House Majority Whip Tom Emmer tore into Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey on Fox & Friends on January 30, 2026, and he did so with good reason — the city’s leadership has chosen virtue-signaling over public safety. Emmer accused Frey and other local Democrats of fanning the flames of anti-ICE protests instead of standing with law enforcement and victims of crime. Hardworking Americans deserve mayors who protect streets and families, not politicians who wink at chaos.
Frey’s own words helped provoke that rebuke: after the deadly confrontation involving federal immigration agents, he infamously told ICE to “get the f— out” of Minneapolis and doubled down on those remarks even as violence and unrest spread. That kind of inflammatory rhetoric from a city leader is not leadership — it’s an invitation to lawlessness and a slap in the face to officers who put their lives on the line. When a mayor publicly vilifies federal agents during a tense operation, he bears responsibility for the consequences.
Worse, Frey has the gall to argue that the massive ICE deployment in Minneapolis is somehow misplaced and should be moved to red states like Texas or Florida, despite the real problems unfolding under his watch. Demanding that federal agents leave while pleading for sympathy from the national media is classic political deflection, not a plan to restore order. Voters shouldn’t be fooled by sound bites; they see the breakdown in safety and want solutions, not excuses.
Republicans and conservative commentators haven’t just criticized Frey — they’ve mocked his weak response, even dubbing him “Small Frey” for putting politics ahead of people. That nickname stings because it captures a truth: when faced with a crisis, Frey shrinks from responsibility and elects to posture. It’s time elected officials stop performing for cable news and start delivering for taxpayers.
If Americans are serious about protecting communities, they must back law enforcement and federal officers doing their jobs, not cheerlead for political theater that endangers them. Mayor Frey’s trip to Washington to lobby against ICE operations shows he’d rather grandstand in D.C. than fix the chaos back home — and voters will remember that come election season. Stand with safety, demand accountability, and reject the lawlessness that weak leadership has invited.
