Quick Hits: Volume CCCXCV

- After so much chaos and unrest in the Minneapolis area due to the Feds conducting immigration enforcement, it was beyond time for a change in strategy. Combine that with the fact that top officials in the Trump administration poorly handled the aftermath of the shooting death of Alex Pretti, the status quo was no longer tenable. 

Thankfully, the only adult in the room among President Donald Trump's immigration team is getting the call. 

"I am sending Tom Homan to Minnesota" is directionally the opposite of "I am sending the 11th Airborne to Minnesota" and is, at least for the moment, a promising sign they have actually realized for once that they are out way over their skis. pic.twitter.com/k1ODt1pXSV

— Andrew Egger (@EggerDC) January 26, 2026

There have been reports that Homan and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem have been at odds over these operations. Noem et al preferred to engage in sweeping operations (i.e. Home Depot and car washes) while Homan prioritized violent criminals with multiple deportation orders. Thankfully, the latter looks to continue in Minnesota while US Border Patrol head Greg Bovino and many CBP agents will be leaving the state for operations elsewhere. 

I'm guessing the White House being put on the defensive over the Second Amendment as well as hemorrhaging political support on their pet issue motivated Trump to make this move. Better late than never. 

- I remarked last week that while attending a MNGOP gubernatorial candidate forum, I left very impressed with attorney Chris Madel, who was the true political outsider. I even placed him in my top 3 most formidable candidates. 

Less than a week later, this shocking development occurred. 

 

Attorney Chris Madel has ended his campaign for Minnesota governor. In a video published Monday morning, Madel said Minnesota faces serious challenges, but Operation Metro Surge has made running a Republican campaign untenable.

Referring to the federal government’s ongoing immigration enforcement efforts in the state, Madel said, “I cannot support the national Republicans’ stated retribution on the citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so.”

This appeared to be a reference to a Jan. 13 statement from President Donald Trump in which Trump said ICE wants to remove dangerous criminals from Minnesota and Democrats “love the unrest” that has occurred because it distracts from fraud.

“FEAR NOT, GREAT PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA, THE DAY OF RECKONING & RETRIBUTION IS COMING!” the president said.

A longtime trial attorney, Madel said he supports Operation Metro Surge’s “originally stated goals” of locating and deporting the “worst of the worst” non-U.S. citizens who have been convicted of sex crimes and violent offenses.

However, Madel said “Operation Metro Surge has expanded far beyond its stated focus on true public safety threats. United States citizens, particularly those of color, live in fear. United States citizens are carrying papers to prove their citizenship; that’s wrong.”

Many progs and non-Trump Republicans posted video footage of the 2-minute excerpt featuring Madel's rationale for leaving the race. What's notable is that Madel's entire diatribe, which lasted nearly 11 minutes, included his crediting the Trump administration for attaining a cease fire in Gaza while simultaneously blasting leftists for their conspicuous silence on what was supposedly a dire issue for them for two years. Also, he didn't spare any harsh words for Gov. Tim Walz or Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over their lack of cooperation with the Feds in rooting out violent criminals with multiple deportation orders. 

Do yourself a favor and check out the entire speech. 

I am ending my campaign for Minnesota Governor. I describe why in the below video. Please watch until the end. (It is 10 minutes, 52 seconds.)

Thank you,
Chris pic.twitter.com/2nfyAyTzNZ

— Chris Madel (@CWMadel) January 26, 2026

This is also Madel's way of telling Republicans they better get their poop in a group, posthaste. 

- Former Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is going to the Super Bowl! After a 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams in Sunday's NFC Championship Game, Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks are going to the franchise's fourth ever appearance in that ultimate game. 

I've noticed a lot of my fellow Vikings fans lamenting Darnold moving on, almost implying had he remained in Minnesota that it could've been our Vikes on the cusp of the big game. Obviously there's no way to know for sure, but given the Vikings missed the playoffs by literally a half game while enduring (to be charitable) substandard QB play the majority of the 17 regular season games, it's not a stretch to say they would have at least made the playoffs.

For the record, I supported the move to let Darnold walk via free agency after 2024 and thus usher in the JJ McCarthy era. I felt with the high profile moves the Vikings made in free agency combined with stellar coaching from Kevin O'Connell that McCarthy would have a good enough infrastructure to lead this team to 10 or more wins. But McCarthy's lack of durability (only 10 starts in 17 games) to go along with O'Connell's obstinance to design a more balance offensive game plan (i.e. take heat off the young QB by utilizing a good running game) torpedoed the Vikings season. It also didn't help that the highly touted offensive line played less than a third of the snaps together due to injuries. 

