The White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, faced intense scrutiny during a press briefing on Thursday when she labeled a reporter as a “leftwing activist.” This confrontation arose amid growing public indignation surrounding the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE agent last week.

Niall Stanage, a White House columnist for News, began his line of questioning by referencing the Trump administration’s unwavering defense of ICE agents. He cited comments from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who claimed that ICE actions were “doing everything correctly.” Stanage pointed to alarming statistics, including the 32 detainee deaths in ICE custody last year and the detention of 170 U.S. citizens, before highlighting that Good was “shot in the head and killed by an ICE agent.”

“How does that equate to them doing everything correctly?” he pressed.

Leavitt responded with a provocative question of her own: “Why was Renee Good unfortunately and tragically killed?” When Stanage inquired if she was asking for his opinion, Leavitt affirmed. “Because an ICE agent acted recklessly and killed her unjustifiably,” he asserted.

Leavitt countered sharply, declaring, “OK, so you’re a biased reporter with a leftwing opinion … You’re pretending to be a journalist, but you’re a leftwing activist. Your question and answer demonstrate your bias. You should be reporting on the facts.”

She further urged him to focus on the victims of crimes committed by “illegal” immigrants, suggesting he was misrepresenting the issues at hand. “I bet you didn’t even read up on those stories,” she accused, referencing the fatalities of American citizens allegedly at the hands of undocumented individuals. “Shame on people in the media who have a crooked view yet present themselves as legitimate journalists.”

Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, was killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis during an immigration enforcement operation on January 7. Her death has fueled nationwide protests and a persistent political discourse regarding the circumstances of the incident, partially captured on video.

The Trump administration vigorously supports the agent involved, identified as Jonathan Ross. Officials maintain that Ross discharged multiple rounds in self-defense as Good’s vehicle allegedly threatened his safety. Meanwhile, the FBI has only recently commenced its investigation into the shooting.

Former President Trump inaccurately asserted in an interview with News that Good “ran him over,” while Noem characterized her actions as “domestic terrorism.” JD Vance claimed on social media that Ross was “defending his life against a deranged leftist who tried to run him over.” Furthermore, U.S. officials suggested that Ross suffered internal injuries due to an interaction with Good’s vehicle.

However, a video reconstruction by News indicates that the vehicle did not collide with Ross, suggesting that Good was trying to escape the scene rather than aim her vehicle at law enforcement.

With substantial federal immigration presence in Minneapolis post-Good’s death, protests erupted again following an incident where a man was shot in the leg during an enforcement action in a northern neighborhood this past Wednesday. This led Minnesota’s Governor, Tim Walz, to implore Trump to “turn the temperature down.”

In a statement, he called on the president to “stop this campaign of retribution” and urged Minnesotans to “speak out loudly, urgently, but also peacefully.”