Karoline Leavitt says Trump is ‘right’, calls on NYT to update Minneapolis ICE shooting report

WASHINGTON, DC: The White House has called on The New York Times to revise its reporting on a fatal shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis. 

This demand came after new cellphone footage from the agent involved in the incident was released publicly, prompting White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt to argue that the Times’ earlier coverage was incomplete or misleading.

The controversy centers on whether the ICE agent acted in self‑defense when he shot a motorist during an ICE operation on Wednesday, January 7. 

White House responds to New York Times reporting 

The White House’s challenge to the Times was articulated by Leavitt in an X (formerly Twitter) post, in which she called on the newspaper to update its reporting on the ICE agent’s claim of self‑defense in Minnesota. 

The press secretary wrote, "I am hereby calling on ⁦the New York Times to update their reporting on the ICE Agent’s self defense in Minnesota. President Trump was right, again," and shared a screenshot of the Times' interview with President Donald Trump, where he viewed available video of the shooting. 

The Times reported, "On Thursday, after our interview with the president, a Times analysis of footage from three camera angles showed the motorist was driving away from — not toward — a federal officer when he opened fire."

Leavitt emphasized that the newly released footage, captured on the cellphone of the ICE agent identified in the report as Jonathan Ross, showed interactions leading up to the shooting.

In the video, Ross is seen exiting his vehicle and walking toward the motorist’s car while she remained inside. The motorist then tells him, “That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad at you,” in reference to him recording her.

The footage then shows Ross filming the car’s license plate as a bystander, later identified as the motorist’s wife, Becca Good, recorded him from the back. At one point, Becca asks Ross, “You want to come at us? I say go get yourself some lunch, big boy. Go ahead.” 

Immediately afterward, another ICE agent approaches the motorist on the driver’s side and attempts to pull her out of the vehicle, telling her to “get out of the f***ing car.” The motorist then appears to back up and turn, potentially to drive around Ross, at which point Ross yells in surprise and fires his gun three times.

Trump administration backs ICE agent's conduct in Minneapolis

The victim, identified as 37‑year‑old Renee Nicole Good, was a mother of three who had recently moved to Minneapolis with her family.

A prize‑winning poet and writer, she was described by loved ones as kind, compassionate, and devoted to her children. City officials said she was at the scene serving as a legal observer of federal immigration enforcement.

Although parts of the video appear to show the motorist steering away from the agent, Trump allies have insisted that the agent acted in self‑defense, claiming that Renee allegedly attempted to ram her vehicle into him.

Leavitt also accused other media outlets of smearing the ICE agent and advancing false narratives for political purposes, saying such actions undermine public trust in the press. Alongside the White House’s call for the Times to update its reporting, Vice President JD Vance also defended the ICE agent’s actions.

In an X post, Vance argued that the agent’s life was in danger and that the reality of the situation, in his view, supported the claim of self‑defense.

Vance claimed that many people have been misled to believe the officer was not threatened or harassed and that, according to him, the officer was indeed endangered and therefore acted appropriately.