At the end of the day, the Vikings had to spend so much money in free agency last year due to GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's first three drafts (2022 thru 2024) not producing enough starters. As such, there wasn't enough money remaining to retain Darnold. 

Let's just say there's a nonzero chance that ownership will clean house next year at this time if the Vikings miss the postseason again in 2026. 

------------------------------------------

The NARN Closer's playlist - 1/25/2026

-----------------------

I just wanna be your friend, is it ever gonna be enough?

Rejoice, as it may get above zero degrees today! However, it's still gonna be quite chilly, so throw another log on the fire and indulge in today's edition of my radio show The Closer. The 2-hour broadcast gets started at 1:00 PM Central Time. 

In the first hour, I will weigh in on anti-ICE protestors storming a St Paul church. Thus far, three people have been arrested. And while Immigrations & Customs Enforcements operations continue in Minnesota, so does blatant misinformation put forth by elected officials. 

Then in the second hour I will talk about the latest in the gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races out of Minnesota. 

And finally, Second Amendment advocates shouldn't given an inch when it comes to gun rights. 

So please call (651) 289-4488 if you'd like to weigh in on any of the topics we plan on addressing.

 

You can listen live in the Twin Cities at AM 1280 or, if you're near downtown Minneapolis/West Metro area, 107.5 FM on your radio dial. In and out of the Minneapolis-St Paul area you can listen to the program on the Internet by clicking this link, or check us out via iheart radio as well as Amazon Alexa (just say "Alexa, play The Patriot Minneapolis"). If you're unable to tune in live, please check out my podcast page for the latest show post.

And if you're so inclined, follow along on Twitter at #NARNShow or "Like" our Facebook page, where we also conduct a "Live Stream" of the broadcast.

Until then.....

------------------------------------------------------------------------

2025 NFL Playoffs: Conference Championship games (and blog post number 5,000!!!!)

New England Patriots (-4-1/2) at Denver Broncos: Boy, ya gotta feel for those Pats fans, huh. Their club was in the wilderness for a whole five seasons after a near two-decade dynastic run, but they're back in the AFC Championship Game. And the Patriots are likely in this for the long haul with a terrific coach and QB combo of Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye, both of whom could well be highly decorated (i.e. Coach of the Year and MVP, respectively) when the 2025 season awards are doled out. 

The Broncos and their fans were barely an hour into their celebration of being one step away from a Super Bowl when they received the shocking news that starting quarterback Bo Nix would be out for the remainder of the postseason due to breaking a bone in his right ankle. As such, Jarrett Stidham (a 2019 Patriots draft pick) will be making his first start in two years. Stidham is literally only the second QB in NFL history to make his first start of the season in a conference championship game. The other was Roger Staubach, whose Dallas Cowboys fell to the Washington Redskins 26-3 in the 1972 NFC title game. 

I felt the Broncos were playing with house money even before the Nix injury given the highest salary on their roster is for a guy who was cut after the 2023 season (QB Russell Wilson). But thanks to coach Sean Payton's tutelage, Nix had become a solid QB in only his second season and will likely only get better. So if anyone can elevate the play of a backup quarterback like Stidham for a two game stretch, it's Payton. 

In the end, this will be a defensive struggle given both defenses are in the top 5 in terms of points allowed. New England definitely lucked out with Nix being unable to play, but I'd still be surprised if they win easily. 

New England 20 Denver 19

Los Angeles Rams (+2-1/2) at Seattle Seahawks: These NFC West rivals split their two meetings in the regular season with the home team prevailing by less than a field goal in each contest. 

Around Thanksgiving time, I got the impression that the Rams were the most complete team in the NFL. However, they definitely showed some cracks in their final six games, going 3-3. One of those losses was blowing a 16-point fourth quarter lead in Seattle, eventually losing 38-37 in overtime. 

As of right now, the Seahawks have the healthiest, most talented roster among the remaining four clubs. I could certainly do a deeper dive into some of the numbers but I'll once again refer to my prediction on the Purple Daily podcast a little more than two weeks ago. That is, former Vikings QB Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks will be playing in Super Bowl 60. 

