A politically charged moment unfolded during the AEW Dynamite episode on February 4, 2026. As Maxwell Jacob Friedman’s match with Brody King got underway, fans inside the arena chanted “f*ck ICE,” referencing United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The chants followed King’s earlier on-screen statement, as he had previously worn an “Abolish ICE” T-shirt during a past episode of Dynamite, drawing attention to the issue and sparking debate among fans and commentators alike.
The moment prompted a public response from former WWE performer Val Venis (real name Sean Morley), who shared his thoughts on social media. Venis was highly critical of the messaging, offering a firm rebuttal to the chants and imagery.
“Brody King wearing ‘Abolish ICE’ on a Tshirt isn’t justice; it’s cosplay. Yelling at institutions, assaulting other humans, destroying property, doesn’t protect human beings. DUE PROCESS IS WHAT PROTECTS HUMAN BEINGS! Guess public education failed these entertainers horrifically. Proof before power. Authority before punishment. Human rights aren’t slogans. They’re procedures.”
The exchange highlights the ongoing intersection of professional wrestling and real-world political discourse, an area AEW has not shied away from since its inception. As with similar moments in the past, the chants and reactions have generated strong responses across social media, underscoring how wrestling crowds and performers continue to engage with broader societal issues—often provoking sharply divided opinions.
🔴 Brody King wearing "Abolish ICE" on a Tshirt isn’t justice; it’s cosplay. Yelling at institutions, assaulting other humans, destroying property, doesn’t protect human beings. DUE PROCESS IS WHAT PROTECTS HUMAN BEINGS!
Guess public education failed these entertainers… pic.twitter.com/nNoCnhDcud
— Val Venis™ (The Big Valbowski™) (@ValVenisEnt) February 7, 2026
Morley also wrote the following message to Facebook user Rhonda Shane:
“Protests still accomplish nothing but hurting peoples businesses, properties, homes and their own lives. There is a moral sequence to and a logical path to freedom. First, full underhindered due process scrutiny and negotiations. When negotiations fail, and war is the only solution, raise organized militias. Let me know when idiots stop harming their own communities, arm up to the teeth and move to capture and arrest the politicians and their subordinates with attention to minimizing any damage, harm, and death to the people.
Protesting like idiotic leftists does nothing but make a lot of senseless noise, and harms people while destroying human lives. You sir are a moron who clearly needs to find Jesus Christ fast.”
