Sen. Tina Smith: The Bulwark LIVE from Minneapolis

What It Covers

Senator Tina Smith joins Tim Miller live in Minneapolis to discuss ICE enforcement operations targeting Minnesota's immigrant communities, Republican Senate accountability, potential military action against Iran without congressional authorization, and Democratic Party self-reflection on past political decisions including the Al Franken resignation.

Key Questions Answered

• •ICE Enforcement Strategy: Minneapolis serves as a deliberate testing ground for broader authoritarian tactics, not a targeted response to disproportionate undocumented immigration — the city ranks 23rd nationally in that metric. The operations combine immigrant deportations, journalist arrests, political investigations into Keith Ellison and Tim Walz, and voter roll demands, suggesting a coordinated multi-front pressure campaign rather than immigration enforcement.
• •Senate Funding Leverage: Smith commits to voting against any additional ICE and border protection funding, citing that the agency already received more money through the reconciliation bill than the U.S. Marine Corps or Israel's entire military budget. She argues withholding new funds is the primary Senate leverage point, since the agency has four to six years of operational runway already secured.
• •Republican Accountability Gap: Senate Republicans, including Appropriations subcommittee chair Katie Britt, privately express concern over specific deportation cases like Liam Ramos while publicly voting to fund the operations causing them. Smith frames this as a negotiating tactic — blaming "crazy uncle" figures to avoid direct accountability — while holding that Republican senators bear direct responsibility for funding outcomes.
• •Iran War Authorization: The Trump administration appears to be advancing military buildup toward Iran without consulting congressional leadership, including the Gang of Eight. Smith argues the 2001 Iraq AUMF does not apply, and that Democrats should take a firm, unified antiwar position regardless of political risk, contending that voters can simultaneously process multiple policy positions without partisan confusion.
• •Democratic Candidate Selection: Smith argues Democrats have systematically favored candidates with clean, risk-averse records over those willing to challenge institutional norms. Using Paul Wellstone's 1990 Minnesota Senate upset as a model — he was considered too radical to win statewide — she contends the party needs leaders who prioritize structural economic reform over political safety and conventional electability calculations.