After weeks of hysteria in Minneapolis, with politicians and paid agitators alike calling for resistance, we saw a church targeted by those opposed to ICE. We have gone off the deep end. I penned an op-ed calling for what I thought was common sense and titled it “Turn Down the Rhetoric.”

The Columbus Dispatch printed the column after the shooting of Alex Pretti, but changed the title to read, “Renee Good wasn’t an ‘innocent.’” That’s the opposite of calming down the rhetoric. It was purposely inflammatory. Any wonder why people don’t trust the legacy media any more?

Compare Minnesota’s unrest with states like Florida and Texas, which have had far greater ICE activity and deportations.

Good’s life ended in tragedy. So did Pretti’s. That’s true whether you support President Trump or oppose ICE. Each incident affects families and communities and undermines trust in the system. My point in the op-ed was that rhetoric motivates action. Speech is free, but actions have consequences and — as we have seen — those consequences can be horrific.

There can be no mistake: Infringe on others’ rights or obstruct law enforcement, and you’re breaking the law.

When public officials encourage such “resistance,” they are only making a bad situation worse. But some, like my Democrat opponent for attorney general, Elliot Forhan, are still using vile rhetoric. He recently posted a video explaining how he will “kill Donald Trump.” That is the type of comment we should all oppose.

We need to turn down the temperature.

We should defend anyone’s right to express his or her views peacefully. Are you for open borders? Against ICE? You get to say so. You can even buy signs and shout it from a megaphone in the town square in a peaceful assembly. But those with the opposite opinions get to exercise the same right.

Violence is unacceptable. Let me restate that, because these days it seems like people read that as “violence is unacceptable unless I think it’s justified.”

Any violence, under any circumstance, is unacceptable.

Obstructing law enforcement personnel when they’re doing their job isn’t “peacefully protesting” or exercising your right to free speech. It is not OK to justify your actions because you believe someone else is violating the law.

Public officials should not incite violence or lawlessness. That is one of the reasons Minnesota’s sanctuary policies are so dangerous. Many of the arrests of violent illegal aliens could be made in the safety of the local jail or with the help of local law enforcement without street-level activity.

Compare Minnesota’s unrest with states like Florida and Texas, which have had far greater ICE activity and more deportations. The biggest difference is that those states cooperate, don’t have officials inciting lawlessness, and don’t accept protests that descend into mayhem.

That brings me to a simple point I taught my children when they started to drive. When interacting with law enforcement, be polite and cooperate. Say “yes, sir,” “no, sir,” and follow instructions. If police make a mistake, we can sort it out later — as the law requires. But don’t try to block the road with your car, refuse their instructions, or physically impede their activities.

RELATED: The left is at war in Minnesota. America is watching football.

Blaze Media Illustration

Police can mess up. When they do, they should be held accountable in court, under the law, with a presumption of innocence, just like everyone else. Police misconduct should be investigated and addressed. Ohio rigorously reviews use-of-force incidents, many of which are handled by the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the attorney general’s office. Wrongdoing will be punished, and it will continue to be punished when I’m attorney general.

Alex Pretti’s shooting was a tragic situation, and I want truth and justice as much as anyone. The investigation is ongoing, and as a strong Second Amendment supporter, I believe having a gun doesn’t make you inherently dangerous. Your actions while carrying a gun might, however.

Highly contentious protests can spiral out of control quickly, and actions and reactions can be deadly, particularly when human beings make decisions without the luxury of hours of analysis or instant video replays.

That’s why, as I made clear in my Columbus Dispatch op-ed, common sense means we need to turn down the rhetoric.

​Ohio, Leftist violence, Radical left, Alex pretti, Ice, Dhs, Ice protest, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Attorney general, Free speech, Debate, Opinion & analysis, Renee good 

The Department of Justice arrested a man for making threats against federal agents and cited his many posts on social media that called for violent resistance.

Kyle Wagner, 37, identified as a member of Antifa and called for militant attacks on Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, according to a DOJ press release Thursday.

‘If it has to be done at the barrel of a gun, then let us have a little f**king fun.’

“This man allegedly doxxed and called for the murder of law enforcement officers, encouraged bloodshed in the streets, and proudly claimed affiliation with the terrorist organization Antifa before going on the run,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement online.

Wagner allegedly made the threats from his accounts on Facebook and Instagram and called on his followers to “forcibly confront, assault, impede, oppose, and resist federal officers,” according to the DOJ press release.

He also referred to the agents as the “gestapo” and “murderers.”

The release cites specific comments allegedly made by Wagner.

“I’ve already bled for this city, I’ve already fought for this city, this is nothing new, we’re ready this time, ICE we’re f**king coming for you,” he allegedly wrote on Jan. 6.

The next day he wrote, “Anywhere we have an opportunity to get our hands on them, we need to put our hands on them,” and told people to “cripple” the agents.

