were in the middle of that last night, Anderson. I'm actually, Anderson, surprised. We're seeing a larger crowd than I expected here tonight, probably close to 100 people, you know, exactly where they were last night, just outside the entrance into this federal building. I mean, it's freezing out here tonight. But these people are determined. They've been here. A lot of them have been here all day. And we've actually seen more people show up here tonight. But so far for tonight, this has been peaceful here. I will say to you, you know, last night, Anderson, we were talking about what are the local police doing? Well, for the first time, and I don't know if they were listening to us last night or what, but we're actually seeing sheriff's deputies driving around here. They've put up signs saying that we can't park our vehicles on this street. So we're seeing at least a bigger engagement from some of the local law enforcement, the sheriff's deputies that are out here now patrolling the exterior. They're even going inside and patrolling that as well.