Has the Trump administration overplayed its spin? | The Listening Post

January 31, 2026 · 26 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of a protester's fatal shooting by border control agents and the subsequent media coverage and political fallout.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, the fatal shooting of a protester by border control agents triggered mass demonstrations and presented the Trump administration with an unexpected test of its immigration strategy. Footage captured by onlookers has undercut official statements and intensified questions about the level of force and use of high-tech tools being used to crack down on dissent. Contributors: Julie Millican – Vice president, Media Matters Qasim Rashid – Human Rights lawyer and founder, Let's Address This Naureen Shah – Director of government affairs, ACLU Prem Thakkar – Reporter, Zeteo News On our radar Just days after ownership of TikTok in the US changed hands, with several of the investors linked to President Trump, users reported widespread censorship of content critical of the administration and its allies. Tariq Nafi reports on the allegations, the tech backlash and the rise of rival platforms. Bangladesh’s election and the media under threat Bangladesh’s first post-Hasina elections are approaching amid deep political turbulence and growing fear within the country. After major newsrooms were attacked and journalists targeted by disinformation-driven violence, the…

People in this episode

Guests: Julie Millican, Qasim Rashid, Naureen Shah, Prem Thakkar, Mahfuz Anam

Topics covered

Trump administration
immigration strategy
protests
media censorship
Bangladesh elections
journalism under threat

Keywords

Trump administration
protests
immigration
media censorship
Bangladesh elections
journalism
human rights

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Media Matters, ACLU, Zeteo News, Daily Star

Places: Minneapolis, Minnesota, Bangladesh