119: What We Know About the Prairieland 'Antifa' Trials

Mike and Jared break down the recent sentencing in the Prairieland "antifa" trials, wherein 450 years were handed down across eight defendants who attended an anti-ICE protest outside the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas, on July 4, 2025.

The guys walk through what happened — a noise demonstration, fireworks, graffiti, and Benjamin Song firing 11 shots from a wooded area, hitting a law enforcement officer, before his gun jammed. One defendant got 30 years for moving a box of zines after his wife's arrest. Another got 50 years for sitting in a nearby car. Prosecutors pointed to possession of anarchist literature, use of Signal, and wearing black as evidence of a terrorist conspiracy.

Then there's Judge Reed O'Connor, a Federalist Society fixture who stated from the bench that he was imposing maximum sentences to send a message to people who share the defendants' ideology. O'Connor has become the go-to judge for far-right causes, including Elon Musk's dubious lawsuit against Media Matters. He's the man behind these sentences — an outcome that, predictably, delighted Andy Ngo.

Links:

• PrairielandDefendants.com

[This episode was recorded on June 28, 2026. Mike is traveling this week.]

Jared's album recommendation: Beach House, 7, 2018