00:00Let's bring in David Schultz, who's Professor of Political Science at Hamlin University.
00:05David Schultz, thank you so much for being with us. It's a pleasure to have you in France 24.
00:10Tim Walsh, who said earlier that we're now at an inflection point for the Trump.
00:15administration because of what has happened and what important people in that administration have.
00:20I think he's absolutely correct at this point. And the inflection point.
00:25is in lots of different ways. It's first in terms of, let's say, the political language that the Trump.
00:30administration is using both in terms of why it's doing enforcement and.
00:35The actions it's using here and the actions or the rather the statements it's using to describe what.
00:40happened and trying to get people not to believe their eyes and their ears regarding the Alex.
00:45shooting. That's one. But the inflection point is also an inflection point about.
00:50really the very logic of the American constitutional system where.
00:55federal government does have powers to be able to enforce its laws, but a constitution.
01:00the United States also says that the federal government can't force can't.
01:05compel basically coerce states to do certain things. And so this is a controversial.
01:10policy that's got partisan implications, legal implications, political ones, and.
01:15And it's really rearranging, I think, the political legal map of the United States right now.
01:20Was there a sense of hypocrisy? Is there a sense of hypocrisy in the attempt to.
01:25cast the late Mr. Preti as a terror threat because he had a license firearm.
01:30Yes, I mean, the Republican Party has embraced the.
01:35second amendment, which is our amendment that guarantees a right for.
01:38individual right to bear arms.
01:40And the party has become sort of a defender of this against the Democrats and what we're.
01:45now seeing something very unusual here where the Democrats are embracing the second amendment.
01:50saying he had a gun.
01:51He had a gun.
01:52Yes.
01:53Also, it's important to understand.
01:54He had a gun lawfully.
01:55He's permitted to do so under state law and under the U.S. Constitution.
01:58And there's no indication what's.
02:00whatsoever that at any point he took the gun out, aimed it at or what brandished it or.
02:05something.
02:06And so contrary to some of the other people who have been commenting and saying.
02:10if you bring a gun to a protest, it's inherently violent or.
02:15or you're risking your life.
02:16The answer is no, that that we have a legal right in the.
02:20United States for good or for bad to be able to profess firearms and people can show up.
02:25Again, if they point at somebody, it's a different story, but there's no indication that at any point.
02:30that.
02:31Alex pretty took the gun out threatened anybody under way separate form.
02:35And those agents did not even know it appears that he had a gun until such time as they.
02:40and tackled them to the ground.
02:42Very different from the.
02:43I'm diverting a bit here, David, if you'll just.
02:45Bear with me.
02:46Very different from the case of, say, Carl Rittenhouse back in 2020 in.
02:50Wisconsin, when he had an automatic rifle that he brought to a protest, killed two people.
02:55tried to kill another person.
02:56He was, of course, acquitted at court, but a very different case.
02:59And again.
03:00Exposing, again, that hypocrisy.
03:02I think you're absolutely correct again.
03:05I think you're absolutely correct again.
03:05I mean, I've been telling my students that if we put, if we put politicians in jail for.
03:10Or people in jail for hypocrisy, our prisons would be filled full of people.
03:14And this is sort of.
03:15Another situation here where many people are saying that.
03:18The Trump administration and Republicans.
03:20Especially when it comes to gun issues.
03:22Are all over the map.
03:24They're all over the map.
03:25In terms of defending it.
03:26When it's appropriate.
03:28For their cause.
03:29If not.
03:30And also.
03:30Some people would say.
03:31There's an overlay here.
03:32That.
03:33It would traditionally.
03:34You.
03:35It used to be.
03:36That if persons of color were carrying a gun.
03:38They would say.
03:39No.
03:40That's.
03:40You shouldn't be able to do that.
03:41Versus.
03:42White people could do so.
03:43Such as the Rittenhouse.
03:44But here.
03:45We've got.
03:45A white Caucasian.
03:46U.S.
03:47American citizen.
03:48Again.
03:49Who's an ICO.
03:50nurse.
03:51As about as sympathetic.
03:52As the characters.
03:53You can come up with.
03:54And looking at how.
03:55Now.
03:56They're maligning him.
03:57It really does raise questions.
03:58About principle.
03:59Versus.
04:00That's a hypocrisy.
04:01Christy.
04:02Noem.
04:03Key in this.
04:04I think.
04:05Sector of state.
04:06For hold on.
04:07Secure.
04:05Security.
04:06I mean.
04:07How can she keep her job.
04:08Given what she has said.
04:09About him.
04:10Which has been.
04:10Absolute lies.
04:11A fabric of lies.
04:12That she's created.
04:13To.
04:14Somehow justify.
04:15How he was.
04:16Killed.
04:17By.
04:18Ten shots.
04:19To his body.
04:20While surrounded.
04:20By ice agents.
04:21How can she keep her job.
04:22Well.
