Press Secretary Critiques Media Coverage on ICE Incident

On Thursday, White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt took aim at The Hill’s deputy editor Niall Stanage after he accused an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer, Jonathan Ross, of “recklessness” in the death of Renee Goode.

Instead of mentioning how Goode accelerated her vehicle and struck Ross, Stanage argued that Ross wrongfully killed her. Leavitt responded directly to Stanage, labeling him a “left-wing hacker” masquerading as a journalist.

“Why was Renee Goode unfortunately and tragically killed?” Leavitt asked in reaction to Stanage’s inquiries regarding ICE’s conduct. Stanage contended, “Are you listening to my opinion? Because an ICE officer acted recklessly and died.” This led Leavitt to firmly state that Stanage was not acting as a reporter, remarking, “You are pretending to be a journalist in this room. And it’s very clear from the premise of your question.”

During the exchange, Stanage pressed Leavitt on ICE’s effectiveness, citing the deaths involving its agents. In turn, Leavitt challenged him about the number of Americans killed by illegal immigrants, referencing specific individuals like Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nangaray.

“Do you have numbers on how many American citizens have been killed at the hands of illegal aliens?” Leavitt asked, doubting Stanage’s familiarity with these cases. She said, “I’m sure you’ve never read about Laken Riley or Jocelyn Nangaray,” emphasizing the casualties of illegal immigrants in the country.

Leavitt praised the efforts of ICE, claiming that they are striving to remove violent individuals and enhance community safety. She suggested that media figures with biased views should feel ashamed for pretending to be honest journalists.

The current administration has intensified arrests and deportation efforts in response to a rise in border crossings. ICE is reported to be detaining over 68,900 individuals and has made more than 352,000 arrests.

Following Goode’s death, Democrats and much of the mainstream media expressed support for her, with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey demanding “total removal” of ICE from the city. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accused President Trump and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem of enforcing more ICE presence and urged residents to document officer activities during operations.

Ross sustained internal bleeding from being struck by Goode’s vehicle. Noem noted that Ross was previously attacked by an anti-ICE demonstrator in June. The administration maintains that Ross acted in self-defense, arguing that the media misrepresented the incident. Footage suggests that Goode accelerated toward Ross after being ordered out of her car, with his wife urging her to “Drive, drive!”