Mea Culpa

Today on Mea Culpa, I sit down with CNN legal analyst, former federal prosecutor, former senior official at the DOJ and DHS, and author Elliot Williams to unpack his new book Five Bullets and its relevance to the current state of public affairs under Trump. Williams explains how a single subway shooting in 1980s New York helped ignite modern vigilante culture, hardened racial fault lines, and reshaped media, politics, and public fear around crime. We draw parallels between Goetz and contemporary figures like Luigi Mangione, Kyle Rittenhouse, and Daniel Penny and explore how media spectacle and algorithms fuel outrage. We also discuss the latest breaking news from Minneapolis ICE protests to threats of a Greenland invasion.

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Today on Mea Culpa, I welcome back former U.S. Capitol Police Officer and January 6 hero Harry Dunn for a sobering breakdown of the ICE shooting that killed U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. We dissect the conflicting narratives between federal officials’ claims and eyewitness and video evidence, and Harry explains why training, use-of-force standards, and accountability matter now more than ever. We also examine the FBI taking over the investigation from state authorities, the dangerous escalation of armed agents in civilian protests, the broader pattern of unchecked federal power, and rapid ICE recruitment. We explore what happens when the rule of law is replaced by fear, intimidation, and political loyalty, especially as government rhetoric and selective outrage drive tensions to an all-time high.

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Today on Mea Culpa, I welcome back Ally Sammarco, political strategist, consultant, and content creator, for a breakdown of Trump’s unprecedented seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and why it crosses a clear international red line. We examine how the administration is attempting to justify what legal experts warn could be considered an act of war, the dangers of normalizing hostage-style geopolitics, and the complete absence of congressional authorization. We explain how this move destabilizes global norms, invites potential retaliation by authoritarian regimes, and exposes an administration willing to abandon international law for spectacle and profit.

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Today on Mea Culpa, I welcome back Maria Cardona, Democratic strategist, CNN commentator, Principal at the Dewey Square Group, and founder of Latinovations, for an honest conversation about the ICE shooting that killed U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis on Wednesday. We break down the video evidence contradicting federal claims, the Trump administration’s rapid misinformation campaign, and what the killing reveals about unchecked federal power, reckless ICE recruitment, and the normalization of state violence. We also examine the broader implications for civil rights, public trust in law enforcement, and the weaponization of “domestic terrorism” labels. Most importantly, we explore why this moment marks a dangerous turning point for American democracy and accountability itself.

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Today on Mea Culpa, I’m joined by constitutional scholar and former U.S. Attorney Harry Litman for a critical conversation about unchecked presidential power, secrecy, and the erosion of democratic guardrails. We break down Trump’s escalating foreign policy threats—from Iran to Venezuela—his normalization of military action without congressional oversight, and how retaliation-based governance is replacing the rule of law, from freezing federal funds in Minnesota to vetoing a bipartisan clean water bill in Colorado. Harry, a former Deputy Assistant Attorney General who has argued before the Supreme Court, explains why these moments matter, how Congress’s silence enables executive overreach, and what happens when loyalty replaces legality. In a time when chaos is mistaken for strength and secrecy becomes policy, this episode confronts how close we are drifting toward government by vendetta—and why the law still matters.

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