Stephen Colbert says Trump admin's ICE shooting narrative is a warning for America: 'Obey or die'

Stephen Colbert warned of a government‑sanctioned violence trend, saying nine ICE shootings since September showed a pattern, not isolated incidents
PUBLISHED JAN 9, 2026
Stephen Colbert said the Trump admin defended the ICE agent despite video evidence allegedly showing Renee Nicole Good turning away her car from him (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert/YouTube)
Stephen Colbert said the Trump admin defended the ICE agent despite video evidence allegedly showing Renee Nicole Good turning away her car from him (The Late Show with Stephen Colbert/YouTube)

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: ‘The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’ host Stephen Colbert chimed in on the recent Minneapolis shooting during an episode of his show on Thursday, January 8, as part of his opening monologue.

During the monologue, the talk show host criticized the Trump administration’s stance on the shooting as they defended the ICE agent who shot and killed Renee Nicole Good, claiming that she had attempted to run the officer over with her car, which had caused the ICE agent to open fire in self-defense.

Colbert alleged that the administration’s message was clear: They wanted citizens to “obey or die.”

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 06:  Stephen Colbert arrives for the Showtime Golden Globe Nominees Celebr
Stephen Colbert arrives for the Showtime Golden Globe Nominees Celebration at Sunset Tower on January 6, 2018, in Los Angeles, California (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images)

Stephen Colbert slams Trump administration for the Minneapolis shooting

During his opening monologue on Thursday’s episode of ‘The Late Show’, Stephen Colbert chimed in on the video circulating online of Renee Nicole Good being fatally shot by an ICE agent.

Colbert didn’t play the video of the shooting but stated that in the video previously shared by The New York Times, Good appeared to be turning away from the officer.

He also stated that The Washington Post reported that the ICE agent was able to move out of the way and fire two shots from the side of the vehicle.

“It sure looks like a federal agent gunned down an American citizen without cause in front of witnesses on a city street,” Colbert said. 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 08: U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem takes questions during a press conference at One World Trade Center on January 08, 2026 in New York City. Following yesterday's fatal shooting of a woman by an ICE agent during a confrontation in Minneapolis, Noem addressed the Trump administration's ongoing immigration enforcement efforts in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem takes questions during a press conference at One World Trade Center on January 08, 2026, in New York City (Michael M Santiago/Getty Images)

The talk show further commented on the Trump administration’s response to the shooting, as they had previously said that the ICE agent had acted in self-defense.

He said that the administration was telling people that they didn’t see a federal agent shoot a woman in cold blood but that they saw him respond to an “act of domestic t*******m.”

“They’re telling you to believe them and not your eyes,” he added. 

Stephen Colbert calls for citizens to stand against government-sanctioned violence

Stephen Colbert argued that the recent Minneapolis shooting was the 9th ICE shooting since September, as per the New York Times. He added that it was less of an anomaly and more of a trend.

President Donald Trump addresses a House Republican retreat at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on January 06, 2026 in Washington, DC. House Republicans will discuss their 2026 legislative agenda at the meeting. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump addresses a House Republican retreat at The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on January 06, 2026, in Washington, DC (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

As he quoted a CBS News article, he added that not only was the Trump administration trying to spin the narrative of the shooting, but they were also trying to withhold evidence.

The new article claimed that the Minnesota investigators alleged that the FBI had blocked them from accessing evidence related to Renee Good’s shooting.

"This should be an alarm bell for the entire country,” Colbert warned his viewers.

He added that, despite which state people lived in, they could not let such behavior continue. The talk show host also argued that, regardless of which party people voted for, one day, they could have “unaccountable armed government agents acting with impunity in your town.”

“So peacefully, and non-violently, please let your leaders know you don’t want that,” Stephen Colbert said. 

GET BREAKING U.S. NEWS & POLITICAL UPDATES
STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

MORE STORIES

'What is the story with always writing a book when you’re running for president?' Bill Maher asked Josh Shapiro
3 hours ago
Later in the discussion, Smerconish addressed reactions from viewers and criticized what he described as the increasingly partisan tone surrounding the conflict
6 hours ago
Bill Maher was discussing the COVID vaccine with former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci and Lloyd Blankfein
10 hours ago
McGowan challenged the rationale for costly war spending, saying funds should go to domestic health needs instead of foreign conflict
18 hours ago
The president then used a hypothetical scenario to illustrate his point, suggesting it would make little sense for any leader to publicly reveal plans related to potential military operations
1 day ago
Scott Jennings posted a clip of the exchange on social media and sharply criticized the 'disgusting' argument he believed Keith Boykin was making
1 day ago
Jimmy Kimmel had joked, 'I hope these Iranians realize Donald Trump wants you to bomb us. For him, that would be a win-win'
1 day ago
'You seem to be worried about this $11 billion [spent on Iran war] but not TBD billion in Minnesota [fraud],' Scott Jennings told Abby Phillip
1 day ago
'I’ll reply to Little Benji’s latest hissy-fit on tomorrow’s show,' Piers Morgan wrote about Ben Shapiro, while Megyn Kelly called him 'Poor little Ben'
1 day ago
'Megyn is lying,' Ben Shapiro said, pointing out that unlike the former Fox News anchor's claims, his criticism of her had nothing to do with Israel
2 days ago