WIRED Writer on CNN: Only Violence in Minnesota Is From ICE and CBP

On Monday’s CNN This Morning, CNN Guest and WIRED contributor Garrett Graff praised Minnesota protestors for supposedly being non-violent and said viral videos only showed federal law enforcement being violent. In reality, many other videos have shown protesters being violent, including a riot outside a hotel where federal law enforcement was staying on Sunday night into Monday morning.

The segment was a part of CNN ‘Breaking News’ coverage pertaining to the shooting of Alex Pretti and the following unrest.

Host Audie Cornish introduced a clip of FBI Director Kash Patel that talked about the need to “quell these riots” amid a trend across the country of “protests turning into violent scenarios and people attacking law enforcement.”

Cornish seemed skeptical of Patel’s claims and noted the term “quell riots” stood out to her. Graff responded to Cornish by claiming the Trump Administration hoped to provoke more incidents: 

Yeah, absolutely. And I think what you're seeing is this narrative out of DHS, out of the White House, out of the Trump Administration that says that these are cities that are out of control and that - that they're trying to provoke the types of language and incidents that would allow them to turn to the Insurrection Act.

 

 

Graff continued and claimed all Minnesota protests had been peaceful: 

And the thing that really strikes me is that at virtually every scene that you can find online in these viral videos, the violence is being done only by the ICE and CBP officers. So, they sort of show up in a peaceful situation and commit all of the violence. 

And I think that that's exactly what we saw with the shooting on Saturday, that this was a confrontation that federal officers began, and then in mere seconds, escalated into deadly force.”

After Graff’s comments, Cornish asked if protestors were on their own and state leaders were not doing enough due to “fear of the administration.”

Graff pushed back and commended ‘courageous’ individuals:

I think, actually, Audie, it's not right to say that they're on their own. Because what is so remarkable to me about Minnesota and so many of the other communities where this has happened is how courageous the individual citizens have been. (...) You know, you saw the mass protests in Minneapolis on Friday, unlike anything we have ever seen in a major American city in modern times. And I think many Americans are looking at this and saying that the courage of Minnesotans is contagious across the country.

Graff’s comments are out of touch with reality, especially when there are video and photo examples of violence. This includes riots outside hotels with federal law enforcement, an officer having their finger bitten off, and many others scene of violence. 

 

 

His ridiculous statements are nothing new due to the constant omission of violence by leftist protestors since 2020, but one could expect better.

The transcript is below. Click to expand:

CNN This Morning
January 26, 2026
6:23:25 a.m. Eastern

(...)

AUDIE CORNISH: Um, you've also talked about - I want to play for you, actually, Kash Patel of the FBI, because he was asked about all of this on Sunday. And here is how he tried to paint the picture on the ground.

[Cuts to video]

KASH PATEL (FBI Director): It is a tough time right now, but I believe that our law enforcement officials on the ground, DHS, FBI, local police forces across the country are moving in the right direction, and we will quell these riots, and we will prevail. [Transition] But you have seen a trend here, not just in Minnesota, but across the country in these protests turning into violent scenarios and people attacking law enforcement. That's when you go over the line, and that's when law enforcement steps in.

[Cuts back to live]

CORNISH: Can you talk about how they’re trying to portray what’s happening on the ground? Certainly, quell riots struck out - stuck out to me.

GARRETT GRAFF: Yeah, absolutely. And I think what you're seeing is this narrative out of DHS, out of the White House, out of the Trump Administration that says that these are cities that are out of control and that - that they're trying to provoke the types of language and incidents that would allow them to turn to the Insurrection Act. 

And the thing that really strikes me is that at virtually every scene that you can find online in these viral videos, the violence is being done only by the ICE and CBP officers. So, they sort of show up in a peaceful situation and commit all of the violence. And I think that that's exactly what we saw with the shooting on Saturday, that this was a confrontation that federal officers began, and then in mere seconds, escalated into deadly force.

CORNISH: Looking forward, are citizens who are dissatisfied, upset with ICE tactics and how the administration is pushing forward its operations, are they on their own? Are the leaders of states kind of too fearful of the administration to find some other path to push back?

GRAFF: I think, actually, Audie, it's not right to say that they're on their own. Because what is so remarkable to me about Minnesota and so many of the other communities where this has happened is how courageous the individual citizens have been. That what you have actually seen is that people are not alone on the streets and that there are other neighbors willing to step forward at almost every single one of these incidents. You know, you saw the mass protests in Minneapolis on Friday, unlike anything we have ever seen in a major American city in modern times. And I think many Americans are looking at this and saying that the courage of Minnesotans is contagious across the country.

CORNISH: Okay, Garrett Graff, thank you. Appreciate it.