“We want to know who they are. We will identify every single one of them and we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law. If it has to be done at the barrel of a gun, then let us have a little f**king fun,” he is said to have written.

“This is where ICE has come to die,” he added.

The DOJ also alleges that Wagner doxxed an individual by releasing their private information, because they were supportive of ICE.

The 31-page criminal complaint has numerous screenshots of his online comments.

WCCO-TV obtained video of Wagner’s arrest at his Minneapolis apartment. He wore a shirt reading, “I’M ANTIFA.”

RELATED: 10 members of terror cell charged with attempted murder over ‘ambush’ attack on ICE facility, feds say

Wagner was charged with cyberstalking and making threatening communications.

“Today’s arrest illustrates that you cannot run, you cannot hide, and you cannot evade our federal agents: If you come for law enforcement, the Trump Administration will come for you,” Bondi concluded.

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​Kyle wagner arrest, Terrorist antifa arrested, Death threats against ice, Extremist antifa violence, Politics 

On Friday, January 30, the Department of Justice released a third batch of Epstein-related material. The drop was the biggest yet, with over 3 million additional pages of documents, more than 2,000 videos, and about 180,000 images.

But in this gargantuan sea of information, BlazeTV host Liz Wheeler says there’s one key takeaway — and it has to do with President Trump.

Even though Democrats have tried to use the Epstein files to smear Trump for years, they have never been successful. Although his name appears numerous times in every file dump the DOJ has released, there’s been nothing that implicates him.

“Three million documents is a lot of pages. Not a single credible accusation or association with Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes,” says Liz.

In fact, in the latest document dump, there is an email written by Jeffery Epstein to author and journalist Michael Wolff in 2019, stating, “[Trump] never got a massage.”

“Totally exonerated — totally,” Liz reiterates, “which, of course, tells us something we already knew, but it’s worth remembering: Democrats are liars.”

The way some Democrats have hyper-fixated on certain wild claims involving Trump made via the FBI’s tip line — which is open to all, not barring “nutcases” — leads Liz to believe that they sincerely hope Trump is guilty of heinous crimes.

“They’ve acted like [the claim that Trump raped a 13-year-old girl in 1994] is a credible accusation, and yet in these documents, it is very clearly noted that the FBI found that allegation to be non-credible,” she says.

The same is true for the claim alleged by an anonymous online complainant that a sex trafficking ring was being run at the Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, between 1995 and 1996, leading to some girls being murdered and buried on location. This claim was dismissed, however, as Trump purchased the golf course in 2002 and opened for business in 2006.

“The media knows this, and yet they reported and are continuing to report on this allegation as if it’s true and substantiated and something that the FBI found because the mainstream media hates you,” says Liz.

To hear more of her top takeaways, watch the episode above.

Want more from Liz Wheeler?

To enjoy more of Liz’s based commentary, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​The liz wheeler show, Liz wheeler, Epstein, Epstein files, Donald trump, Trump epstein, Blazetv, Blaze media, Epstein case, Epstein client list 

The Arlington County Police Department announced the arrest of a man for allegedly plotting to kill the director of the Office of Management and Budget, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Police said that 26-year-old Colin Demarco of Rockville was seen wearing rubber gloves and a surgical mask on Aug. 10 when he was spotted by a witness on the porch of the victim.

‘I am at my wits’ end and this might be the final straw. I want to get a gun, head to DC and kill him.’

The witness interacted with the man, who appeared to be concealing a firearm and carried a backpack. The man fled but was identified through footage from surveillance video.

Police said they obtained a search warrant for digital records of the suspect and found that he appeared to have solicited to have the target killed and had looked up directions to his house.

They arrested Demarco at his residence after interviewing him and reported that he told them the 2024 election had been the “lowest point in his life” and he was afraid of an “impending war and a fascist takeover.”

Sources said the target of the plot was Russell Vought, who received violent threats because of his involvement with Project 2025 and his efforts to fire federal employees, according to CBS News. The criminal complaint said that Demarco was targeting someone who had “served as a presidential appointee,” with the initials “R.V.”

Officials said they found digital evidence that Demarco had written a note titled, “Body Disposal Guide,” as well as another having to do with his father’s firearm. Prior to being arrested, he claimed to be writing a manifesto.

One message specifically expressed his alleged wish to kill the president.

RELATED: Mass firings to begin ‘in a day or two’ over government shutdown, Trump official says

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

“The more Trump does s**t like this, the more I wanna grab a gun and try to shoot him. … I am at my wits’ end and this might be the final straw. I want to get a gun, head to D.C. and kill him,” the message read.

Demarco is charged with attempted murder, criminal solicitation to commit murder, carrying a concealed weapon, and wearing a mask in public to conceal identity.

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​Colin demarco arrest, Plot to kill russell vought, Liberal death threats, Trump admin death threat, Politics