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By Khaleda Rahman
National Correspondent
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A clash between White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and a reporter over the killing of a Minneapolis woman by an immigration agent has gone viral on social media.
Niall Stanage, the White House columnist for The Hill, was labelled a “biased reporter with a leftwing opinion” and “leftwing hack" during the exchange at a press briefing on Thursday after citing deaths in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and the fatal shooting of Renee Good in a question about if the agency was doing "everything correctly."
Newsweek has contacted the White House and Stanage for comment via emails sent outside regular business hours.
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Why It Matters
The tactics of ICE agents have come under scrutiny amid a major immigration enforcement surge ordered by the Trump administration into the Twin Cities area in December. Tensions escalated since the fatal shooting of Good on January 7 by an immigration agent in Minneapolis, which has prompted nationwide protests against ICE and led to growing support for abolishing the agency.
Trump administration officials have defended the immigration agent who killed Good, later named as Jonathan Ross, saying he acted in self-defense and that Good had weaponized her vehicle. Democratic officials have rejected the Trump administration's narrative. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, said it was a case of “an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying, getting killed.”
Some Democrats have responded to the shooting by proposing state law changes to limit ICE, while others have joined calls to impeach Noem. Democratic Representative Robin Kelly formally introduced articles of impeachment against Noem on Wednesday.
What To Know
Stanage introduced his question by saying: "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".
"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 to Stanage: “Why was Renee Good unfortunately and tragically killed?”
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Stanage asked if she wanted his opinion, which she affirmed. He then said: “Because an ICE agent acted recklessly and killed her unjustifiably.”
Leavitt then accused the reporter of being a “biased reporter with a leftwing opinion” and a “leftwing hack.”
She added: “You’re not a reporter, you’re posing in this room as a journalist. And it’s so clear by the premise of your question. And you and the people of the media who have such biases but fake like you’re a journalist, you shouldn’t even be sitting in that seat.”
She went on: “But you’re pretending like you’re a journalist, but you’re a leftwing activist. And the question that you just raised and your answer proves you’re biased. You should be reporting on the facts. You should be reporting on the cases.”
Video clips of the encounter circulated widely on X, with a clip shared by the White House’s Rapid Response account garnering more than 1.5 million views.
While conservatives praised Leavitt’s response, journalists and others, including people on the left, came to Stanage’s defense, noting that Leavitt had asked for Stanage’s opinion
Fox News host and right-wing activist Riley Gaines was among those who praised Leavitt’s response to Stanage, writing on X that “watching it in person was even better than watching it online. Karoline Leavitt is so so good at her job.”
Meanwhile, journalist Mehdi Hasan praised Stanage for asking “important questions,” adding that it was something “not enough people do” in the White House 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, who was the 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 political 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
Tensions are likely to remain high as protests and enforcement operations continue in the Twin Cities.
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