Minn. State Rep. West to Newsmax: Cool Down Rhetoric After ICE Shooting

Inflammatory language from local and state Democrats is fueling public hostility toward federal law enforcement after the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman earlier this week, and they must "cool down the temperature" to avoid renewed unrest, state Rep. Nolan West told Newsmax on Friday.

"It did embolden people," the GOP lawmaker told Newsmax's "Wake Up America Early," after the show played a clip of Minneapolis City Council Member Robin Wonsley describing ICE activity in the community as "terrorist attacks."

West said the episode reflects a broader frustration over what he described as lawbreaking without consequences.

"It is so frustrating that people think they can break the law without any consequences whatsoever," he said, while also calling the shooting of Renee Nicole Good "a horrible tragedy."

West said he sympathizes with the families affected, including the agent involved.

"I can't imagine being kids who lost their mom," he said. "Somebody took somebody's life who never wanted to, and we got to remember that."

However, he urged compliance during law enforcement encounters, describing advice he gives his own child.

"What I teach my two-and-a-half-year-old is if you ever run into a law enforcement officer, you do what they say and the only thing you say is, 'Lawyer,'" West said. "And if [Good] did that, everything would have been fine."

Asked about the potential for prosecution in Minnesota, West pointed to past cases he said raised concerns about the state's justice system. "We have our own history: Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty prosecuted a state trooper for murder who just defended himself," West said, adding that "that case was eventually dismissed."

West said he expects the matter to be handled in federal court. "There will be charges brought, but it's a federal law enforcement officer," he said. "This will be dealt with in federal court."

On reports the FBI is blocking state investigators from probing the incident, West criticized what he described as political rhetoric surrounding the case.

"The Minnesota politicians who are stoking fear and anger are not helping," he said. "Politicians should realize that their words matter. You shouldn't be calling people fascists. You shouldn't be calling people terrorists."

West also warned against a repeat of the violence that followed the 2020 unrest in Minneapolis.

"Minneapolis already burned once in my lifetime," he said. "I do not want that to happen again."

West also discussed the ongoing Somali daycare fraud scandal, telling Newsmax that Republicans have been pushing for accountability and independent oversight.

"We've been working on fighting this fraud for a while," he said. "We've reported it to law enforcement, we've reported it to the media, and we've made sure everybody knows."

"These daycares claim millions of taxpayer dollars but don't have any kids," he added. "They try to make a show out of having like four kids in their center, but they're getting reimbursed $1.9 million. Something doesn't add up here."

He said lawmakers want investigators "independent from the governor," calling it "very important" and claiming Gov. Tim Walz lacks interest in addressing the issue unless it becomes "a political problem."

"We need people who don't have political interests at heart to get to the bottom of this," West said, "so that people who actually need the assistance can get the assistance, and we don't send the money over to Somalia."

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