Bulwark Takes The Government Treats Armed Militias Better Than Protesters (w/ Radley Balko)
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Jan 30, 2026 
Radley Balko, journalist and civil liberties expert on policing and justice, explains how federal responses in Minneapolis reflect institutional breakdowns. He discusses misleading post-shooting narratives, an administration that rewards escalation, why armed right-wing protesters face restraint, and whether DHS law enforcement can be meaningfully reformed.
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Performative Exoneration Replaces Due-Process Rhetoric
- Federal statements after deadly encounters shifted from measured promises of investigation to blatant, performative exonerations.
- Radley Balko says this signals the government is showing it can get away with abuses rather than seeking legitimacy.
Hiring For Loyalty Fuels Aggressive Policing
- The administration actively recruits and rewards officers who embrace escalation and white nationalist rhetoric.
- Balko warns that hiring for loyalty and ideology combined with immunity is a recipe for increased violence.
From Meetings To Home Depot Raids
- After Stephen Miller demanded more arrests, agents shifted tactics to raiding Home Depot parking lots.
- Balko recounts that Border Patrol was later put in charge, signaling a move to a more rogue, aggressive enforcement style.