Patriot Brief
What Happened: Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey claimed on CNN that the Trump administration is investigating him for simply having a different political opinion.
Why It Matters: The Justice Department is reportedly examining whether Frey and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz obstructed federal law enforcement operations.
Bottom Line: Frey framed potential investigations as attacks on free speech, while critics argue enforcing federal law is not a matter of opinion.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey took his victim routine national Sunday, telling CNN that the Trump administration is supposedly investigating him for nothing more than having the wrong opinion.
Appearing on State of the Union, Frey dramatically claimed he never thought America would be “invaded by our own federal government,” comparing federal law enforcement actions in Minneapolis to behavior seen in foreign countries. According to Frey, deploying federal agents to enforce immigration law amounts to punishing a city for voting the wrong way.
CNN host Jake Tapper pressed Frey on reports that the Justice Department is investigating him and Governor Tim Walz for allegedly obstructing federal law enforcement. Frey admitted he has received no subpoena, no notice, and has no idea what the specific allegations might be.
Still, that did not stop him from assuming the worst.
Frey suggested that if an investigation exists, it must be retaliation for him speaking out against the Trump administration. He framed the situation as a First Amendment crisis, repeatedly insisting that he is being targeted for speech rather than actions.
What Frey left out is the growing evidence that Minneapolis officials actively encouraged residents to interfere with ICE operations, publicly criticized federal agents during active enforcement actions, and fueled rhetoric that emboldened mobs to obstruct arrests. That is not speech. That is conduct.
The mayor lumped himself in with other Democrats who have clashed with the administration, portraying a pattern of persecution rather than accountability. He claimed Minneapolis stands for free speech, as if free speech includes interfering with federal law enforcement and publicly undermining criminal investigations.
Enforcing immigration law is not an invasion. Investigating obstruction is not censorship. And claiming victimhood on cable news does not erase the chaos unfolding on Minneapolis streets.
This is the familiar Democrat playbook. When the law shows up, they cry tyranny. When accountability knocks, they shout First Amendment. But governing is not performance art. And running a city does not mean you get to pick which federal laws apply.
America is still a nation of laws. And mayors do not get immunity just because they are loud about their opinions.