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As the Trump administration steps up its efforts law enforcement against illegal immigration and cracking down on welfare fraud, the radical left is stepping up its tactics in a calculated attempt to create martyrs.
We’ve seen this before, but the current ideological fervor, backed by deep-pocketed donors and foreign influences, makes it much more dangerous. From blocking ICE operations to protecting massive fraud schemes in states like Minnesota, Illinois, California and New York, the left isn’t just resisting — it’s looking for a fight intended to spark widespread unrest.
The signs are everywhere. In recent days, we have witnessed nullificationist governors and mayors openly defy federal authority, stoking violent rhetoric in the wake of The shooting death of Rachel Good. in Minneapolis after he allegedly tried to run over a federal agent. This incitement by elected officials inevitably increases the threat of violence against ICE agents. This is a calculated strategy.
As the New York Post says reportedGood was an activist called “ICE Watch,” whom a friend called a “warrior.” That is, Good was at the federal police operation to disrupt it and, hopefully, be filmed doing it.
WAVE OF CAR ATTACKS AGAINST ICE AGENTS CONTINUES THE INCENDIARY RHETORIC OF TARGET CITY LEADERS
A person is detained as federal agents and police confront protesters outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (Christopher Katsarov/The Canadian Press via AP)
But Trump and federal authorities should not back down; They should outwit the professional agitators with agile tactics.
Left-wing elected officials are stoking hysteria not only to raise funds and defend themselves against primary challenges from their even more extreme flanks, but to provoke confrontations that could produce martyrs. Martyrs, as history shows, are powerful accelerators of political violence, as demonstrated by the death of George Floyd shown in Minneapolis in 2020. They rally the base and demonize opponents, with the two main strategic goals being to pressure administrations to back down while costing Republicans the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential race.
Take the ongoing battle over welfare fraud, for example. In Minnesota, the Feeding Our Future scandal exposed a staggering $250 million in stolen federal funds intended for child nutrition during the pandemic. Somali immigrants, some with ties to questionable nonprofit organizations, funneled money abroad, including, apparently, to potential terrorist groups. However, when federal investigators dig deeper, left-wing activists and politicians complain, framing it as racial persecution. This is not something isolated.
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In Illinois, audits reveal billions in improper Medicaid payments, often tied to rampant immigration. California’s Medi-Cal program is a black hole of fraud, with estimates exceeding $20 billion annually, exacerbated by sanctuary policies that protect illegal immigrants. New York’s welfare system is faring no better, with rampant overpayments and little oversight.
The left wants these investigations to stop, not because they are baseless, but because exposing the rot undermines their narrative of open borders and endless rights.
But why the campaign in search of martyrs? It arises from a deep understanding of revolutionary psychology. Today’s agitators are not the opportunistic looters of past riots; They are ideologically driven organizers, often professionals funded by leftist billionaires and foreign sources, including China. Beijing has a vested interest in causing chaos here, weakening the United States from within while promoting its global ambitions. These groups know that additional high-profile deaths in confrontations with ICE could spark nationwide outrage, amplified by sympathetic media.
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This leads me to a personal reflection of my time in uniform. In 1992, as a young Army intelligence officer, I was sent to the California National Guard to quell the Los Angeles riots following the Rodney King verdict. For days, the gangs and criminals grew bolder, night after night. False rumors spread like wildfire: that we guards did not have ammunition or that we were prohibited from using our weapons. It emboldened criminal gangs. Leftist agitators were there too, distributing leaflets and organizing, trying to bring about a full-blown revolution. But their raw material was scarce: mostly opportunistic criminals who were not interested in dying for a cause.
Then came a turning point. One night, a man tried to run over a Civil Guard checkpoint. In self-defense, the soldiers opened fire and killed him. The next day, the streets were transformed. Suddenly, gangs and criminals were on their best behavior. The rumors were proven false.
Compare that to today. In 1992, the agitators failed because the rioters were not ideological fanatics willing to become martyrs. Now, the motivation is different.
Protests against the president donald trump and ICE are orchestrated by groups like Antifa and pro-Palestinian networks, steeped in Marxist ideology and generously funded. They long for a martyr to feed their narrative of “fascist” oppression.
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Just look at the historical precedents. During the secession crisis of 1860-61, after the secession of Virginia, federal troops occupied Alexandria. US Army Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, a friend of President Abraham Lincoln, was shot and killed while removing a Confederate flag from a hotel. The hotel’s owner, James Jackson, was murdered seconds later. Overnight, the Union and Confederacy had their first martyrs, fueling a conflict that claimed more than 620,000 lives during four years of bloody conflict.
We cannot allow history to repeat itself. The left’s strategy relies on predictable enforcement that gives agitators time to mobilize, film confrontations, and escalate. Trump and ICE must adapt to try to prevent more shootings. They can do this by changing operations quickly, using intelligence to prevent gatherings, and employing non-lethal tools when possible. They must funnel resources into fraud hotspots like Minnesota’s Somali communities or California’s sanctuary cities, but do so in unpredictable ways. They must coordinate with state officials willing to head off nullificationists. And they must expose the funding trails: trace the money from multibillion-dollar foundations and China-linked entities that are fueling the unrest.
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Backing down would give the left a victory, encourage greater defiance and erode the rule of law. Instead, intelligent law enforcement will drain the swamp of fraud, secure our bordersand deny the radicals their precious martyrs. The United States has faced worse threats. Resolution wins the day.
Trump must move forward – decisively, but wisely – for the sake of America’s future.
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