Seattle 24 Los Angeles 17

My 2025 postseason record:

Against the spread: 4-6

Straight up: 5-5

----------------------------------------

No one is coming to save you

The mass shooting at a Uvalde, TX elementary school more than 3-1/2 years ago resulted in 19 children and 2 teachers being killed. The most galling aspect is the number of atrocities could have been mitigated were it not for the lackadaisical response of law enforcement. Said response was so atrocious that one officer in particular stood trial recently for basically being derelict in his duty. 

Given there have been several cases adjudicated before the U.S. Supreme Court where justices essentially ruled citizens have no inherent right to law enforcement protection, I'm not surprised this Uvalde case was decided as it was. 

A former Uvalde school police officer is speaking out after he was acquitted on all counts nearly four years after the shooting at Robb Elementary School that left 19 students and two teachers dead.

Adrian Gonzales, who was charged with 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment tied to the shooting, said in his first interview since the acquittal that he has no regrets about the actions he took on May 24, 2022.

The jury deliberated for just seven hours before returning the verdict. Gonzales did not take the stand during the trial, while his attorneys brought up two witnesses.

An investigation found that it took 77 minutes from the time authorities arrived at the scene until the tactical team breached a classroom and killed the shooter. Police faced criticism over their response in the years since the shooting.

"You can sit here and tell me all you want about what I would have done, or what you would have done. Until you're in that mix, you can't tell me anything," Gonzales told ABC News.

Gonzales was the first on the scene at Robb Elementary School when 18-year-old Salvador Ramos carried out his deadly attack. The former school police officer told ABC News that he did not see Ramos and that he retreated from inside the school building because of an order from his commanding officer.

"I did the best that I could with the information I was getting," he said, adding, "I don't regret it, because I took an order from my chief at that time."

This is a reminder of how we must be prepared for the distinct possibility that no one is coming to save you in such a crisis. And this should also serve as motivation to be eternally vigilant against persistent calls for gun control. Self defense is absolutely a human right and the situation in Uvalde should always serve as a reminder that gun rights advocates can't given even one inch in this debate. 

------------------------------------

Found out

Since I'm loathe to use the f-word on this site, I won't spell out the words used in the acronym FAFO. But to any other secular progressives who in the future look to storm a peaceable assembly that is a church congregation, I'll offer up a more dignified interpretation: "Please, test that assumption and then take note of the results."

For the progs' sakes, let's hope they understand that playtime is over. 

FBI and Homeland Security agents arrested Minneapolis civil rights activist Nekima Levy Armstrong (aka The female Al Sharpton - ed.) and St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Allen in connection with the disruption of a church service on Jan. 18.

A third arrest of a protester involved was announced later on Jan. 22.

Attorney General Pam Bondi in a post on X said Armstrong played a “key role in organizing” the interruption at Cities Church in St. Paul on Jan. 18 by activists who determined one of the pastors is the acting director of the local ICE field office. FBI Director Kash Patel said Armstrong and Allen’s arrests are tied to a violation of the federal FACE Act.

“Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,” Bondi said.

The third person arrested was this loon, who literally filmed himself breaking the law. 

 

BREAKING: William Kelly who filmed himself storming a church in Minnesota and harassing congregants has been ARRESTED by the FBI pic.twitter.com/njqU1MlpKo

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 22, 2026

The frothing lunatic, whose name is William Kelly, flat out challenged AG Pam Bondi to arrest him. Her response via Twitter can be injected directly into my veins (CAUTION: STRONG LANGUAGE). 

 

Ok ✅ pic.twitter.com/tQZNbKFABA

— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 22, 2026

The three will be charged under the FACE act, which has been largely used to target those protesting at abortion clinics.

 

Levy Armstrong said proving activists violated the FACE Act “will be very difficult to prove because we are people of faith calling out other people of the same faith for an injustice.”

Added Jordan Kushner, Levy Armstrong’s attorney: “This is not a legitimate prosecution. This is a political persecution.”

According to the Justice Department, the federal FACE Act “prohibits the use or threat of force and physical obstruction that injures, intimidates, or interferes with a person seeking to obtain or provide reproductive health services or to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.”

Good thing for prosecutors, these mental midgets filmed their activities for all the world to see. Gonna be a tough lift for them to deny they were literally interfering with the "exercise of the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship." 

--------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, Minnesota electoral politics roll on

This had been rumored for some time. On Wednesday morning, it became official.

Michele Tafoya, the former prominent sports broadcaster known for her sideline reporting on “Sunday Night Football,” has announced she plans to run for Minnesota’s open U.S. Senate seat.

