White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused a reporter of being a 'leftwing activist' during a tense confrontation on Thursday over the killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent last week.
Niall Stanage, a White House columnist for the Hill, questioned the administration's defence of ICE agents, citing 32 deaths in custody last year and 170 US citizens detained by ICE, before noting that Good was 'shot in the head and killed by an ICE agent'. Leavitt responded by asking for his opinion, to which Stanage replied that the agent 'acted recklessly and killed her unjustifiably'. Leavitt then shot back, branding him a 'biased reporter with a leftwing opinion' and a 'leftwing hack'.
Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis on 7 January during a federal immigration enforcement raid. The incident, captured on video, has sparked protests and political debate.
The Trump administration has defended Ross, claiming he fired in self-defence after Good tried to ram officers with her car. However, a New York Times video reconstruction suggests the car did not strike Ross and that Good was attempting to flee. President Trump falsely claimed Good 'ran him over', while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Good of 'domestic terrorism'.
Following the killing, thousands of ICE agents remain in Minneapolis, where another shooting of a man during an enforcement operation on Wednesday sparked fresh protests. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called on President Trump to 'turn the temperature down' and end the 'campaign of retribution'.
