White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt launched a tirade against a reporter during Thursday's press briefing, branding him a “leftwing activist” after he questioned the Trump administration's defence of ICE agents.
Niall Stanage, a White House columnist for The Hill, cited statistics showing 32 deaths in ICE custody last year and 170 US citizens detained by the agency. He then referenced the killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, who was shot dead by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on 7 January.
When Stanage suggested the agent had acted recklessly, Leavitt responded: “OK, so you’re a biased reporter with a leftwing opinion… You’re a leftwing hack. You’re not a reporter, posing in this room as a journalist.” She accused him of failing to report on Americans killed by “illegal” immigrants.
The Trump administration has defended the agent, Jonathan Ross, claiming he fired in self-defence after Good tried to ram him with her car. However, a video reconstruction by the New York Times suggests the car did not strike Ross and that Good was attempting to flee.
Following Good's killing, Minneapolis has seen further protests after another shooting during an ICE operation. Governor Tim Walz called on President Trump to “turn the temperature down” and urged peaceful demonstrations.
