Discussing Minnesota, FBI Director Kash Patel says “some of the best reporting” has been through Benny Johnson and Cam Higby: “As soon as Higby put that post out, I opened an investigation on it”
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From the January 26, 2026, edition of The Benny Show, streamed to YouTube
BENNY JOHNSON (HOST): This is incredible to hear, and this has now been exposed with some of these Signal chat leaks, the independent journalist who had done the exposing was just on right before you and wanted to ask about this. He says that he has submitted some of the information that was available. There are top level leaders inside of the political infrastructure of Minnesota who are on these chats, and, obviously, you can't conspire in order to attack federal agents. This is something that is at scale. They have license plate readers. They're able to identify these agents. They're able to dox them, find out where they're sleeping at night. Is any of this legal, Kash?
KASH PATEL (FBI DIRECTOR): That's exactly what we're investigating. Look, again, the First Amendment, you wanna go peacefully protest, do it. You wanna bring your firearm, under the law, you're allowed to bring it as long as you don't incite violence and or commit another crime in doing so.
What we're asking people to do, what I'm asking people to do is on the ground in Minnesota is, why would you bring a firearm in a situation that is so volatile right now, where so many arrests have been made, where so many people are coordinating to attack and expose federal law enforcement officers? That is just not smart. It is just not going to lead to a good scenario. And so we need everybody to tamp down, obviously, on that side.
But you're right, some of the best reporting has been through you, and, I think Mr. Higby was just on before I was, and other individuals. Just so you guys know, we look at all this stuff. As soon as Higby put that post out, I opened an investigation on it.
Just like any other case, when we say, hey, quote, unquote, there was an attack in downtown Seattle. Does the public have information? We, the FBI, are looking to the public for information on these events. We immediately opened up that investigation because that sort of Signal chat being coordinated with individuals, not just locally in Minnesota, but maybe even around the country, if that leads to a break in the federal statute or a violation of some law, then we are going to arrest people. You cannot create a scenario that illegally entraps and puts law enforcement in harm's way.
Now, we will balance the First and Second Amendment constantly, but we have to let the community know that we will not tolerate acts of violence and an escalation and a violation of the federal code. There has to be a break point, and you've seen it broken in Minneapolis time and time again.