In a video announcing her candidacy Tafoya described herself as a “political outsider and a reformer” who will “clean up the system” by “fighting corruption, ending the fraud and protecting your tax dollars.”

Tafoya jumps into the race nearly a year after she first teased a bid following DFL Sen. Tina Smith’s announcement that she planned to retire. Republicans had struggled to find a top-tier candidate after several prospects decided to pass on running.

Though she enters crowded GOP field, which includes former Minnesota Republican Party Chair David Hann and controversial former NBA player Royce White, she won rare early backing from the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), which had worked to recruit her.

With Democrats nationally having a built-in advantage in the second midterm of a GOP presidential administration, the national party likely isn't sweating Minnesota due to a Republican not having won a statewide race since 2006. But that could also work to the Dems' disadvantage since it's been well documented how Minnesota is rife with fraud, corruption and out-of-control crime. Kinda hard to lay that at the feet of Republicans given they haven't held a single statewide office in 15 years. As such, enough voters are willing to be convinced to maybe move to the right this cycle.

The one issue which may dog Tafoya is that of abortion. She has publicly declared that she is pro choice, something which would likely be a nonstarter with the GOP grassroots. However, the fact she is such a big name in addition to being the handpicked candidate of the NRSC, Tafoya should easily have the fundraising edge over all the other Republican hopefuls, meaning she's definitely taking this to the August primary. And if she prevails, what then? Will she tout her pro choice chops in an effort to attract independents and moderate Dems or will she find a way to placate Republican voters by downplaying her viewpoint? Given this is a Federal race, abortion won't at all be an issue given the 2022 US Supreme Court decision declaring it a states rights issue. The only scenario that this becomes a factor is if the Dems one day attain a trifecta (President, House and Senate), nuke the filibuster and decide to codify Roe v. Wade as the law of the land. So the question that needs to be posed is would a Sen. Michele Tafoya vote in the affirmative if that hypothetical came to pass?

I honestly can't recall a Republican U.S. Senate candidate out of Minnesota with this kind of name recognition and fundraising prowess. Obviously Tafoya winning a general election is a big lift, but any resources which cause the Dems to draw away from GOP-held seats they look to flip would go a long way to keeping the upper chamber in Republican hands. 

-------------------------------------------

Power Rankings: 2026 MNGOP gubernatorial candidates

Of the 13 (14? 15?) individuals who are seeking to be the GOP nominee for Minnesota governor, the top seven candidates (as determined by straw poll results at a meeting of State Central delegates) squared off in a candidate forum Tuesday night.

My evening started by co-hosting with my Northern Alliance Radio Network colleague Mitch Berg a 2-hour broadcast live from the venue in St. Michael. As the show concluded at 6:59, Mitch put on his moderator hat (and, of course, did a phenomenal job) and proceeded to throw questions at each of the candidates. Said candidates were then selected in random as to whom would answer each question when.

Anyhow, after indulging in the 90-minute forum, I've decided to put forth my own personal "power rankings" via tiers. Not sure how often I'll do this, but here's where I stand as of now. 

Formidable: Lisa Demuth, Chris Madel and Kristin Robbins. 

Better than average: Kendall Qualls.

Too dorky and too tied to Trump to win statewide: Mike Lindell.

Hostile pricks: Scott Jensen and Phil Parrish. 

With Demuth and Robbins both being MN House members, it's clear they're trying to draw distinctions from each other despite having the same voting record. But since Demuth was House Speaker in last year's session, she has a bigger target on her back given she had to make concessions with a Dem governor and Senate DFL Majority Leader to avoid a government shutdown in a budget year. As such, Robbins takes every opportunity to point out that, in her view, Demuth caved to Gov. Tim Walz. 

Madel's stock elevated in my view, as he (not Kendall Qualls) is the true outsider. He didn't call out candidates by name, but it was clear he was going with a very "tough love" approach regarding those who have actually been elected to office. It's easy to see why he's been a successful defense attorney because he is excellent in his power of persuasion. 

Jensen has been a non-starter for me since he entered this race. This is simply because I firmly believe we ought not be re-nominating candidates who lost a winnable general election race for the same office the previous cycle. But the main reason he's in the bottom tier of "hostile pricks" is because he had this air of entitlement as if he's being inconvenienced by other candidates daring to step up for this office. He also interrupted the moderator at one point (when it wasn't even his turn to speak) just so he could take a rhetorical shot at Speaker Demuth. 

I guess you could say the '26 election campaigns are officially in full swing. 

---------------------------------------------------