JD Delay joins me to break down what he saw at the ICE detention facility protests in Portland—beyond the headlines. We talk crowd dynamics, police/federal response, claims of funding/organization, nearby residents caught in the middle, and how to keep nuance in a polarized media environment.

-Firsthand play-by-play from the protest zone

-Whether Portland is “burning” or if unrest is concentrated

-Guns, snipers on rooftops, and crowd escalation tactics

-Arrests, releases, and who’s actually pressing charges

-Free speech vs. violence, and how to consume media critically

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00:00 Portland “war zone”? Why JD went to see for himself
02:15 Intent: document both sides, not legacy-media takes
03:26 City snapshot outside the ICE site
07:30 Pepper gas + first confrontations
09:12 Crowd size & who’s protesting vs. agitating
13:03 DHS snipers, de-escalation, and leaving before it pops off
15:33 How the experience shaped JD’s views on Antifa
17:08 Police/federal response & arrest questions
20:21 Attacks on independent journalists (Andy Ngo, etc.)
26:32 Guns at protests? BB gun vs. real firearms
29:21 Media narratives, politics, and “revenge” cycles
44:16 Police presence changes the temperature
46:59 Terror/ RICO debate vs. First Amendment rights
54:14 “Laser tag” flyer & risks to aircraft
1:11:11 Is Portland 95% fine? The broader picture
1:17:17 Independent media, swatting, and safety
1:22:50 Outro

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