04:23That's a great question.
04:24Here.
04:25That if.
04:25Trump.
04:26We're looking for.
04:27Some type of way.
04:28Of deescalating.
04:29The situation.
04:30He has an easy out.
04:30He could blame.
04:31Christine.
04:32Noem.
04:33For all this.
04:34Fire.
04:35Remember.
04:36He ran.
04:35A show for 16 years.
04:36In the US.
04:37Called the apprentice.
04:38Where he was always saying.
04:39You're fired.
04:40So he's got.
04:40An obvious.
04:41Way.
04:42If he wants to deescalate it.
04:43But.
04:44But you're absolutely correct here.
04:45Because she.
04:45She's basically mischaracterizing.
04:46What happened.
04:47Again.
04:48She's asking people.
04:49To not.
04:50Believe.
04:51What their eyes.
04:52And their ears.
04:53Are telling him.
04:54At this point.
04:55And she's really doing.
04:55A lot.
04:56To really inflame.
04:57The situation.
04:58On top of which.
04:59She's reaching.
05:00Judgments.
05:00Before.
05:01Any investigation.
05:02Has been completed.
05:03But nobody.
05:04Seems to be trusting.
05:05Her.
05:06Or let's say.
05:07The Justice Department.
05:08To do a fair.
05:09And impartial investigation.
05:10And the fact.
05:11That the.
05:12Federal government.
05:13Is excluding.
05:14The state of Minnesota.
05:15From participating.
05:16In the investigation.
05:17Just reinforces.
05:18That trust.
05:19That.
05:20That there's a cover up.
05:21Going on here too.
05:22Speaking from the outside.
05:23Of the United States.
05:24David.
05:25To think.
05:25That people.
05:26Don't have faith.
05:27In an investigation.
05:28That apparently.
05:29Is going to be led.
05:30By the FBI.
05:31And the border agents.
05:30It kind of.
05:31Makes you wonder.
05:32What has happened.
05:33To the status.
05:34Of something.
05:35Like the FBI.
05:36Which.
05:35We tend to hold.
05:36As being something.
05:37That is.
05:38To aspire to.
05:39In terms of.
05:40Law enforcement.
05:41In terms of justice.
05:42What has happened.
05:43But.
05:44What.
05:45That's.
05:45That's.
05:46This is what happens.
05:47When you get.
05:48Justice.
05:49And law enforcement.
05:50That becomes politicized.
05:50And.
05:51What's also.
05:52To add to this year.
05:53If we look at.
05:54The history.
05:55Of the United States.
05:55Generally.
05:56We expect.
05:57The federal government.
05:58Our national government.
05:59To be on the side.
06:00Of justice.
06:00Listen on the good guys.
06:01That they're going to do.
06:02The right thing.
06:03And.
06:04You usually think.
06:05From the civil rights era.
06:06In the United States.
06:07When states.
06:08Were fighting.
06:09Some states.
06:10Were fighting.
06:10The US government.
06:11To prevent.
06:12Integration.
06:13To prevent civil rights.
06:14Here.
06:15Now.
06:15We have this characterization.
06:16That people are not trusting.
06:18The national government.
06:19I was.
06:20Listening.
06:21To some governors.
06:22From Republican states.
06:23In the United States.
06:24Now.
06:25Also.
06:25Starting to be worried.
06:26And say that.
06:27You know.
06:28Maybe.
06:29Maybe.
06:30We can't trust.
06:31The federal government.
06:30And maybe.
06:31The federal government.
06:32The Trump administration.
06:33Needs to exit.
06:34From here.
06:35So.
06:35This is.
06:36This is really changing.
06:37Our perceptions.
06:38Of the justice department.
06:39Of the FBI.
06:40And.
06:40And again.
06:41It speaks to what happened.
06:42When we get things politicized.
06:43This is.
06:44Reminds me.
06:45Of the days.
06:46When Richard Nixon.
06:47Was president.
06:48A half a century ago.
06:49Where he used.
06:50The FBI.
06:50To persecute.
06:51Political enemies.
06:52And the justice department.
06:53To do the same thing.
06:55David Shultz.
06:56Fantastic analysis.
06:57Thank you very much.
06:58For sharing your thoughts.
06:59With us.
07:00Professor of political science.
07:01At Hampton.
07:00And.
07:01Before you go sir.
07:02The weather is appalling.
07:03Where you are.
07:04How are you coping.
07:05Everything okay.
07:05We're doing okay.
07:06But it's very.
07:07Very cold here.
07:08We're about.
07:09Twenty.
07:10Twenty degrees.
07:11Below zero.
07:12And it's certainly.
07:13Adding to the tension.
07:14Around here.
07:15David.
07:16That's our next subject.
07:17The weather.
07:18David Shultz.
07:19Professor of political science.
07:20At Hamline University.
07:20Stay warm sir.
07:21Thank you very much indeed.
07:22Thank you sir.
