A tense exchange between White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and a reporter about the fatal shooting of a Minneapolis woman by an immigration agent has spread widely on social media.
Niall Stanage, The Hill’s White House columnist, pressed Leavitt during Thursday’s briefing over whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was doing “everything correctly,” referencing deaths in ICE custody and the January 7 killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis. The back-and-forth ended with Leavitt accusing Stanage of bias and questioning his role as a journalist.
Why It Matters
ICE tactics have faced intensified scrutiny following a Trump administration-ordered immigration enforcement surge in the Twin Cities area in December. Tensions have escalated since the fatal shooting of Good, which has prompted protests against ICE and fueled renewed calls to abolish the agency.
Administration officials have defended the agent who shot Good—later identified as Jonathan Ross—arguing he acted in self-defense and claiming Good “weaponized” her vehicle. Democratic officials have rejected that account. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, described the incident as “an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying, getting killed.”
In the political fallout, some Democrats have proposed state law changes aimed at limiting ICE activity, while others have backed calls to impeach Noem. Democratic Representative Robin Kelly formally introduced articles of impeachment against Noem on Wednesday.
What To Know
Stanage began his question by referencing recent comments from Department of Homeland Security leadership.
“Earlier, you were just defending ICE agents generally, and earlier on [Homeland Security] Secretary [Kristi] Noem spoke to the media and she said, among other things, that they are ‘doing everything correctly’,” he said.
He then cited multiple figures: “32 people died in ICE custody last year, 170 U.S. citizens were detained by ICE, and Renee Good was shot in the head and killed by an ICE agent. How does that equate to them doing everything correctly?”
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported 32 detainee deaths in 2025, according to press releases reviewed by Newsweek. The government doesn’t track how many U.S. citizens are held by immigration agents, but ProPublica reported in October that it found more than 170 cases where citizens were detained at raids and protests. Newsweek has not verified the report.
Leavitt responded by asking: “Why was Renee Good unfortunately and tragically killed?”
Stanage asked whether she wanted his opinion. After Leavitt said yes, he replied: “Because an ICE agent acted recklessly and killed her unjustifiably.”
Leavitt then called Stanage a “biased reporter with a leftwing opinion” and a “leftwing hack.”
“You’re not a reporter, you’re posing in this room as a journalist,” she said, adding that his question showed bias. Leavitt argued that reporters should focus on “the facts” and “the cases,” rather than what she described as activist framing.
Viral Reaction and Competing Narratives
Video clips of the exchange circulated widely on X, with a clip shared by the White House’s Rapid Response account drawing more than 1.5 million views.
Reaction split sharply along political lines. Some conservatives praised Leavitt’s response, while journalists and others defended Stanage, noting that Leavitt had explicitly invited him to share his opinion before criticizing him for it.
Fox News host and right-wing activist Riley Gaines wrote on X that “watching it in person was even better than watching it online. Karoline Leavitt is so so good at her job.”
Journalist Mehdi Hasan also weighed in, praising Stanage for asking “important questions” and saying more reporters should do the same in the briefing room.
What People Are Saying
The White House’s Rapid Response account wrote on X alongside the clip: “@PressSec absolutely nukes a Fake News loser.”
Conservative commentator Eric Daugherty wrote on X: “Karoline Leavitt is SERIOUSLY the best. Her response to this insufferable ‘reporter’ proves why she is one of President Trump’s greatest comms hires of all time.”
Dan Kanninen, battleground states director for former vice president Kamala Harris’ 2024 campaign, wrote on X: “@NiallStanage and I don’t know each other well, but I’ve had the pleasure of appearing with him on @NewsNation a few times.
“We don’t always agree— in fact there have been segments in which he’s been plenty critical of my party. But he’s smart, thoroughly researched, and speaks plainly in a way that I truly admire. He’s a great reporter who is the sort of direct truth teller news media needs more of imo.”
Democratic strategist Tom Bonier wrote on X: “Leavitt attacked an honest to goodness reporter for The Hill, saying he was ‘posing as a reporter’ and ‘shouldn’t even be sitting in that seat’. It should be noted that Leavitt opened this same press briefing taking the first question from noted journalist Riley Gaines.”
What Happens Next
With enforcement operations continuing and protests ongoing in the Twin Cities area, political tension around ICE—and scrutiny of the administration’s messaging—is expected to remain high.
