Michael Fanone, the former Washington, D.C., police officer lionized by the left after January 6, is once again in the spotlight — but this time for comments that even fellow Democrats are scrambling to distance themselves from.
Fanone, who has built a media career condemning conservatives over the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot where he was injured, ignited backlash after appearing on The Lincoln Square’s “Protect and Serve” podcast and suggesting Americans may need to take up arms against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The remarks stunned critics who say Fanone, once portrayed as a defender of law enforcement, is now openly encouraging confrontation with it.
“So these politicians and these local, state, and municipal law enforcement agencies need to wake the f*ck up,” Fanone told host Mara May. “I appreciate the foul language coming out of the mouth of the mayor of Minneapolis, and I think that he, his sentiment in the moment, was appropriate.”
He wasn’t finished.
“I don’t need to hear from the chief of police that we all need to remain calm and protest peacefully. Fck you and fck that,” he continued. Fanone then moved from profanity to provocation, accusing ICE of lawlessness and urging civilians to step in where he claims the government has failed.“What are you doing to keep me safe? What are you doing to keep my mother safe, my sister safe, my community safe from these thugs? That’s what I need to hear coming out of these agents or these officers,” the former officer added. “Because if you’re not going to do it, then it’s time for the American people to organize and to utilize their Second Amendment right to protect themselves from what has clearly become an unaccountable and lawless agency that’s killing Americans.”
The comments drew swift condemnation online, including from CNN conservative commentator Scott Jennings, who questioned Fanone’s fitness for police work in the first place.
“Starting to think maybe this person didn’t have the temperament to be a police officer in the first place,” Jennings posted.
Even Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker rejected Fanone’s rhetoric when pressed by CNN’s Jake Tapper during State of the Union.
“Well, violence is inappropriate in all of these situations,” Pritzker said. “And indeed, I’ve told the protesters — who are, in fact, the vast majority are peaceful protesters — keep the violence out of it. Make sure you‘re peacefully protesting, be loud for America, but make sure you’re not providing any excuse for the administration to try to send in the National Guard.”
Pritzker went further, warning that inflammatory language could undermine legal challenges his state has pursued.
“We’ve won in our cases, but it’s in part because we haven’t created any situations in which an insurrection or rebellion looks like it’s taking place,” he continued, referring to lawsuits aimed at blocking National Guard deployments.
“Our protesters are doing the right thing, and we shouldn’t have any talk of people bringing guns and matching force by civilians with law enforcement. What we need is for law enforcement at the federal level to back off, do their job, follow the protocols, do the right thing,” he said.
Bryan Lanza, a former senior adviser to the Trump 2024 campaign, torched Fanone’s comments during the same CNN segment, calling them reckless and dangerous.
“CNN’s favorite policeman, Michael Fanone. He’s talking about, you know, people using guns against ICE enforcement to deal with these situations. All that’s happening on the left is truly an escalation. I think it needs to stop,” Lanza said. “He’s literally asking for a confrontation with law enforcement and citizens — a gun exchange.”
For critics, the episode highlights what they see as a growing contradiction on the left: activists who once demanded absolute deference to law enforcement now flirting openly with armed resistance — so long as the target is a federal agency enforcing immigration law.
