Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin took aim at Minnesota officials over protests inside a St. Paul church, calling the unrest “outright hysteria from the left” and urging Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to “get their state under control.”
During an interview on Fox News’s America’s Newsroom, anchor Bill Hemmer opened the segment by outlining the chaotic scene in St. Paul, where federal agents were reportedly searching for a suspect named David Easterwood.
“They were looking for someone by the name of David Easterwood, who was listed as a pastor there,” Hemmer said. “In the videos that we see, that’s not David Easterwood, is it? And if not, what comes after that next, Tricia?”
McLaughlin replied, “No, that was the lead pastor you saw there, Bill. But this is outright hysteria we are seeing from the left, and this should be the easiest thing in the world for Tim Walz and Mayor Frey to condemn. This shouldn’t be a Republican or Democrat issue. These are worshipers who are practicing their First Amendment rights to worship, and yet those rights were trampled on by these protesters who trespassed and began intimidating these Christians worshiping.”
She continued, “I’m glad to see the Department of Justice is taking this incredibly seriously, and I hope we see mugshots soon.”
Co-anchor Dana Perino noted that Mayor Frey had publicly defended the protests in a weekend appearance. “Mayor Frey talked about protesters overall,” Perino said, before airing remarks the Democrat made on CNN.
Frey had described the situation in Minneapolis as “under siege,” telling CNN, “They’re peacefully protesting, they’re standing up for one another. We’re not backing down, we’re not going to be intimidated.”
Perino followed up by asking about a new investigation reportedly targeting the mayor. “In addition to that, there’s an investigation now into Mayor Frey,” Perino said. “Can you tell us more?”
“I’m going to leave that to the Department of Justice,” McLaughlin responded, “but so much of what Mayor Frey said there is abjectly, completely false.”
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin took aim at Minnesota officials over protests inside a St. Paul church, calling the unrest “outright hysteria from the left” and urging Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey to “get their state under… pic.twitter.com/Z9fl4fww0g
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) January 19, 2026
McLaughlin contrasted conditions in Minnesota with those in other states that have cooperated with federal law enforcement. “Let’s compare what we see in places like Florida or Tennessee, where state and local governments work with us,” she said. “Out of Florida, we’ve had 40,000 arrests. We see public safety, we see peace, we see calm. Just oppose that to what we see out of Minnesota, where we’ve had a little over 10,000 arrests — and we see riots, we see our law enforcement officers being pummeled with rocks.”
She added, “Over the weekend, there were fireworks launched at them. They’re being spit on. Rampant assaults against them. And so this is not peaceful protest that we have been seeing. Mayor Frey should be condemning this. Tim Walz — they have to get their city and their state under control.”
McLaughlin’s remarks highlight growing tension between the Trump administration and Democratic leaders in Minnesota following weeks of anti-ICE and anti-Trump demonstrations in the Twin Cities. The Department of Justice confirmed Monday that it is “reviewing multiple incidents” tied to the unrest.
The confrontation came as President Donald Trump warned that he is prepared to invoke the Insurrection Act — a 19th-century law allowing active-duty military personnel to be deployed domestically — if Minnesota officials fail to quell riots and attacks against federal agents.
“If the corrupt politicians of Minnesota don’t obey the law and stop the professional agitators and insurrectionists from attacking the Patriots of I.C.E., who are only trying to do their job,” Trump said Thursday, “I will institute the INSURRECTION ACT, which many Presidents have done before me, and quickly put an end to the travesty that is taking place in that once great State.”
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